Campine Chicken

     The Campine is a Chicken breed that was found originally in La Campine region in Belgium. It’s very similar to the Belgian Braekel in all ways except in the size (the Braekel chicken is slightly larger), and the hen feathering of the Campine rooster. Both breeds are thought to have descended from Egyptian Fayoumi chickens that were brought to northern Europe by the Romans long ago.

     The Campine is a lively and alert bird, that prefers to free-range most of the time. It’s mainly bred for ornamental purposes, but these birds will lay a good number of medium-sized white eggs. Campine hens lay around 200 eggs per year, but they rarely go broody.

     Campines have single combs, white earlobes and slate-blue legs. They come in two color-varieties; silver and gold, and both sexes have the same color pattern. The silver Campine has a pure white head and neck hackles; the rest of the body is barred with beetle-green on a pure white ground. The golden variety has the same pattern, but the head, neck hackles and body ground color is rich gold rather than white. Chamois Campines are also available but that color hasn’t been standardized yet, and it’s extremely rare. A Campine bantam is available too.