Standard Breeding in BelgiansBy H Easom Smith
(writing in Poultry World 30 May 1968)
Belgian bantams come in several shapes and many colours. They are all dwarfs and have no large counterparts. Although additional sorts are seen at Continental shows, English fanciers have always stuck to the two main breeds: Barbu d'Anvers and Barbu d'Uccles.
The names simply describe the places of origin and the fact that the bantams are bearded. Although Antwerp Bearded may have a slightly ugly ring I am not sure it would not have been better to have translated the names and used them here.
The "Barbu" business sometimes puzzles people, to no purpose. And when puzzled, they tend to leave things alone, at least this seems to have been the case with Belgians and they are never as popular as they ought or deserve to be.
They are good enough to win main prizes at the best of shows. They have had two signal successes at recent Royal Dairy Shows. On one occasion the award was for best bantam and on the other it was reserve to best male in show.
Both of these diminutive charmers were Millefleur d'Uccle cocks. Both of them were subject to the usual comment from otherwise knowledgeable poultry men: "I suppose they are all right but I don't know much about this breed."
They have been here long enough for all regular show goers to know quite a lot about them. They need a little study to establish the salient points in mind and careful examination to get the shades of colour fixed in the memory. After that, character is the keynote to any good Belgian and lack of it marks the bad one.
Apropos the question of not studying and getting to know this breed it has just come back to memory that a reporter (long dead) for a journal now defunct was allotted Belgian bantams among other classes for his stint at the old Dairy Show in the Agricultural Hall at Islington.
He "collared" me saying, "Now me lad, you reckon to know a bit about these. What have you got to say?" Between us, we made a useful report, which resulted in him getting these classes again in future years at several of the leading shows! This, to his subsequent embarrassment.
These are old-established true bantams, which have all the points of the pigmy. Their heads are large, eyes large, wings large, feathers large, size small. Some of them are less good than they ought to be and the points mentioned are not immediately apparent.
But the good ones have (in d'Anvers) large heads with double (rose) combs that end with a leader at the rear. The comb may either be covered with small points or hollowed and ridged.
They do not seek the perfection of the Wyandotte and the one sort of comb is just as desirable as the other. Like the 'dotte, they do want the comb to follow the line of the neck.
Eyes are large and as dark as possible. These, when standing out from all the face furnishings which combine to form a ruff and are allied to heavily furnished brows, give the bantam a decidedly owl-like appearance. This is most marked in the female.
The male has a very fully furnished hackle but the female has a rather remarkable development in that her hackle tends to diminish in thickness towards the bottom of the neck. This gives a most quaint appearance of being puffed up with vanity. It adds to character and must always be sought and taken into account.
With short shanks and quite small bodies, d'Anvers should be kept by all who like small, ornamental bantams in their yards and who prefer intricate or sombre colours in their birds. There is a choice of both.
The d'Uccles are the slightly larger bantams with single combs and legs heavily covered with stiff, large feathers. Although they should neither be larger, taller nor longer than the smaller d'Anvers because of natural selection for more plumage they appear so.
It has been said before-and bears repetition-that great development of feather cannot be put on the tiniest body and if plumage is wanted then some additional ounces must be allowed.
Because of the wings that slope downwards in true bantam fashion and the large, strong feathers that start from the hocks and continue down the shanks and feet, a high protein feeding programme must be evolved.
Since this is not a laying breed (in the sense that one would select it for egg production out of the breeding season), there is every risk that the birds will get gradually larger unless breeders are wary in their selection of stock birds.
The furnishings on the face of a Barbu d'Uccle should consist of three ovals that together form a triangular group. There should be a beard turned horizontally from the two sides of the beak and another part that goes vertically downwards from underneath the beak.
It is the case that these three distinct portions are not always to be found except in the very good specimens and many have to be content to be fully furnished with beard and mufflings that are "solid".
The Club Show of the British Belgian Bantam Club usually provides eight or more classes for supporters and cancellations are rare.
