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Barnevelder

A Dutch beauty with double-laced feathers and dark brown eggs, from a damp, windy homeland.

Barnevelder hen

Photo: Daharja, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped

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Barnevelder at a glance

Medium, dual-purpose

Status
APA breed, Continental class (one variety). Year admitted not sourced.[1]
Origin
Developed in the Barneveld region of the Netherlands; the stock was standardized there in 1922.[2][3]
Egg color
Dark reddish brown[2][3][4]
Egg size
Good-sized[3]
Weight
8.5 lb rooster, 6.5 lb hen (Oklahoma State).[3]
Bantam
Yes.[1]
Broodiness
Hens sit and rear their own young.[3]
Cold
Hardy, from a home district with cold winds and a damp climate.[3]
How to spot one
Hens have double lacing (a second ring of lacing inside each feather); single comb, red earlobes, yellow skin.[2][3]

Facts no source backs up are left out. Updated October 26, 2026 (how we check).

Barnevelders are a keeper's double treat: dark brown eggs and some of the most beautiful feathers in the coop. On the hens, each feather is laced twice.

From Barneveld, Holland

UW–Madison Extension says the Barnevelder was developed in the Barneveld region of Holland. Oklahoma State adds that the breed was standardized there in 1922. The American Poultry Association recognizes it in the Continental class, with one large-fowl variety and a bantam.

Eggs

UW–Madison calls Barnevelders "good layers of dark-brown eggs," and Oklahoma State describes the shell as reddish brown. The University of Maine groups Barnevelders, Marans and Welsummers as laying "a very dark brown, almost chocolate-colored egg." Oklahoma State calls the eggs good-sized.

We don't publish a yearly egg count: the one figure we found comes from a 1925 book, too old to trust for today's birds. Our Egg Log will show you what your hens really lay. The Laying Calculator times their first eggs.

Those double-laced feathers

UW–Madison mentions the breed's "distinctive double lacing in the plumage." Oklahoma State describes the hen's heavy lacing on each feather "with secondary lacing within," and the rooster's black breast and tail with red in the hackle and saddle.

Broody and hardy

Oklahoma State says Barnevelders "sit and rear their own young," so expect broody hens. It also calls the breed hardy, from a home district swept by cold winds where "the climate is very damp."

Size

Oklahoma State gives 8.5 lb for a rooster and 6.5 lb for a hen. Bantams exist.

How to recognize a Barnevelder

Look for double lacing on the hens, a single comb, red earlobes and yellow skin (Oklahoma State). Roosters are black-breasted with red in the neck and saddle feathers.

Is a Barnevelder right for you?

Choose Barnevelders for dark eggs, broody hens and gorgeous feathers in a damp or windy climate. For darker, speckled eggs from a non-sitting hen, see the Welsummer; for the darkest eggs of all, the Black Copper Marans.

See every egg shade on our free Egg Color Chart printable.

Barnevelder questions

What color eggs do Barnevelders lay?

Dark brown. UW–Madison says Barnevelders are good layers of dark-brown eggs, Oklahoma State says reddish brown, and the University of Maine groups them with Marans and Welsummers as laying a very dark brown, almost chocolate egg.

How many eggs does a Barnevelder lay?

Our extension sources call them good layers but don't give a reliable yearly count. One figure on Oklahoma State's page comes from a 1925 book, so we don't repeat it.

What does double-laced mean?

Each feather has a dark edge plus a second ring of lacing inside it. Oklahoma State describes the hen as having heavy lacing on the feather with secondary lacing within.

Do Barnevelders go broody?

Yes. Oklahoma State says they sit and rear their own young.

Are Barnevelders friendly?

None of the extension sources we checked describe their temperament, so we can't say from the evidence. Handle chicks often to raise tamer birds.

Is the Barnevelder an APA breed?

Yes. The American Poultry Association recognizes the Barnevelder in the Continental class, with one large-fowl variety and a bantam. We didn't find a source for the year it was admitted.

How big do Barnevelders get?

Oklahoma State gives 8.5 lb for a rooster and 6.5 lb for a hen. The American Poultry Association also recognizes a bantam.

Are Barnevelders hardy?

Yes. Oklahoma State calls Barnevelder fowls hardy and notes they come from a district swept by cold winds, where the climate is very damp.

Raising Barnevelders?

When will my Barnevelder pullets start laying? Get their first-egg window from the hatch date, with the medium, dual-purpose setting picked.

Already have Barnevelder hens?

Add them to My flock in our free Egg Log and track what they lay. Everything stays in this browser.

Sources

  1. American Poultry Association: Recognized Breeds and Varieties
  2. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension A2880: Chicken Breeds and Varieties
  3. Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Barnevelder Chickens
  4. University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bulletin 2104: Raising Chickens