Belgian Watermaal Bantams - a cousin fo d'Anvers/d'Uccles!(pic heavy)

[KristenG]

Ok, for all those folks out there who are a fan of the Belgian tribe, this is the third main member of this bantam tribe that is a bit overshadowed by the d'Uccle and the d'Anver. There was a post on here titled "Watermaalsche Bantams" but I thought I would restart the thread with the Americanized name as it has been written in the American Bantam Associations Standard of Perfection. I would like to post some information on this breed for everybody to familiarize themselves with it.

But first some background information! I have been a long time admirer of Belgian bantams myself and have had the d'Uccle and d'Anver both. There is a third member that everybody seems to leave out, and that is the Watermaal. There are rumpless varieties of each of these - namely the d'Everberge (rumpless d'Uccle), d'Grubbe (rumpless d'Anver) and lastly and most rare of all the Bosvoorde (rumpless Watermaal). I have never actually obtained purebred Watermaal stock - the breed is fairly elusive in the states and I just don't have the money or desire to do a major importation, particularly when the genetics are all in the palm of my hand.

Since I loved both the d'Uccle and the d'Anver, naturally I wanted to give the Watermaal a try, and that is how I undertook project Watermaal.
Here are some pictures of what I have started, they are not perfect! But they are making leaps and bounds in the right direction every generation. Perhaps there are other members on this forum from outside the US who have pictures of their Watermaal bantams that they could share for an example of higher quality stock?

At any rate, I am having a blast working on mine and am excited to share my progress:
My favorites are as follows - a Blue Quail pullet, a Blue pullet and the triple spiked rosecomb on my blue male

The following are links because I understand how tedius it can be waiting around for pictures to load:
The splash pullet (a little dirty on the tail, but oh well...)
http://belgiandanver.webs.com/photos/Watermaal-Project/chickenpics%20080.JPG
Blue Quail cockerel - crest is a bit scant and he has black skin like a silkie, but I think he will be valuable to keep on hand anyway
http://belgiandanver.webs.com/photos/Watermaal-Project/chickenpics%20049.JPG

 

[KristenG]

Was just looking over this old post and realized I forgot to add the rest of the standard information for each of the recognized varieties under the ABA. Here it is:

COLOR OF MALE AND FEMALE BY VARIETY

BLACK WATERMAAL BANTAM
COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR LOBES: Bright red. BEAK: Swarthy horn. EYES: Black BEARD & MUFF: Black SHANKS & TOES: Bluish Black.
PLUMAGE: Refer to black color description.

BLUE WATERMAAL BANTAM
COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR LOBES: Bright red. BEAK: Swarthy horn. EYES: Reddish bay. BEARD & MUFF: Blue. SHANKS & TOES: Light slaty blue.
PLUMAGE: Refer to blue color description

BUFF WATERMALL BANTAM
COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR LOBES: Bright red. BEAK: Horn. EYES: Reddish bay.
BEARD & MUFF: Buff. SHANKS & TOES: Slaty white.
PLUMAGE: Refer to buff color description.

MOTTLED WATERMAAL BANTAM
COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR LOBES: Bright red. BEAK: Swarthy horn. EYES: Dark brown. BEARD & MUFF: Same as breast. SHANKS & TOES: Bluish slate.
PLUMAGE: Refer to mottled color description.

QUAIL WATERMAAL BANTAM
COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR LOBES: Bright red. BEAK: Horn, streaked with grey.
EYES: Dark brown. BEARD & MUFF: Same as breast. SHANKS & TOES: Slaty blue.
PLUMAGE: Refer to quail color description.

WHITE WATERMAAL BANTAM
COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR LOBES: Bright red. BEAK: Light horn. EYES: Reddish bay. BEARD & MUFF: Same as breast. SHANKS & TOES: Slaty blue.
PLUMAGE: Refer to white color description.

 

[KristenG]

Would like to mention that the Watermaal standard is not published in the ABA because it is listed as an inactive breed. HOWEVER, it IS recognized and it does have a standard here in the United States. The recognized varieties of the breed here are as follows: Black, Blue, Buff, Mottled, Quail and White
Because this is such a rare breed in the US that is not commonly sought out and because there are few people who know a significant amount about this bantam and also because the standard is not actively published in the ABA standard of perfection, I am adding it here so those who are interested can better familairize themselves:
ABA d’Watermael Written Standards
Translated from German Standard

Watermaal Bantam
Origin: Belgium. American Status: Rare, if at all.
Note: Should be preserved because of unique three-spiked rose comb.

