|
Origin
: Mr. Dion Delaporte from Zingem wanted to create a chicken breed with
the beauty of the golden Brakel but it had to lay brown eggs. In the
seventies he started his experiment by crossing golden Brakels and Rhode
Island Reds. In 1985 the Zingem laying fowl was officially recognized as
a Belgian breed.
Characteristics
: The Zingem laying fowl is a very strong breed that is very well
adapted to the Belgian climate. Its laying capacities are very good. The
brown eggs weigh about 65 grams. The hens brood rarely. Zingem laying
fowl are capable of flight and are therefore best not kept in small
pens. If they have enough space they will not easily fly over the
fencing.
Appearance
: The Zingem laying fowl is very similar to the Brakel. This means that
the body is rectangular with a deep breast and a well-developed abdomen.
The tail is well spread in both sexes. An adult roosters weighs about
2,5 kilos and adult hens about 2 kilos. The comb is single and should be
large and upright in both sexes. The earlobes are white in both sexes
but in the hens there is often a bluish sheen on them. The shanks are
slate-blue.
Varieties
: Only the golden variety is recognized. The hens look a lot like golden
Brakel hens but with a warm brownish red ground color. The rooster is
brownish red all over the body with a blackish tail and some barring on
the abdomen and flanks. The rooster’s breast shows little or no
barring.
State
: Endangered. There are only a handful of breeders left in Flanders.
Unknown in other countries.
|
