Westfälischer Totleger
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Wissenswertes
The Westfälischer Totleger's name — 'Dead Layer' — sounds ominous but refers to something farmers considered a virtue: the hens lay even when other birds are 'dead' (i.e. not laying). In the days before electric lighting in hen houses, a hen that continued laying through the dark months of winter was extraordinarily valuable, which is why Westphalian farmers preserved this characteristic so carefully.
A remarkable German laying breed from Westphalia, whose name translates as 'Dead Layer' — a reference to the breed's most unusual characteristic: it lays eggs continuously throughout the year without the seasonal laying break that virtually every other breed takes in winter. While most hens reduce or stop laying when days shorten in autumn, the Westfälischer Totleger continues producing white eggs year-round. This economically valuable trait was selected by Westphalian farmers over generations and led to the breed's striking name. Recognised by BDRG and EE, it is today a rare conservation breed.
🏷️ Rasse
Westfälischer Totleger
💭 Temperament
Active, alert, independent, hardy, self-sufficient
📏 Größe
Medium (1.8-2.7 kg)
⏳ Lebenserwartung
5-8 years
🎨 Farben
Black with beetle-green iridescence (most common); also cuckoo, white
🌍 Herkunft
Germany — Westphalia; documented from 19th century; BDRG recognised
🏠 Lebensraum
Free-range or enclosed run; adapted to Westphalian climate
🍽️ Ernährung
Layer pellets; efficient forager that supplements diet naturally
🎯 Zweck
Egg
🥚 Eifarbe
White
👑 Kammtyp
Single
🏅 EE-Klasse
Large Fowl