Vorwerk Chicken: Eggs, Temperament, Size and Raising Tips

Vorwerk chickens are a rare, dual-purpose breed that originated in Germany. It was named after its breeder, Oskar Vorwerk. His goal was to create an appealing chicken breed that was simple to grow, an excellent layer, and a decent meat producer.

Vorwerk chickens have a single comb that is average in size, white earlobes, and slate-blue legs. They are sturdy, adaptable birds that love to be raised outdoors and can be highly flighty. Vorwerk can withstand confinement and are peaceful and easy to handle chickens.

Vorwerk hens lay a lot of cream-colored eggs (about 160 – 190 per year), but they don’t seem to go broody. A bantam version is also available.

History of Vorwerk Chickens

In 1900, Oskar Vorwerk, a poultry breeder, began developing a practical chicken breed with the same plumage pattern as of the Lakenvelder type. The Vorwerk’s dark gold color, as opposed to the Lakenvelder’s white, is the most noticeable contrast in appearance. 

As a result, his bird is frequently wrongly referred to as the “Golden Lakenvelder,” particularly in the United States. A different breed from the Vorwerk is the Golden Lakenvelder, a plumage variant. Buff Orpington, The Lakenvelder, Buff Sussex, and Andalusian were among the breeds utilized to make the Vorwerk. 

The breed was initially displayed in 1912 and is supposed to have originated among the Lakenvelders, Orpingtons, Ramelslohers, and Andalusian peoples. The breed is extremely rare, and it was on the verge of extinction after WWII. With broad backs and deep, rounded breasts, they are robust and compact birds. 

The face is nicely feathered, and the head is broad. A single medium-sized serrated comb, medium-length wattles, and little white earlobes distinguish them. They have four toes and silky, glossy plumage. Their legs are slate blue.

The Vorwerk was standardized by 1913, but it never really took off outside of Continental Europe. It is now rare or non-existent. Wilmar Vorwerk of Minnesota acquired an interest in the breed in 1966 but discovered it had not been exported to the United States. He opted to start from scratch with Lakenvelders, Buff and Blue Wyandottes, Black-tailed Buff, and Buff Columbian Rosecombs to produce a bantam variant. 

European fanciers have also shrunk a bantam Vorwerk on their own. The American Bantam Association has recognized the Vorwerk Bantam, even though APA’s Standard of Perfection did not accept the breed.

Vorwerk Chickens Physique And Characteristics 

The Vorwerk chicken is a strong and compact creature. The back is broad, and the breast is deep and rounded. Vorwerk chickens have large heads and well-feathered faces. They have a single, medium-sized comb that is bright red in hue.

They have little white earlobes and wattles that are modest in length. Their legs have four toes and are slate blue in color. Their plumage is silky and lustrous. The rest of their body is a buff tint, with a solid black head, neck, and tail. Their eyes are orange-red, and their skin is slate gray.

Their tail, neck, and head are all jet black when it comes to plumage. The rest of it, on the other hand, is a buff color. The ideal breed criteria are those that have no black patterning in the buff areas. However, breeding this kind is extremely tough.

The following are some of the Vorwerk chicken breed’s distinguishing characteristics:

● Comb with only one strand

● Earlobes that are white

● Grey under-fluff in the state

● Legs that aren’t feathered

Typical Vorwerk roosters weigh 2.5-3.0 kg, while hens weigh 2.0-2.5 kg. This chicken breed comes in two bantam sizes. Furthermore, the bantam standards of Vorwerk chicken in the United States differ from those in Europe.

In Europe, Vorwerk bantam roosters weigh 910 kg, while hens weigh 680 grams. However, in the United States, the breed is smaller, with roosters weighing 765 grams and hens weighing 650 grams.

Personality And Temperament 

Vorwerk chicken is a tough, alert, and active creature. It’s a dual-purpose breed that can produce both meat and eggs. They’re feisty, so you’ll need a lot of fencing to keep them contained. They have excellent foraging abilities and are a perfect choice for a free-range system. They do, however, do well in captivity.

The chicks mature quickly and grow quickly. Vorwerk chickens are a resilient breed that will continue to lay eggs throughout the winter. The hens lay light brown eggs that are medium in size. You can retain more than one rooster in the flock because the roosters are tolerant of each other.

