The Lakenwelder chicken is a medium-sized egg breed. This is an ancient breed of chicken. The Lackenwelder chicken is believed to come from North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. They are thought to be named after the town of Lackenwelt.
This breed was first recorded in 1727. The name Lakenwelder means “white color on a black background”. They are also known as shadow on the leaf.
The black and white pattern of the Lakenwelder chicken is similar to the coloration of Lakenwelder cattle and goats originating from the same locality.
They were first imported to the UK in 1901. And in 1939 the breed was included in the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Excellence. There are a variety of bantams of this breed of chickens.
Physical characteristics of the Lakenwelder chicken
The Lakenwelder chicken is a very beautiful variety that attracts a lot of attention with its unique color pattern. They have a solid black head, neck and tail with no spots, mites or stripes. The inner membrane of the primary and secondary wings is black.
And the rest of the bird is white with a pale gray-blue tint. The characteristic plumage and markings of the Lakenwelder hen usually appear before the third moult. They have a dark horny beak and light brown or red eyes.
The muzzle, comb, and wattles of a Lakenwelder chicken are bright red. Their unique medium-sized comb has five tips, which is unique to females. They have almond-shaped white earlobes and their legs are slate blue and featherless.
Their breasts are unusually plump and round, almost like those of wild birds, and their skin color is white. Lackenwelder chicks are mostly creamy white with a black neck collar and black splashes on their heads and backs.
On average, Lakenwelder roosters weigh up to 2.5 kg, and chickens – up to 2 kg. Photo from Wikipedia.
Behaviour/Temperament
Laekenwelder chickens are good laying hens and lay up to 160 eggs per year. Their eggs are medium in size, weighing up to 50 grams each, and are white to tinted.
Chickens do not incubate. They tend to be fickle, wild and ready to feed. They are good foragers and are more comfortable in the wild.
Lackenwelder chickens do not do well and tend to be nervous and uncomfortable in captivity. The chicks are hardy and mature quickly. They can tolerate almost any climate. See the complete Laekenwälder chicken breed profile.
| Breed name | Lakenvelder |
| another name | Also known as shadow on the leaf |
| Purpose of the breed | eggs |
| Broad temperament | Fly, Shy |
| Breed size | medium |
| sullen instinct | Rarely |
| comb | A |
| climatic tolerance | All climates |
| egg color | White or tinted |
| Egg size | medium |
| Egg performance | medium |
| feathered feet | Not |
| scarcity | Ordinary parts |
| Varieties | Silver Lakenvelder (produced by black white black, blue white blue, brown white brown) |
Good
- Very attractive
- good diaper
- very rustic
- excellent collectors
- Good conversion of food into eggs
- Chicks mature quickly
- Suitable for free range
- Very protective against herds
Wrong
- inconstant
- Not a meat bird
- Not suitable as a pet
- Can be aggressive towards new birds or other birds in the flock.
Is Chicken Lakenwelder healthy for you?
Chicken Lakenwelder is good if you…
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- Prefer to raise attractive chickens.
- Look for chicks with unique color patterns.
- Do you want to raise several small laying chicks?
- You are looking for chickens that are good foragers and very good at free range.
- Do you have a pasture or a vegetable garden and want to put chickens there?
- Look for chickens that are protective of the flock and can protect themselves from predators.
