Campine chicken
The Campine is a Belgian light breed with fine barring. In Britain it was developed into a distinct, hen-feathered form.
The Campine is a pure-bred chicken breed in the PCGB Rare Soft Feather Light class. Its origin is given as Campine, Belgium. It appears on the RBST Watchlist as a priority breed, so keepers of pure stock help conserve it.
It is kept in large and bantam forms. Recognised colours: Silver, Gold. Typical adult weights: cock about 2.7 kg, hen about 2.25 kg, bantam cock about 680 g and bantam hen about 570 g.
Expect roughly 140–170 eggs a year, with white shells. It is mainly kept for exhibition or as an ornamental bird.
Compiled from poultryclub.org, rbst.org.uk, poultrykeeper.com, en.wikipedia.org. See sources
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Identity
- Species
- Chicken
- Type
- Pure breed
- PCGB class
- Rare Soft Feather Light
- Origin
- Campine, Belgium
- Kept for
- Exhibition or ornamental
History
Named after the Campine (Kempen) region, it began as a lighter type of the Braekel. It was split off in 1884 and given its own Belgian standard in 1904; the two were later reunited, and by 1962 the Belgian Campine type was considered lost. It reached England around 1899, and a club formed in 1900. Hen-feathered males appeared from 1903 after imported Belgian eggs. The club merged into the Rare Poultry Society in 1969.
Appearance
Silver and Gold are standardised in the UK. British cocks are hen-feathered. Bantams appeared in the UK in the 1950s but are not standardised there.
Recognised colours
Silver, Gold
Size and weight
- Forms
- Large, Bantam
- Cock
- 2.7 kg
- Hen
- 2.25 kg
- Bantam cock
- 680 g
- Bantam hen
- 570 g
Eggs
- Eggs a year
- 140–170
- Egg colour
- White
Temperament
- Keeping notes
- Breeding pens should be large and grassy with shade, which also stops silver plumage from discolouring. Allow room between perch and wall for the male's tail.
Hardiness
Not recorded yet.
Broodiness
Not recorded yet.
Flying
Not recorded yet.
Suitability
Not recorded yet.
Conservation status (RBST)
A priority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist.
Breed club
- The Rare Poultry Society, umbrella · Website
Sources
This page is compiled from:
Review
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