Barbu de Watermael

General Appearance

The Barbu de Watermael is a very small, bearded bantam with a crest and a unique comb type. It presents with a medium-high stance, a rather slender appearance, and a proud posture. The feathering is full, smooth, and accompanied by well-developed ornamental feathers. It should always appear proportional and elegant.

Physical Traits

• Weight: Roosters typically weigh between 21-25 oz (600-700g), while hens are slightly smaller at 16-19 oz (450-500g).
• Head: Appears slightly large due to the crest, with no skull knob. The face is smooth and red.
• Comb: A medium-sized rose comb, rather short and broad, with three points. The middle point is the thickest and slightly longer, while the outer points are shorter and thinner. It is finely textured and bright red, not pressing against the crest.
• Beak: Rather short, the color depends on the variety.
• Crest: Rather narrow but sufficiently developed, pointing backward.
• Beard: Well-developed, three-part, covering the wattles and earlobes.
• Wattles & Earlobes: Wattles are barely developed and hidden by the beard. Earlobes are barely developed and also covered by the beard, they are white.
• Eyes: Large, slightly prominent, eye color depends on the variety.
• Neck: Barely medium-length, elegantly curved and fully feathered. The hackles are well-developed, covering the shoulders well and forming a mane at the neck.
• Body: Rather short, broad between the shoulders, narrowing backward. The back is medium-length, appearing shorter due to being largely hidden under the saddle hackles. The breast is arched and carried slightly forward.
• Wings: Medium-length, directed downwards, curved inwards at the ends. They are held tight to the body. Shoulders are quite broad.
• Tail: Rather open and well-developed, carried at a moderate height, forming an obtuse angle with the backline. The main sickles are slightly curved.
• Thighs & Shanks: Medium-length, quite well-feathered, with clean, slate-blue shanks and four toes. Color depends on the variety.
• Feathering: Smooth and well-fitting.

The Barbu de Watermael is considered one of the best layers among bearded bantam breeds. They are known for providing a consistent supply of eggs, even for their small size.

• Egg Production: Hens lay a good number of eggs throughout the year. Specific annual counts are not provided in the text, but they are noted as prolific.
• Egg Size & Color: They lay surprisingly large, cream to white-shelled eggs for such small birds, averaging around 1.2 oz (35g).
• Broodiness: Watermael hens are known to go broody and are good mothers, capable of hatching and raising small clutches of eggs.

Beyond the secondary sexual characteristics, there are a few notable distinctions between the Barbu de Watermael hen and rooster. The rooster typically has a more pronounced rose comb with distinct spikes. Its carriage is more upright, giving a more elegant and noble impression. The rooster's mane-like hackles are often more extensive, covering the shoulders and back.

The hen's comb is smaller than the rooster's and usually droops gracefully to one side. Her beard feathers are somewhat broader and more rounded, making the beard appear fuller. The hen's posture is generally less upright than the rooster's, and she is noted for her well-developed egg-laying abdomen.

The Barbu de Watermael is known for its hardiness and adaptability. They do not have high demands regarding their care and can be kept successfully in both confined spaces and larger free-range environments. They are noted to withstand rain showers, suggesting good weather resistance.

For optimal feather condition, especially concerning their beard, it is advisable to provide drinking bowls with narrow troughs and feed containers that prevent the beard from getting wet and dirty. Ensuring a draft-free and well-insulated coop is important for their comfort, particularly in colder weather.

The Barbu de Watermael is recognized in a remarkable range of around 30 color varieties. The original colors when first exhibited were white, followed by gold (possibly partridge), black, and black mottled. Over time, many more striking varieties have been developed.

Notable Varieties Include:

• White (Wit): Pure white plumage.
• Black (Zwart): Glossy black plumage.
• Black Mottled (Zwart witgepareld): Black with distinct white spots, where the white typically increases with age.
• Quail (Kwartel): A complex pattern featuring a base color with black barring, often with a golden or silver hue depending on the specific quail variant (e.g., Gold Quail, Blue Quail, Silver Quail, Lemon Quail, Chamois Quail).
• Millefleur (Duizendkleur): A multi-colored pattern resembling wildflowers.
• Isabel Porcelain (Isabelporselein): A diluted version of Millefleur with a lighter, pastel appearance.
• Buff Mottled (Okerwitporselein): An ocher-white porcelain pattern.
• Blue (Blauw): A uniform slate-blue color.
• White Blue Columbia (Wit blauwcolumbia): White body with blue markings in the neck, wing, and tail.
• Buff Blue Columbia (Buff blauwcolumbia): Buff body with blue markings in the neck, wing, and tail.