|
Pair of quail
Brabançonnes
Characteristics
: The
Brabançonne is famous for its excellent productive capacities. The hens
lay very big white eggs that can weigh up to 70 grams. It is often said
that the hens only start laying rather late but this doesn’t seem to
be true. Hens of several bloodlines already start laying at an age of 4
to 5 months. This breed normally doesn’t brood. Brabançonnes are very
active birds that are busy all day and high fencing is necessary to keep
them in their pens.
Appearance
: The Brabançonne has a very particular cone-shaped body, which means
that the body has the form of a triangle of which the line
‘abdomen-tail’ forms the base. In laying hens the abdomen is very
deep. The back is sloping and the breast is carried high but not
forward. The tail should always be closed and pointed in hens. Besides a
striking body shape, the Brabançonne also has a remarkable head. The
rooster has a large upright single comb that starts above the beak. The
comb of the hen is folded twice on the forehead and hangs on one side of
the head. Besides the remarkable comb the hen also has a nice crest on
the back of the head against which the comb rests. The crest can never
be broader than the skull and can never interfere with the hen’s
vision. In the rooster the crest is inconspicuous and consists of
nothing more but a few long and pointy feathers.
Varieties
: The most popular varieties nowadays are quail, blue quail, silver
quail and black. Other recognized varieties are blue silver quail,
white, blue, buff, buff-columbian and columbian.
State
: Rather rare. The popularity of this breed strongly fluctuates. Is also
known in Holland and Germany. The solid colored varieties are very rare,
the columbian varieties have become extinct.
|
