Hello from Antwerp, Belgium, Europe!

[Drieslag]

I'v been on BYC for a while and following for a lot longer, so I gues it's time to step into the lights

Love the forum and found a lot of good questions, tips and advice so far.

Myself I'm born and raised in the capitol of the Campines, Turnhout, and when I found out about the Campine breed in the UK and US (not forgetting RSA, Australia, ...) I took it upon myself to reinstate this beautiful breed in its homeland.

Surprise surprise, it hasn't been around in the Netherlands or Belgium since the 1950's. World War 2 sadly ate them all... plus the competition with its brother the Braekel and newcomer the Leghorn did the rest of them in.

For the moment I have 1 Sussex, 1 Barnevelder and 1 Araucana in my suburb backyard. They give me plenty of eggs although there have been some rough patches as well (coccidiosis, Egg Drop Syndrome, and scaly legg mites). But each and everyone has been nourished back to good health.

My Araucana is currently sitting on three Silver Campine eggs I managad to get from the UK. Hopefully one hatches, it would be the first Silver Campine in Belgium in almost 70 years.

Any tips on getting more Campine hatching eggs to Europe always welcome!

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, Drieslag, and

! Great to have you here! Good luck with your hatching efforts and have fun!

 

[ParsonPlace]

Welcome and Good Luck with your hatching.

Can't wait to see them.

 

[DDNONIN2016]

Wow. Good luck on your hatch ! How exciting

Welcome and glad you joined BYC

 

[chickenpooplady]

from Ohio and God Bless!!!

 

[drumstick diva]

Hope your hatch goes well - that would really be exciting

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Welcome to BYC!!!

Glad to have you aboard!!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined us!

 

[Tomtommom]

I've got a real soft spot for Dutch/Belgian breeds.. Having been born and raised in Holland (near Rotterdam) myself (moved to the US in 2004, at 22 years of age)

I recall vacationing in Oisterwijk many a summer and they had the cutest bantam chickens just free ranging around the campground. The eggs were 'finders, keepers', so as kids we would try our hardest to find those wonderful little eggs in the brush. They were little mutt chickens... but I have wanted chickens ever since.

As a teen I worked at a petting zoo and cared for a variety of animals, including a coop with bantams and a huge area with white leghorns.

This is my first year of having chickens myself


Hope you get your wish come true!

 

[Drieslag]

Thanks for all the support!

And by the way, it is official. I hatched the first Silver Campines in the original Campine region in about 60 or more years.
Here's my youtube channel with their progress: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMX0miF0SHX-SDiNSX2LfXw.

And been doing some research in the meantime. It seems the Campines were also greatly favoured in the French cuisine as they appear in some of its cook books during the 18th century. Plus, in 1757 they even made it on to the menu of King Louis XV, allbeit as a marinade

.
See http://menus.free.fr/index_fichiers/Page432.htm