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

[Backwoods Bntms]

Totally agree with the health and vigor. My bb reds and quail are the best birds I have in that respect. If their eggs go in the hatcher a chick comes out. Some of my other colors don't hatch as well. And my quail are the best typed birds I have. That is why I am leaning that way.

 

[KristenG]

That's kind of the path I took. My Quail were also the best typed birds I had and they also hatch the best. That's why most of my Watermaals are Quail based (they might be Blue Quail or Silver Quail, but all of them have the Quail base pattern). Some of the original silkie mixes were a solid (black/blue) so I have some of those as well. If they've got the type, I keep them. My Quail Watermaals breed true. The other varieties still need a bit of work.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Kristen, I know you are busy. Just wanted to tell you that I haven't forgot about this thread. I am just growing the birds I need to get started and will post a lot of pics in the spring.

jj

 

[KristenG]

I'm glad that you will keep this thread in mind - I will probably be posting pictures of my babies when they get a bit older (also most likely in spring). Thanks for checking in. I hope that eventually more and more people will become aware of this breed and become interested in it. I will start by showing my Watermaals at the local show and posting pictures online (here mostly). If enough people get interested who would be willing to support an ABA club, I'd like to reopen the Watermaal club through the ABA and get this bird off the inactive list. Long term goals, you know. I look forward to our spring picture exchanges!

 

[KristenG]

Updated photos of my lone Quail Watermaal pullet for the 2012 hatch year:

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Nice pullet Kristen. Here are some updated pictures of the birds I will be using.







Here you can see the extra points on their combs.

 

[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

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

I finally feel like I started my watermaal project today. I set up three pens today. First one has a pynchoen cockerel with three buff columbian pullets, second is two pyncheon pullets with a nice quail cockerel, and the third has three pyncheon pullets with a cockerel with real good type out of a bb red x quail cross. I am planning to work for type first then sort out the colors. I am also going to work on a silver laced d'Anver project with the sebright cockerel with a triple spiked rosecomb. Hope fully I will get some triple spiked combs out of that project to add to my watermaal project.

jj

 

[KristenG]

What a find on the Silver Sebright! You were looking to start a Silver Laced d'Anver anyway...so you got one multipurpose bird! I finally got a few more Watermaals to hatch out here. So it looks like I'll have more than one pair of Quail and a Black and a Silver Quail Watermaal pullet. Two of the new babes do not look like a standard color though - more like a mix between columbian and quail. Will post pics when I get a chance.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Yes, I am pretty excited about this project. Can't wait to see you pic's.

jj