foundational Dutch and Belgian breeds?

[Sparklee]

Someone said this:

"Old English Games, Mediterranean breeds, foundational Dutch and Belgian breeds, these birds long predate the feeding methodologies upon which we rely today."

I asked the original poster about "foundational Dutch and Belgian breeds," but got no reply.

Anyone care to give their take on what "foundational Dutch and Belgian breeds" are? I haven't paid much attention to them before and it sounds like maybe I should have. Please include birds that we can't get here because of location or timing.

Thanks.

 

[Henk69]

Friesians, Drent fowl, Assendelft fowl, Breda, Owlbeard, "Brabants boerenhoen" from Holland. Don't get the "predate ... " bit though...

 

[Sparklee]

Thanks for your reply, Henk69.

I thought no one was going to answer and started searching and found something called the "Chaams Hoen." Is that a foundational Dutch breed? One page said it originally was from the Breda country. (on a Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity page)

I have heard of Owlbeards; I just didn't know they were Dutch or Belgian.

The person said that foundational Dutch and Belgian breeds were good foragers because they predated the current feeding practices. I'm somewhat interested in smart foragers (but always with feed available).

Okay, now I'm off to see if any of these birds (or birds derived from them) are easily available in the US. I doubt I'll buy any this year as it's too late in the season, and I'm too busy this summer.

 

[Henk69]

Chaams hoen are a ripp off of the belgian brakel breed which is the precursor of the campines.

 

[Sparklee]

Quote:
"Ripp off" as in scam, fake, contrived? Are Chaams hoenen (I have no idea how to speak of more than one hoen. apologies) actually Brakels? I looked both up and they look very similar to my uneducated eye.

 

[Henk69]

They are derived from. No crime involved...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

It would be interesting to see a "sort of" geneology chart of which breeds were developed from which others, along with relative timeframes. It would also be interesting to see something similar about chicken feed. I know that I've read that the forumlas used can vary considerably from country to country. But it would also be interesting to see when commercial feed began to predominate over predominant foraging, and the steps in between (I assume individually mixed grains?).

 

[wegotchickens]

Quote:
I know my d'Uccles aren't 'foundational birds' but they are amazing foragers. They would much rather free range than eat feed. They dig and turn leaves in the forest area near their coop and seem very efficient.
(I only keep them in a run because of hawks and dogs. The roosters are very alert for predators, and then hens hide quickly, but I don't like to take chances.)

I've had EE's, Welsummers, and Buff Orps. They did not do as good a job foraging.
We had games and bantam games when I was a kid, and I don't think they foraged as well as my d'Uccles, either. More looking and pouncing and not as much digging and finding....

 

[Sparklee]

Quote:
Great idea! I've got one like that for the Greek gods. You chart it all out and offer it as a download and I'll pay you $10 for it, 20 if you include photos.

Of course, it's worth more than that, but other folks would buy it also. I suspect you have all the time in the world for another project.

In the olden days (c. 1910), according to a couple of old books I've read, they seem to like wheat and oats for chickens, both England and US. I suspect they were in wheat and oat growing areas. A lot of that would be a geographical issue, I'd think, based on which grains were available in each location. Also, I think other things (non-grain) like winter squash, sweet potatoes, and peas would factor in a little, based on what the climate and soil would produce. But then, you already know that and should work on the feeding chart, too.

And please go all the way back to ancient Egypt ... say, about 2500BCE.

 

[Arielle]

henk69 wrote much earlier

Don't get the "predate ... " bit though...

This was taken from another thread and was in context originally. It is now out of context so find the heritage breed or homesteading thread, one or the other, for full explanation​