Ramelsloher
The Ramelsloher is an old German dual-purpose chicken named for Ramelsloh, a village south of Hamburg in Lower Saxony. Developed from northern German country fowl in the nineteenth century, it is most often associated with white and yellow plumage varieties, clean legs, white earlobes, and blue to slate-colored shanks. The breed has a tall, practical farm-chicken outline rather than a heavy showy frame, and it was kept for both white eggs and a useful table carcass.
Ramelslohers are active, hardy birds that fit free-range or spacious yard systems better than crowded pens. Their northern origin makes them comfortable in cool, damp climates when housing is dry and well ventilated. Because the breed is uncommon and considered a conservation concern in its homeland, serious keepers usually look for stock from preservation breeders and pay attention to vigor, fertility, egg production, and correct leg color rather than selecting only for appearance.