Since the Club Show is generally held in the latter part of winter, so that all adults are in the best possible feather and young stock well matured, d'Anvers and d'Uccles have only separate classes at the International Show.
They are supported by several regular exhibitors and generally make a good muster. It would be a rash man who would forecast which of them might hold the whip hand at any given moment.
What can usually be expected is that Quails, Cuckoos and self-colours dominate the class for d'Anvers while that for the d'Uccle has Millefleurs, Porcelains, and Black Mottles among the winners.
There are other colours. But these are in the greatest perfection and take the lion's share of awards. Average entry is about eight per class with d'Uccles having one or two more than the plain-legged breed.
Descriptions of those colours which are not self-evident are somewhat lengthy in the approved Standards. I know that they follow the originals, which were laid down in Belgium, and they are, strictly, necessary as the final arbiter of what is right and what is not.
But I feel that some simplification might now be attempted for the benefit of those who are attracted to the specimens seen at the shows and rather frightened of what appears to be great complexity in colour descriptions.
If this could be done, it would help many who just cannot get the hang of umber and ochre, nankin and chamois and other colour descriptions which are not in the everyday parlance of the bantam fancier.
Due to their beards Belgian bantams of both varieties are not as easy to show in summer as when in full feather and before the breeding season. Consequence is that many good prizes go begging at agricultural shows and entries are not as high as they should be.
This points to the need for keeping up one or two selected specimens and so housing them that they do not rub their beards on feeding or drinking vessels. When being bathed for show they should be handled gently and firmly but not subjected to rough towelling to dry them.
If this is not done tender little feathers which combine to make up the face furnishings vital to a winning Belgian bantam will be unnecessarily thinned out.
One last point to watch for and remember at all times. No colour in either breed is permitted to have yellow legs, feet or skin. Watch the soles of the feet; there is the key point.
For the record Standardized colours are Millefleur; Porcelain; Quail; Blue Quail; Cuckoo; Black Mottled; Black; White; Laced Blue; Self Blue or Lavender; Lavender Mottled; Blue Mottled; Ermine; Fawn Ermine; Partridge; Gold; Silver and Spangled.
(writing in Poultry World 30 May 1968)
Belgian bantams come in several shapes and many colours. They are all dwarfs and have no large counterparts. Although additional sorts are seen at Continental shows, English fanciers have always stuck to the two main breeds: Barbu d'Anvers and Barbu d'Uccles.
The names simply describe the places of origin and the fact that the bantams are bearded. Although Antwerp Bearded may have a slightly ugly ring I am not sure it would not have been better to have translated the names and used them here.
The "Barbu" business sometimes puzzles people, to no purpose. And when puzzled, they tend to leave things alone, at least this seems to have been the case with Belgians and they are never as popular as they ought or deserve to be.
They are good enough to win main prizes at the best of shows. They have had two signal successes at recent Royal Dairy Shows. On one occasion the award was for best bantam and on the other it was reserve to best male in show.
Both of these diminutive charmers were Millefleur d'Uccle cocks. Both of them were subject to the usual comment from otherwise knowledgeable poultry men: "I suppose they are all right but I don't know much about this breed."
They have been here long enough for all regular show goers to know quite a lot about them. They need a little study to establish the salient points in mind and careful examination to get the shades of colour fixed in the memory. After that, character is the keynote to any good Belgian and lack of it marks the bad one.
Apropos the question of not studying and getting to know this breed it has just come back to memory that a reporter (long dead) for a journal now defunct was allotted Belgian bantams among other classes for his stint at the old Dairy Show in the Agricultural Hall at Islington.
He "collared" me saying, "Now me lad, you reckon to know a bit about these. What have you got to say?" Between us, we made a useful report, which resulted in him getting these classes again in future years at several of the leading shows! This, to his subsequent embarrassment.
These are old-established true bantams, which have all the points of the pigmy. Their heads are large, eyes large, wings large, feathers large, size small. Some of them are less good than they ought to be and the points mentioned are not immediately apparent.
But the good ones have (in d'Anvers) large heads with double (rose) combs that end with a leader at the rear. The comb may either be covered with small points or hollowed and ridged.
