Bergische Kräher
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Fait Amusant
Bergische Kräher crowing competitions (Kräher-Wettbewerbe) are still held annually in Germany, where the cock that crows longest without pausing wins. The record in competition is over 30 seconds for a single unbroken crow — more than five times longer than a normal rooster's crow — achieved through an anatomically elongated trachea selected over generations of German village breeding.
A spectacular German ornamental breed from the Bergisches Land region of North Rhine-Westphalia, famous throughout Germany for one extraordinary ability — the longest unbroken crow of any chicken breed in the world. A Bergische Kräher cock can sustain a single crow for 20–30 seconds, a feat achieved through an unusually elongated trachea that lets the bird continue exhaling long after most breeds have stopped. Kept for centuries in the valleys around Wuppertal, Solingen, and Remscheid, 'Krähervereine' (crowing clubs) organised regular competitions where birds were judged on crow duration and musical quality. Recognised by BDRG and EE.
🏷️ Race
Bergische Kräher
💭 Tempérament
Active, bold, proud, hardy; males can be competitive
📏 Taille
Medium (2.3-3.2 kg)
⏳ Espérance de vie
5-8 years
🎨 Couleurs
Black with beetle-green iridescence (standard); also birchen
🌍 Origine
Germany — Bergisches Land, North Rhine-Westphalia; documented from 18th century
🏠 Habitat
Free-range or large spacious run; males need space to crow freely
🍽️ Alimentation
Layer pellets; good forager on pasture and woodland edges
🎯 Usage
Ornamental
🥚 Couleur des œufs
White
👑 Type de crête
Single
🏅 Classe EE
Large Fowl