Mary Allen
Antwerp bearded dwarfs are cheeky original dwarves. They are suitable for chicken farmers who do not have much space and still want to enjoy fresh eggs for breakfast.
Bearded bantam flocks have been kept and bred in Belgium for centuries. However, these were all relatively similar. The typical elegant form of the Antwerp bearded dwarfs was only bred from the existing breeds in the middle of the 19th century. Quail-colored bearded dwarfs were already described in the 17th century, making the quail color the oldest color variety. The first Antwerp bearded gnomes were exhibited at a poultry exhibition in Brussels in 1896.
In Germany, the breed appeared around 1920 at the National Bantam Show. During the Second World War, most breeds perished. Nevertheless, the breed experienced a strong upswing after the war with the founding of the German special association. In the last 20 years, there has been another change in type. The animals became shorter and more compact, which meant that some cocks no longer show their backs.
Antwerp bearded gnomes show an erect posture. The full chest is pushed out high and forms almost a semicircle. The drooping wings further underline this attitude and almost touch the ground due to the barely medium-high position. The slightly sloping back is short and, viewed from the side, forms a semicircular topline with the neck hangings and tail. Due to the full hanging and the broad shoulders, the front part is significantly wider than the rear part. One speaks of two-thirds before and one-third behind the runs.
Progress in Switzerland
The slightly bent back short neck is characterized by a very full and heavily feathered neck hanging. This forms a mane-like feathering below the neck. After the short, rounded back, it merges into the tail, which is carried almost vertically. This is slightly fanned. Breeders speak of a fanning width of two to three tail feathers in the case of ideal fanning. The main sickles of the rooster are sickle-shaped and end at a point.
The short, powerful, and rounded head contains another breed characteristic. As the name suggests, these chickens have beards. One speaks of a full chin beard and whiskers. Whether this should now be divided into three or undivided is still a matter of debate. In the standard, however, nothing is written about a tripartition. The wattles should be as rudimentary as possible and are covered by the beard. The ear lobes are also covered by the beard. The finely beaded rose comb is wedge-shaped and the spike follows the neckline.
The Antwerp bearded gnomes are now well represented in Switzerland. According to the breed and color inventory of Kleintiere Schweiz, the quail-colored bearded dwarfs are the most common. You can already see excellent animals of both sexes in this color variety. But also the silver-quail-colored have experienced enormous progress in type and color in the last few years. The single color varieties such as black, white, and blue-lined are somewhat rarer but show first-class animals in type and color. With the remaining color varieties, there are often requests for the fullness of the beard and neck or the sickle shape of the roosters. However, it must be noted that this breed also has a very high breeding status in Switzerland.
Undemanding Flying Artists
Antwerp Bearded Dwarfs are ideal for owners and breeders who have limited space. The small, bold chickens are frugal, although they also like to use larger runs and are busy looking for food. Due to their enormous curiosity, these primal dwarfs become tame very quickly and also like to fly on the arms or shoulders of the owner.
The laying performance of this breed varies from color to color. However, one can expect an average of one egg per hen every two to three days, which is enough to be able to breed enough young in the spring. During the breeding season, it is advisable not to make the entire run available to the breeding lines. The roosters of this breed are often a bit lazy and do not always kick the hens reliably. If the entire outlet is accessible, the fertilization rate is usually significantly lower. The brooding instinct of this breed is still present and the hens take very good care of their brood.