Last Updated on April 27, 2021 by Pauline G. Carter
Braekel Chicken or Brakel Chicken is originally a European chicken breed. Brakel region of Belgium is the origin place for this breed of Chicken. There’s also one similar variety of the chicken breed, which is called Bantam.
While being one of the rare breeds of Chicken these days, Braekel Chicken used to be very popular hundreds of years ago in their regional origin area because of the multipurpose nature of this Chicken breed.
Braekel Chicken is and used to be popular because of its dual purpose. As a good Table bird, with a lump of strong muscular meat, party taste, and slightly game flavor and a reliable source of everyday egg-laying capacity.
This Chicken breed has various names like Braekel, Brakel, The gray neck, Nuns hen, Everyday layer, Farmyard Hen, etc.
World war two had a really bad effect on Braekel.
Before the Second world war, this Chicken breed used to be a popular household pet, and because of the crisis after the Second world war, the Braekel breed was at the edge to get extinction. That is when the other strains of Braekel have been made out of extinction or experiment.
Braekel Chicken Breed Profile
| Country of origin: | Belgium |
| Primary use: | Eggs |
| Weight: | Male: 2–2.5 kg Female: 1.8–2.2 kg |
| Temperament: | Active |
| Recognized Varieties: | Gold, Silver |
| Egg production (annual): | 180 |
| Egg color: | White |
| Egg size: | Small |
| Comb type: | Single |
Braekel Chicken Characteristics
A straight bending pattern of feathers and a uniform solid neck color are the main characteristics of Braekel Chicken. Roosters and hens have the same red-colored comb and wattles. It has a single-tipped comb and white earlobes.
The Campine chicken breed has some similarities with the chicken breed, but the evolution of both breeds has happened very differently from each other. The main difference that both breeds share is lightweight in Braekel Chicken breed and the hen-feathering rooster from Braekel Chicken.
The available Braekel breed is a crossbreed between two different kinds of Braekel that existed in the past. Kempen used to have a lightweight Braekel Chicken breed because it’s a less fertile land. Flanders used to have a heavyweight Braekel Chicken breed because of its rich clay soil.
This combination of Light and Heavyweight, Kempen and Flanders, respectively, survived the Second World War’s hard times and has the final cross-breeding recognized as the chicken breed to this day.
The chicken breed can be found in various color complexions, but mainly in Gold and Silver color.
The weight of Braekel breed rooster is around 2kg to 2.5kg, and hens around 1.8kg to 2.2kg. The weight of a Bantam rooster is around 0.8kg and hens around 0.7kg.
The ring size of the Braekel Chicken rooster is around 18mm to 16mm, and hens around 13mm to 11mm. The ring size of the Bantam rooster is around 18mm to 26mm, and hens around 13mm to 11mm.
The breed has the excellent ability to lay eggs from 180 to 200 eggs per year. The color of the the chicken breed’s egg is white.
Braekel Chicken Behavior/Temperament
Being popular is in the DNA of the Braekel Chicken breed, so this breed tends to be of pet nature to humans. This breed of Chicken is meant to be very active and hard. With an excellent immune system, Braekel Chicken is physically strong and well resistant to diseases.
Braekel Chicken does know to adjust to any offered weather. The Braekel Chicken breed is easy to keep on farms, fields, and the backyard while being excellent fliers.
Braekel Chicken breed eats, Greens, Seeds, Worms, and Insects, etc.
If you see a Braekel Chicken on sale, don’t expect it to be less costly than 999$, it’s a rare Chicken breed, after all.
Being one of the rarest breeds of Chicken, with mysterious history of extinction, and proved to be a good table bird with excellent laying capacity, the Braekel Chicken breed deserves to be a pet or companion in any way, so, if that is your choice, then it’s a right choice.