They do not seek the perfection of the Wyandotte and the one sort of comb is just as desirable as the other. Like the 'dotte, they do want the comb to follow the line of the neck.
Eyes are large and as dark as possible. These, when standing out from all the face furnishings which combine to form a ruff and are allied to heavily furnished brows, give the bantam a decidedly owl-like appearance. This is most marked in the female.
The male has a very fully furnished hackle but the female has a rather remarkable development in that her hackle tends to diminish in thickness towards the bottom of the neck. This gives a most quaint appearance of being puffed up with vanity. It adds to character and must always be sought and taken into account.
With short shanks and quite small bodies, d'Anvers should be kept by all who like small, ornamental bantams in their yards and who prefer intricate or sombre colours in their birds. There is a choice of both.
The d'Uccles are the slightly larger bantams with single combs and legs heavily covered with stiff, large feathers. Although they should neither be larger, taller nor longer than the smaller d'Anvers because of natural selection for more plumage they appear so.
It has been said before-and bears repetition-that great development of feather cannot be put on the tiniest body and if plumage is wanted then some additional ounces must be allowed.
Because of the wings that slope downwards in true bantam fashion and the large, strong feathers that start from the hocks and continue down the shanks and feet, a high protein feeding programme must be evolved.
Since this is not a laying breed (in the sense that one would select it for egg production out of the breeding season), there is every risk that the birds will get gradually larger unless breeders are wary in their selection of stock birds.
The furnishings on the face of a Barbu d'Uccle should consist of three ovals that together form a triangular group. There should be a beard turned horizontally from the two sides of the beak and another part that goes vertically downwards from underneath the beak.
It is the case that these three distinct portions are not always to be found except in the very good specimens and many have to be content to be fully furnished with beard and mufflings that are "solid".
The Club Show of the British Belgian Bantam Club usually provides eight or more classes for supporters and cancellations are rare.
Since the Club Show is generally held in the latter part of winter, so that all adults are in the best possible feather and young stock well matured, d'Anvers and d'Uccles have only separate classes at the International Show.
They are supported by several regular exhibitors and generally make a good muster. It would be a rash man who would forecast which of them might hold the whip hand at any given moment.
What can usually be expected is that Quails, Cuckoos and self-colours dominate the class for d'Anvers while that for the d'Uccle has Millefleurs, Porcelains, and Black Mottles among the winners.
There are other colours. But these are in the greatest perfection and take the lion's share of awards. Average entry is about eight per class with d'Uccles having one or two more than the plain-legged breed.
Descriptions of those colours which are not self-evident are somewhat lengthy in the approved Standards. I know that they follow the originals, which were laid down in Belgium, and they are, strictly, necessary as the final arbiter of what is right and what is not.
But I feel that some simplification might now be attempted for the benefit of those who are attracted to the specimens seen at the shows and rather frightened of what appears to be great complexity in colour descriptions.
If this could be done, it would help many who just cannot get the hang of umber and ochre, nankin and chamois and other colour descriptions which are not in the everyday parlance of the bantam fancier.
Due to their beards Belgian bantams of both varieties are not as easy to show in summer as when in full feather and before the breeding season. Consequence is that many good prizes go begging at agricultural shows and entries are not as high as they should be.
This points to the need for keeping up one or two selected specimens and so housing them that they do not rub their beards on feeding or drinking vessels. When being bathed for show they should be handled gently and firmly but not subjected to rough towelling to dry them.
If this is not done tender little feathers which combine to make up the face furnishings vital to a winning Belgian bantam will be unnecessarily thinned out.
One last point to watch for and remember at all times. No colour in either breed is permitted to have yellow legs, feet or skin. Watch the soles of the feet; there is the key point.
For the record Standardized colours are Millefleur; Porcelain; Quail; Blue Quail; Cuckoo; Black Mottled; Black; White; Laced Blue; Self Blue or Lavender; Lavender Mottled; Blue Mottled; Ermine; Fawn Ermine; Partridge; Gold; Silver and Spangled.
