Dutch Bearded Crested Bantam

The Dutch Bearded Crested Bantam is a landrace type bantam featuring a large crest and a full beard. The overall impression is of a moderately deep body.

• Weight: Roosters typically weigh between 1.98-2.20 lbs (900-1000g), while hens weigh 1.54-1.76 lbs (700-800g).
• Head: The head is relatively small and well-rounded, with a vivid red face hidden by the beard. A strong skull knob is present, from which the crest grows.
• Comb: The comb is absent.
• Beard: Strongly developed, full, and dense. It forms a three-part beard that covers the throat and the lower part of the face, extending back above the eyes.
• Wattles: Very small to absent, completely covered by the beard.
• Earlobes: Entirely covered by the beard, small, and whitish.
• Eyes: Large, full, and lively, ranging from orange-red to reddish-brown.
• Crest: Proportionally large, full, and densely feathered, not obstructing vision. It should be symmetrical and form a relatively flat, broad surface at the front, with long, narrow feathers resembling the neck hackle.
• Legs: Shanks are medium-long, strong, smooth-scaled, and slate-blue in color. They have four toes.
• Feathering: Well-developed, smooth, and close-fitting, with a normal amount of down.

Dutch Bearded Crested Bantams are noted for their good egg-laying abilities for an ornamental breed. They provide a steady supply of white eggs.

• Egg Production: Hens can lay approximately 120-140 eggs per year.
• Egg Size & Color: They lay small to medium-sized white eggs, with an average weight of about 1.2 oz (35g).
• Broodiness: While not explicitly stated as highly broody, many traditional landrace types can exhibit broodiness. However, the focus of this breed is generally not on consistent brooding. I will set it to false for now, based on typical ornamental breeds unless specific information indicates otherwise.

Aside from typical secondary sexual characteristics, there are no significant differences between the Dutch Bearded Crested Bantam rooster and hen.

The rooster's crest feathers are longer and resemble the neck hackle. Its beard is more robust, and the overall impression is more upright and powerful. The tail is well-developed with long, gracefully curved sickles.

The hen's crest is typically more rounded and dense, giving a full, ball-shaped appearance, placed upright and firmly on the head. Her posture is slightly more horizontal, and her tail is less spread.

The Dutch Bearded Crested Bantam is a hardy breed, adapting well to various climates. Their full feathering and beard provide good insulation, making them tolerant of colder conditions.

They are generally calm and amenable, making them suitable for backyard flocks. While they do not have high demands for housing, a clean and dry coop is essential. Care should be taken with their dense beard and crest to keep them clean and dry, especially in wet weather, to prevent matting and dirt accumulation.

The Dutch Bearded Crested Bantam is recognized in several distinct color varieties, characterized by intricate spangling, lacing, or solid colors. Each feather should be clearly defined without muddiness or smudges.

• Gold Spangled (Goud zwartgezoomd): Gold ground color with sharp, glossy black lacing around each feather.
• Yellow White Spangled (Geel witgezoomd): Warm golden-yellow ground color with a narrow, sharply defined white lacing around each feather.
• Silver Spangled (Zilver zwartgezoomd): Silver-white ground color with a narrow, sharply defined glossy black lacing around each feather.
• White (Wit): Pure white plumage.
• Black (Zwart): Glossy black plumage.
• Blue Laced (Blauw gezoomd): Uniform medium blue plumage, with each feather distinctly laced with a darker blue-black.
• Lavender (Parelgrijs): A uniform pearl gray plumage, with very fine transverse pigment accumulations visible, which are darker than the rest of the feather.

The Dutch Bearded Crested Bantam is a bantam version of the old Dutch Bearded Crested fowl. Its origins trace back to the 19th century in England and the early 20th century in the Netherlands. The large fowl itself has a long history in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century, often referred to as 'Padua' after the descriptions by the Italian Aldrovandi.

The breed is known for its distinct skull knob, which gives rise to its impressive crest. Seventeenth-century paintings by artists like d'Hondecoeter often depict bearded and crested chickens, suggesting a long lineage. The Dutch Bearded Crested Bantam was specifically developed to preserve these unique characteristics in a smaller, more manageable size for exhibition purposes, gaining official recognition in 1925.

The genetics of the Dutch Bearded Crested Bantam are interesting, particularly regarding the crest and beard. The crest is caused by a dominant genetic factor that results in a skull knob, on which the crest feathers grow. The beard and muffs are also genetically determined.

The breed also has a frizzled (Krulvederige) variety. The genetic factor for frizzling is autosomal and incompletely dominant. Mating two frizzled birds can result in chicks that are fully frizzled (double-frizzled), where the feather structure is severely affected, negatively impacting welfare. Therefore, the breeding guideline recommends mating smooth-feathered birds with frizzled birds to produce frizzled offspring that are heterozygous for the gene, thus avoiding the negative effects of double frizzling. There is no preference for the sex of the frizzled parent in this breeding strategy.