Weights
Cock: 26 ounces Hen: 22 ounces
Cockerel: 22 ounces Pullet: 20 ounces

Shape of Male

COMB: Rose -– broad, rather short, nearly square in front, sitting firmly and evenly on head, top level, covered with fine points, free from hollows, with three spikes that are round at the base to their tips, each tapering to a fine point, the middle spike being longer than the two outer spikes that press down on the tassel.
TASSEL: A tuft or crest of feathers rising from the rear of head at rear of comb, falling gracefully over back neck.
BEAK: Short, strong, well curved.
FACE: Fine in quality, nearly concealed by relatively long muff feathers.
BROW: Heavily feathered.
EYES: Bold, prominent.
WATTLES: Rudimentary only.
EAR LOBES: Very small, inconspicuous, and hidden by muffs.
BEARD & MUFFS: Abundant, very fully developed, the whole forming a collar of three barely separated ovals, giving muffed effect.
HEAD: Appearing to be large because of tassel.
NECK: Medium length, feathers abundant, convexly arched on the order of what is termed “bull necked”.
HACKLE: Entirely covering shoulders and most of back, forming a closely joined cape in front of neck.
BACK: Moderately broad and short, slanting noticeably from shoulders to tail, rather abrupt angle at juncture with tail.
SADDLE: Profuse, medium length lower saddle feathers.
TAIL: Main Tail -– feathers strong, of medium width, moderately spread at all times, carried a little short of the perpendicular, not hidden by sickle feathers.
Sickle -- two main sickles slightly curved, ending in a point at their extremities.
Lesser Sickles -- rising above one another fan-like, ending in point at their extremities.
Coverts -- broad, filling in space between sickles and saddle.
WINGS: Moderately large, carried well back and down below the tail, lower edge slightly above hocks.
Shoulders & Fronts -- well concealed by hackle.
Primaries -- moderately long, concealed by secondaries.
Secondaries -- moderately long and broad.
BREAST: Very broad and deep, upper part well developed and carried well forward.
BODY & STERN: Body -- deep, short, stubby. Stern -- fluff, short.
LEGS & TOES: Legs -- set well apart when viewed from front.
Lower Thighs -- short, stout at top, tapering neatly to hocks, heavily feathered.
Shanks -- medium length, smooth, round, stocky.
Spurs -- short, fine, set low.
Toes -- four, straight, well and evenly spread.
APPEARANCE: Proud, noticeably erect.

Shape of Female

COMB: Rose -– broad, rather short, nearly square in front, sitting firmly and evenly on head, top level, covered with fine points, free from hollows, with three spikes that are round at the base to their tips, each tapering to a fine point, the middle spike being longer than the two outer spikes that press down on the tassel.
TASSEL: A small, half globular crest of feathers, rising from rear of head at rear of comb, falling gracefully over back of neck.
BEAK: Short, strong, well curved.
FACE: Fine in quality, concealed muffs.
BROW: Heavily feathered.
EYES: Bold, prominent.
WATTLES: Rudimentary only.
EAR LOBES: Very small, inconspicuous, and hidden by muffs.
BEARD & MUFFS: Abundant, very fully developed, the whole forming a collar of three barely separated ovals, giving muffed effect.
HEAD: Appearing to be rather large due to heavy feathering, reminding one of an owl, carried well back on a parallel line with tip of tail.
NECK: Short, convexly arched, feathers forming a ruffle behind neck, feathers broad and covering shoulders, but not front of neck.
BACK: Moderately broad, short, slanting noticeably from shoulders to tail.
CUSHION: Profuse, feathers broad.
TAIL: Main Tail -- feathers strong, medium width, top feather slightly curved in a convex manner, not too widely spread at a little short of the perpendicular.
Coverts -- abundant, flowing well up tail.
WINGS: Moderately large, carried well up back, lower edges slightly above hocks.
Shoulders & Fronts -- concealed by hackle.
Bows & Coverts -- prominent, well rounded.
Primaries -- medium width, concealed by secondaries.
Secondaries -- medium length, broad.
BREAST: Very broad and deep, upper part well developed and carried well forward.
BODY & STERN: Body -- deep, short, stubby. STERN -- fluff, short.
LEGS & TOES: Legs -- set well apart, straight when viewed from front.
Lower Thighs -- short, stout at top, tapering neatly to hocks, heavily feathered.
Shanks -- medium length, smooth, nicely scaled.
Toes -- four, well and evenly spread.
APPEARANCE: small, plump, sedate.

DISQUALIFICATIONS
Absence of beard or muffs -- Wattles severed or removed -- More or less than three spikes on comb.

DEFECTS
Head carried too far forward -- Comb with concave or hollow center -- Large or conspicuous ear lobes -- Underdeveloped beard or muffs -- Back too nearly level and too long -- Excessive flow of sickles in males -- Excessive length of legs.

 

[KristenG]

This was the original logo I made for the Watermaal club of America. Notice the name actually reflects the overseas name of the bird. Watermaal is the spelling in the ABA. At any rate, this logo gives a good example of the Watermaal type in one person's interpretation of the standard:

 

[KristenG]

Here is a 2012 Quail Watermaal pullet, just starting to grow the crest in. They are so cute when they are little!

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Was at the d'Anver national over the week end. while buying a pair of sebrights for another project I looked in the pen of about 30 young birds and the first thing I noticed was a cockerel with a triple spiked rose comb. It now lives here and will be incorporated into the watermaal project.

jj

 

[coffeekittie]

I didn't know ANYONE had Watermaal here. I've been curious about this breed since I first heard of it, but figured it was a "look at the pretty pictures from the UK" kind of bird. I raise d'Uccles, and had thought adding this breed to my place would be fun, and fitting. I've now subscribed to this thread and will continue to research how to help the breed out.

Have to go now, thanks for the posts

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Look what I found among my millie pullets today.


I knew I kept a couple extra tasseled roosters for a reason.
jj

 

[cmfarm]

I saw the title to this thread and didn't know anything about this breed so I thought I would check it out. They are so cute! They remind me of Road Runners.

 

[KristenG]

Mine have an interesting personality. Unlike roadrunners, mine freeze and hold perfectly still when they are in unfamiliar territory. Every year we have a biology lab called "role call of the animals" and it involves a bunch of taxidermed specimens lined up on the back counter. As a joke, one year I put a Watermaal on a piece of dried wood and labelled it "CHICKEN" and stuck it in between a Great Horned Owl and a Western Screech owl and she held still enough that everybody thought she was just another specimen. It wasn't until halfway through the lab when someone leaned in really close to get a good look at her that she moved. Boy the student wasn't expecting it at all! They jumped back and the hen flinched and decided she wanted to leave. She jumped off the stump and came running over to me. Cute little girl.