Animals for the big picture

Our animals

Foto: Yool | Demeter Felderzeugnisse

The majority of ÖTZ's animals come from old breeding stock and were selected many years before ÖTZ was founded. A great deal of passion and commitment has been invested in this living genebank.

In addition to breeding its own animals, ÖTZ cooperates with various smallholder breeders and supports initiatives dedicated to the preservation and development of breeding and propagation structures for rare, new or endangered livestock. These collaborations can make a significant contribution to biodiversity and conservation.

The targeted mating of different breeds results in a diversity of efficient and healthy Tieren –  für eine bäuerliche Landwirtschaft.

Our animals

Breeds & crossbreeds

The majority of ÖTZ's animals come from old breeding stock and were selected many years before ÖTZ was founded. A great deal of passion and commitment has been invested in this living genebank.

 

In addition to breeding its own animals, ÖTZ cooperates with various smallholder breeders and supports initiatives dedicated to the preservation and development of breeding and propagation structures for rare, new or endangered livestock. These collaborations can make a significant contribution to biodiversity and conservation.

 

The targeted mating of different breeds results in a diversity of efficient and healthy animals - for rural farming

ÖTZ COFFEE

Classic dual-purpose chickens | crossing: Bresse Gauloises x New Hampshire
To the profile

Foto: Eva Wolf | Demeter 

ÖTZ Caramel

Classic dual-purpose chickens | crossing:
Deutsches Lachshuhn x White Rock
TO THE PROFILE

Foto: Sebastian Seelig | Wendland Geflügel

ÖTZ CREAM

Classic dual-purpose chickens | crossing:
White Rock x Bresse Gauloise
TO THE PROFILE

Foto: Eva Wolf | Demeter 

ÖTZ BRESSE GAULOISE

Meat-oriented dual-purpose | pure breed | Gourmet poultry originating from France
TO THE PROFILE

Foto: Maria Hermann | ÖTZ

Why not actually?

Chickens from the ÖTZ - Explained in a different way

WITH ANIMAL WELFARE

Bred for agriculture: Keeping our breeding animals under conditions that correspond to their natural behavior and feeding them according to Bioland standards are a matter of course for us. This is the only way we can select the best breeding animals for organic farming.

With animal welfare

For the big picture: we take the organic husbandry of breeding animals for granted. And why not actually? After all, agriculture is always about the big picture, isn't it?

With Flavour

The original taste of eggs and meat: The egg and meat quality of our ÖTZ animals speaks for itself. A taste that convinces - pure, original and naturally special. It is not for nothing that the University of Hohenheim confirmed in a study from 2023 that our products stand out for their taste and quality.

With Flavour

And indulgence: No kidding - you eat ÖTZ eggs and ÖTZ meat and then... We don't want to make anyone look bad, so we won't write any more here...

MIT VIELFALT​

Because we don't like simplicity: Our chickens come from old, valuable breeds and are bred by farmers and without any form of genetic engineering. In this way, we not only promote and preserve biodiversity, but also ensure transparent and independent breeding by farmers.

With diversity

Because we don't like simplicity so much: we probably only know a fraction of the plants, animals and organisms living in the world today... We would like to get to know as many of them as possible...

With added value

Thinking in cycles for agriculture and the environment: We think in cycles and focus on regional, resource-conserving feeding. With our “Feed-No-Food” and “Nose-To-Tail” approach, not only do you benefit, but so does the environment. Using regional resources reduces transport routes and CO2 emissions, minimizes waste and strengthens the local economy.

With added value

It's clear anyway: What exactly should one focus on in such a short text about added value? On the environment? The climate? Animal welfare? free farmers? or all of the above? These are all such hackneyed terms that can't really express what the actual added value is.

WITH ANIMAL WELFARE

Fürs Große und Ganze

Ökologische Haltung der breeding stock ist für uns selbstverständlich. 

Warum eigentlich auch nicht? 

Schließlich geht es in der Landwirtschaft doch immer ums Große und Ganze, oder?

With Flavour

Und Genuss

Kein Scherz – du isst ÖTZ-Eier und ÖTZ-Fleisch und dann…

Wir wollen niemanden schlecht machen, darum schreiben wir hier nicht weiter…

With diversity

Weil uns Einfalt nicht so gut gefällt

Wir kennen bis heute vermutlich nur einen Bruchteil der auf der Welt lebenden Pflanzen, Tiere und Organismen…

Wir haben Lust noch so viele wie möglich von Ihnen kennen lernen zu können…

With added value

Ist doch eh klar

Auf was genau soll man sich nur konzentrieren in so einem kurzen Text über den Mehrwert?

