Brabanter Chicken

     The Brabanter is an old breed of Chickens that has been bred in the Netherlands, and particularly in Brabant, for a very long time. It’s among the lightest breeds of chickens, and it’s extremely rare as well.

     Brabanters are a fairly unique, elegant and striking breed of chickens indeed. The bird has a V-shaped comb covered by a spiky crest, tiny wattles, and small white earlobes. The Brabanter has a characteristic beard, which covers its earlobes, and partially covers its wattles, and it has also slate-blue legs.

     The recognized color-varieties for the Brabanter are mainly; black, blue, white, light-cuckoo, gold, silver and chamois. In the golden color-variety; the plumage is golden bay with a black, half-moon spangle on each feather.  The silver and the chamois varieties have the same pattern as the gold; silver with black markings, and buff with white markings.

     Brabanters hens are usually non-sitters, and lay a moderate number of white good-sized eggs (around 150 a year) and they are fairly good winter layers.  These birds are good foragers and suited for free-range rearing as well. A bantam version is available too for this fabulous breed.