Vorwerk chickens are a gentle and quiet kind of chicken. They’re also relatively easy to handle, and the chickens are easy to tame. They are superb food foragers and make great farmyard and smallholding birds. They are content to roam freely but do not mind being confined in a run. Chicks are fast growers and mature quickly. 

Vorwerk chickens are active, lively, and with a small appetite. They are, however, good fliers, capable of flying up to 2 meters; thus, a higher fence is needed. The hens lay a lot of white-shelled eggs and will keep doing so throughout the winter. They’re easy to train and aren’t afraid of anything.

Egg-Laying Capacity of Vorwerk Chickens

Vorwerk chickens are bred to produce both food and eggs. The hens produce medium-sized brown eggs. The hens lay light brown eggs of medium size. Large Vorwerk hens are excellent layers of cream-colored eggs, laying about 170 per year. Bantams are similarly dual-purpose, but they produce smaller eggs and fewer of them. 

4 Tips in Raising Vorwerk Chickens

There are several strategies to keep the chickens healthy, including proper immunization and keeping in touch with a veterinarian. The only drawback for this breed is that it cannot thrive in closed confinement. Thus large expanses would be ideal. Keeping them confined in a small space like the backyard would be a poor option.

Purchasing The Chicks

To begin your Vorwerk chicken farming business, you must first purchase high-quality, healthy, and disease-free birds. Buying high-quality chickens are critical because high-quality birds are the key to high productivity and earnings. Depending on the price and availability in your location, you can buy mature birds or day-old chicks. 

In the market, mature birds are more expensive. The day-old chicks, on the other hand, are far less costly. As a result, we suggest starting with day-old chicks.

The chicks can be bought from local poultry chick vendors, chicken breeding centers, or Vorwerk chicken farms. You could also look through local online classified websites. Just make sure the ladies are fit and healthy.

Proper Housing

For commercial Vorwerk chicken farming, establishing a good, pleasant, and secure housing system is critical. Proper housing keeps the birds healthy and keeps them safe from wild predators and bad weather.

The type of house you build depends on your budget and the resources available in your area. The house can be constructed entirely of concrete or using low-cost, readily available materials such as bamboo or wood.

Inside the house, install an excellent ventilation system. An effective ventilation system is essential for keeping your birds healthy by reducing dangerous gases inside the house.

Make sure there is enough clean air and light within the house. Vorwerk chickens are a big breed of chicken, so they need around or up to 5 square feet of the dwelling area.

Feeding Vorwerk Chickens

The most crucial aspect of Vorwerk chicken farming is providing high-quality, healthful, and nutritious food to the birds. Because nutritious food not only keeps the chicken healthy but also encourages them to thrive and produce more.

You have the option of using ready-made/commercial poultry feeds or making your own feeds for your birds. Make sure your chickens’ diets are healthy and nutritious.

Never feed tainted feed to your hens. And, whenever possible, try to provide them with clean enough, fresh drinking water to meet their needs.

The Vorwerk chickens are suitable for both confinement and free-range production. However, rearing them in a free-range manner will help you save money on food. At the same time, it will aid in the production of higher-quality goods.

Breeding

Vorwerk hens, like many other domestic chicken breeds, are excellent breeders by nature. If you keep a decent ratio of hens to roosters in your flock, they will quickly breed and produce fertile eggs for hatching. In most cases, one healthy rooster is sufficient to breed up to ten hens.

Summary

Vorwerk chickens are strong, durable, and energetic breed. They typically necessitate less attention and supervision. Taking extra care of the birds can help them grow faster and produce more. 

These are the most popular processes and methods for starting and running a profitable Vorwerk chicken farming operation. Vorwerk chickens are tough and durable, and they’re simple to care for. Even novices can raise them. Vorwerk chickens are pretty uncommon. They mainly grow them for obtaining meat and eggs for consumption. 

This breed is ideal for individuals looking to save time and money by breeding easy-to-care-for meat birds. For that matter, you can raise them in your own backyard. If you want to raise the best chicken breed, choose Vorwerk. You will not be disappointed!