Auf die Umwelt? Das Klima? Das Tierwohl? die freien Bauern? oder alles zusammen? Das sind alles so abgedroschene Begriffe die gar nicht wirklich ausdrücken können was der eigentliche Mehrwert ist.

Wir hoffen es ist dir doch eh klar.

How are our chickens received in practice?

ÖTZ livestock farmers say...

“I find ÖTZ chickens very beneficial for direct marketing. When the flap opens at half past nine in the morning, the animals are outside and people walk past the chickens on the edge of town and then go down to the farm to buy the eggs. The chickens are great for this, they are curious, they are agile, active. They want to get out, they love to eat grass.
So the ÖTZ chickens are simply ideal for what we do.”
Thomas Schumacher | Hættelihof
“It's just a great animal, it looks beautiful, it's colored differently, especially with the Coffee and in the research projects I've seen how big the animals' stomachs are.”
Herman Lutke Schipholt | Randenhof
“When we started keeping chickens on our farm, we already opted for the Dual-purpose chicken of the ÖTZ, because these dual-purpose chickens are the only ethically justifiable form of chicken farming for us: The animals perform respectably (eggs & meat) without being exploited, are very robust and agile, and can cope with lower-energy, local feed.
We really like the different colors of the Coffee & Cream hens, they are really colorful flocks, especially when there are also a few patterned roosters. The chickens are very pleasant in nature, although they are very communicative - but that means it never gets boring in the henhouse.”
Katharina Förg | Alte Schäferei

Triesdorf country chicken

Young purebred dual-purpose chicken with colorful plumage, crest and blue feet.
To the breeder

Foto: Jonas Dorn | Dorn & Schmidt 

Augsburger

Medium-sized old laying breed with a strong rump and imposing crown crest, rare and endangered.
To the breeder

Foto: Katharina Förg | Alte Schäferei 

Wild Ducks

Strong animals with black and white patterned plumage for extensive outdoor keeping.
To the breeder

Foto: Jonas Dorn | Dorn & Schmidt 

Robust turkeys

Vital, robust animals with colorful mixed plumage. Excellent as a Christmas roast and for nurse husbandry.
to the breeder

Foto: Timo Jaworr 

More organic right from the start

Breeding network
& Rarities

In addition to breeding its own animals, ÖTZ cooperates with various smallholder breeders and supports initiatives dedicated to the preservation and development of breeding and propagation structures for rare, new or endangered livestock. 

These collaborations can make a significant contribution to biodiversity and the development of more diversity in stables.

ROOTS AND WINGS

Where our animals come from

Die ÖTZ startete mit der Zuchtarbeit an den robusten Rassen New Hampshire und White Rock, die über viele Jahre von der Domäne Mechtildshausen in Zusammenarbeit mit Dr. Siegmar Götze und der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) betreut wurden. Ziel war es, leistungsstarke Tiere zu züchten – unabhängig von agrarindustriellen Strukturen. Nach dem Ende der Kooperation mit der MLU übernahm die ÖTZ die gemeinnützige Trägerschaft für die Zucht beider Rassen.

 

In 2012, our breeding work expanded to include the Bresse Gauloise breed. At that time, our current Managing Director Inga Günther began to select a stock based on the French Bresse Gauloises at Lake Constance according to ecological criteria and took it over into the ÖTZ in 2017. Bresse Gauloise is an old commercial breed from France, where it has long been valued for its exceptional meat quality.

 

Zusätzlich zu den eigenen Zuchtlinien, wurden nach und nach auch Kooperationen mit anderen Vermehrern etabliert. Hierbei ist das vorrangige Kriterium, alte Rassen mit gezielt, ökologischer Selektion zu stärken und für den praktischen Einsatz auf landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben vorzubereiten.

New Hampshire ÖTZ
Photo: Maxi Strauch

New Hampshire hen in the outrun at the breeding site in Goch-Hommersum. 

Darstellung Kreuzungszucht 

Briefly explained

Crossbreeding

Dabei werden zwei verschiedene Rassen miteinander verpaart. Wenn alles gut geht, erhalten die Nachkommen die besten Eigenschaften beider Eltern, sind besonders robust, leistungsstark und lebensfroh.

 

Werden die Nachkommen wieder verpaart, entsteht eine bunte Vielfalt aller Eigenschaften.

Briefly explained

Pure breed

parental herds derselben Rasse werden miteinander gepaart. Die Nachkommen entsprechen in etwa wieder dem gleichen Aussehen und den Leistungen der Eltern.

Darstellung Reinzucht