Belgian Bantam

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Belgian Bantam
Conservation status FAO (2007): no data [1] :9
Moula: in danger of extinction [2] :53
Other names
  • Dutch: Belgisch kriel [3]
  • French: Naine belge
  • French: Belge naine [2] :53
Country of originBelgium
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    650 g [2] :53
  • Female:
    550 g [2] :53
Classification
EE yes [4]
PCGB not listed [5]

The Belgian Bantam, Dutch : Belgisch kriel, French : Naine belge, is a breed of bantam chicken from Belgium. It is a true bantam, and has no full-sized counterpart; cocks weigh about 650 grams and hens about 550 g. It is in danger of extinction; in 2010 a total of 168 birds were counted in the whole of Belgium. [2] :53 Fourteen colour patterns are recognised in the European standard. [4]

Contents

History

Like the Dutch Bantam and the French Pictave, the Belgian Bantam derives from the widespread European population of small partridge-coloured bantams which in Flemish were known as Engelse kiekskes, "English bantams". From about 1900 these were selectively bred in the area of Liège, in Wallonia. Two distinct bantam breeds were developed, the Belgian Bantam and the Bassette Liégeoise. [6] [7] The Belgian Bantam breed standard was not drawn up until 1934. [7]

The Belgian Bantam is distributed mainly in Flanders, with a few in Wallonia and in the Netherlands. [7] It is rare and at risk of extinction; in 2010 a total of 168 birds were counted in the whole of Belgium. [2] :53

Characteristics

The Belgian Bantam is very similar to the Dutch Bantam, but is slightly larger. It is nevertheless among the smallest bantam breeds, with cocks weighing about 650 grams and hens about 550 g. [8] It is small and alert. The comb is single, and the legs are slate-blue. [2] :53

Fourteen colour patterns are listed in the European standard for the breed, [4] of which thirteen are officially recognised in Belgium. [9] Partridge is the colour most commonly seen; the partridge variant colours are rare, and the other colours extremely rare. [7]

Use

Belgian Bantam hens are good layers of small white eggs weighing 30–35 g. They are good sitters and good mothers. [2] :53

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Barbu dEverberg Breed of chicken

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The Barbu de Grubbe, Dutch: 'Grubbe baardkriel', is a breed of bantam chicken from Belgium. It is a true bantam, and has no full-sized counterpart; males weigh about 700 grams and hens about 600 g. It is a tail-less variant of the Barbu d'Anvers, and is otherwise similar to it in every respect. The same colour varieties are accepted for the Barbu de Grubbe as for the Barbu d'Anvers.

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The Bassette Liégeoise or Bassette is a breed of large bantam chicken from Belgium. It is larger than most bantams, but much smaller than full-sized breeds; cocks weigh about 1000 grams and hens about 900 g. Like most Belgian bantam breeds, it is in danger of extinction. Eighteen colour patterns are officially recognised; many of them are rare.

The Pictave is an endangered French breed of bantam chicken. It is named for the Pictavi, the tribe which gave its name to the former Province of Poitou, now part of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is a true bantam, and has no full-sized counterpart; it is the only true bantam of France. Cocks weigh about 800 grams and hens about 600 g. It was created in the twentieth century by Raymond Lecointre, who used the hens to incubate his pheasant eggs and raise the chicks.

Brugse Vechter Belgian breed of fighting chicken

The Brugse Vechter, French: Combattant de Bruges, is an endangered Belgian breed of gamecock. It dates from the early nineteenth century, and was bred specifically for cock-fighting. It named for its area of origin, that of the city of Bruges (Brugge), in West Flanders in the north-east of Belgium. It is one of three Belgian breeds of fighting-cock, the others being the Luikse Vechter and the Tiense Vechter. It is a hardy breed, but the birds are often aggressive; those reared for exhibition may show less aggression.

The Luikse Vechter, French: Combattant de Liège, is an endangered Belgian breed of gamecock. It dates from the late nineteenth century, and was bred specifically for cock-fighting. It named for its area of origin, that of the city of Liège in Wallonia, in eastern central Belgium. It is one of three Belgian breeds of fighting-cock, the others being the Brugse Vechter and the Tiense Vechter.

The Tiense Vechter, French: Combattant de Tirlemont, is a critically-endangered Belgian breed of gamecock. It dates from the late nineteenth century, and was bred specifically for cock-fighting. It named for its area of origin, that around the city of Tienen in Flemish Brabant, in eastern central Belgium. It is one of three Belgian breeds of fighting-cock, the others being the Brugse Vechter and the Luikse Vechter.

References

  1. Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN   9789251057629. Accessed November 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 N. Moula, M. Jacquet, A. Verelst, N. Antoine-Moussiaux, F. Farnir, P. Leroy (2012). Les races de poules belges (in French). Annales de Médecine Vétérinaire156: 37-65. Accessed October 2014.
  3. Breed data sheet: Belgisch kriel/Belgium. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed October 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013). Entente Européenne d'Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.
  5. Victoria Roberts (2008). British poultry standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN   9781405156424. p. 75.
  6. Belgische kriel (in Dutch). Steunpunt Levend Erfgoed. Accessed November 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Belgische kriel (in Dutch). Vereniging ter Promotie van Belgische Neerhofdieren. Accessed November 2016.
  8. Belgische kriel] (in Dutch). ZOBK, Speciaalclub voor Zeldzame Oorspronkelijke Belgische Krielhoenderrassen. Archived 16 April 2012.
  9. Nationale standaardcommissie hoenders (2013). Officiële lijst van de in België erkende krielrassen en hun kleurslagen (in Dutch). Vlaams Interprovinciaal Verbond van Fokkers van Neerhofdieren. Accessed November 2016.