Brabanter
Encyclopedia
The Brabanter is a Dutch breed
of chicken
originating in the historic region of Brabant
which straddles Belgium
and the Netherlands
. The original form of the Brabanter went extinct in the early 20th century, but was re-created by 1920. Today, it is a rare breed which is practically non-existent outside Continental Europe. The distinguishing characterististic of the Brabanter is its feather crest and beard (or muff). Its crest is unlike that of most other crested breeds, such as the Polish
, in that it stands straight up. It has a V-shaped comb
. Colors appear in many varieties, it is a layer and table bird. Hens lay a moderate number of white eggs and do not go broody, but are not good winter layers. The Brabanter is a calm breed that is intelligent. It will get along completely fine in a small pen. This breed can get fat. The Brabanter is suitable for cold areas because its small comb and wattle help protect it from frostbite.
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
of chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
originating in the historic region of Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
which straddles Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The original form of the Brabanter went extinct in the early 20th century, but was re-created by 1920. Today, it is a rare breed which is practically non-existent outside Continental Europe. The distinguishing characterististic of the Brabanter is its feather crest and beard (or muff). Its crest is unlike that of most other crested breeds, such as the Polish
Polish (chicken)
The Polish is a European breed of chicken known for its crest of feathers. The English language name of these birds is a misnomer, as they do not originate in the country of Poland. Instead, the oldest accounts of crested chickens comes from the Netherlands...
, in that it stands straight up. It has a V-shaped comb
Comb (anatomy)
Anatomically, a comb is a fleshy growth, caruncle, or crest on the top of the head of gallinaceous birds, most notably turkeys, pheasants, and domestic chickens...
. Colors appear in many varieties, it is a layer and table bird. Hens lay a moderate number of white eggs and do not go broody, but are not good winter layers. The Brabanter is a calm breed that is intelligent. It will get along completely fine in a small pen. This breed can get fat. The Brabanter is suitable for cold areas because its small comb and wattle help protect it from frostbite.