Ardennaise Bantam

The Ardennaise Bantam is a light-built, slender fowl with a slightly upright posture. Its body is fairly broad at the front, tapering slightly towards the rear.

• Weight: Roosters typically weigh 1.2-1.4 lbs (550-650g), and hens are lighter at 1.1-1.3 lbs (500-600g).
• Head: The head is fine and quite small, with a fine-textured, lively red face.
• Comb: They have a single comb of medium size, straight and upright, with five or six regularly formed points. The comb heel rises slightly and does not follow the skull line. The comb is fine in texture and its color is bright red.
• Earlobes: The earlobes are quite small, thin, and oblong-round, with their color varying according to the plumage variety.
• Eyes: Large, round, and lively in expression, with eye color varying according to the plumage variety, often a rich orange-red.
• Hals: The neck is rather long and gracefully arched, with a well-developed and long neck hackle that covers the shoulders.
• Body: The back is fairly broad between the shoulders, medium-long, and slightly sloping towards the tail. The saddle hackle is quite long and well-developed. The breast is full, fairly broad, well-rounded, and carried forward.
• Wings: The wings are long, well-closed, and held somewhat below horizontal, with their tips hidden under the saddle hackle. Shoulders are well-rounded and broad.
• Tail: The tail is well-developed and carried at a 45-degree angle, with long, broad tail feathers that are carried somewhat folded and cover each other well. The sickles are long and broad.
• Legs and Feet: The unfeathered legs are medium-long and fine in build, slate-blue to blackish depending on the color variety, with four toes. Ring sizes are 0.47 inches (12mm) for roosters and 0.39 inches (10mm) for hens.
• Feathering: The feathering is smooth and tight, with moderate down development.

Ardennaise Bantams are known for their respectable egg-laying abilities, typical of many active landrace breeds.

• Egg Production: Hens can lay approximately 150-180 eggs per year.
• Egg Size & Color: They lay medium-sized eggs, weighing around 1.4 oz (40g), that are white or tinted.
• Broodiness: Ardennaise hens have been observed to go broody, making them suitable for natural hatching if desired.

While both sexes share the elegant and active build of the Ardennaise, there are distinct differences:

• Rooster: The rooster is generally larger and more upright. His single comb is medium-sized, upright, and typically vibrant red. His tail is well-developed with long, broad sickle feathers, carried at a proud 45-degree angle.
• Hen: The hen is slightly smaller and has a more horizontal body carriage. Her comb is smaller and, although preferably upright, the rear part may gently droop. Her tail is carried at a slightly lower angle, around 40 degrees, and is more closed than the rooster's, lacking the prominent sickle feathers. Her eyes may also be slightly darker than the rooster's.

The Ardennaise Bantam is a hardy and robust breed, well-adapted to various climates. Their vitality and resilience are notable, allowing them to thrive even in less ideal conditions. They are known to be particularly free-spirited and good foragers, often seeking high, secluded spots to roost.

Their hardiness means they do not require elaborate housing. A dry, draft-free coop is sufficient, and they are generally well-suited for free-range setups where they can express their natural foraging behaviors.

The Ardennaise Bantam is recognized in a good range of color varieties, all of which display the breed's elegant build and active nature. The importance is placed on dark skin pigmentation (except for the white variety) and dark nails.

Recognized Varieties:

• Partridge (Patrijs)
• Silver Duckwing (Zilverpatrijs)
• Brown Red (Goudhalzig)
• Birchen (Zilverhalzig) (with or without laced breast feathers)
• Gold Salmon (Goudzalmkleurig)
• Silver Salmon (Zilverzalmkleurig)
• Black (Zwart)
• White (Wit)

Additionally, rumpless (tailless) Ardennaise chickens also occur, offering a unique visual variation within the breed.