BELGIAN BEARDED d

BELGIAN BEARDED d'UCCLE

ORIGIN: Belgium. In the early 1900's Booted were crossed with Belgian Bearded d’Anvers

To produce the d'Uccles.

AMERICAN STATUS: Ranks within 16 top breeds.

Weight: Cock- 26 oz. / 740 grams Hen – 22 oz. / 625 grams

Cockerel - 22 oz. / 625 grams Pullet- 20 oz. / 570 grams

Shape of Male

COMB: Single - medium size, straight and upright, neatly arched, set firmly and evenly on head, smooth, moderately

and evenly serrated, having five regular and distinct points, front not to extend beyond point half-way between

nostrils and point of beak, but extending well over back of head, blade full but of moderate length.

BEAK: Short, strong, nicely arched.

FACE: Fine in quality, no wrinkles or folds, partially hidden with relatively long muff feathers.

BROW: Heavily furnished with feathers.

EYES: Bold, round, conspicuous.

WATTLES: Rudimentary only, preferably none.

EAR LOBES: Very small, inconspicuous, free from wrinkles or folds, concealed by relatively long muff feathers.

BEARD & MUFFS: Composed of feathers turned horizontally backwards, from both sides of beak; from the center - vertically downward;

the whole forming a collar of three ovals in a triangular group, giving a cuffed effect.

HEAD: Medium size, appearing rather broad due to heavy feathering, round, carried back from front of breast in a proud manner

so that the crown of comb is parallel with tip of tail.

NECK: Medium length convexly arched.

HACKLE: Rather thick, moderately long, flowing over shoulders and back almost meeting in front of neck, the whole giving the

effect of what is termed bull-necked.

BACK: Broad at shoulders, sloping from shoulders to base of tail, where there is an abrupt angle at the base of the tail.

SADDLE: Abundant, with long saddle feathers which fill in space between wing tips and tail coverts,

TAIL: Main Tail - feathers of medium width, widely spread at all times, carried at an angle so that shaft of top feather is

approximately 65° above the horizontal. Sickles two main sickles very slightly curved, ending slightly beyond main

tail feathers. Lesser Sickles - Medium width and length, slightly curved; rising above each other in uniform fan-like tiers.

Coverts - moderately full, medium length. Wings - Large, fitting neatly to body, sloping downward at the same angle as

the vulture hock feathers, in-curved towards the abdomen so that a part of the wing tips are covered with the lower saddle

feathers. Shoulders & Fronts - carried well back from front of breast, covered by hackle. Bows - well rounded. Coverts - well

defined with two rows of broad feathers. Primaries - medium width, strong quills, completely hidden by Secondaries. Secondaries

- wide, forming a neatly and evenly overlapping appearance when folded. , .

BREAST: Extremely broad and deep, the upper’ part well developed and carried well forward so that breast will extend beyond a line

drawn perpendicular with point of beak.

BODY & STERN: Body - deep, broad, short, and stubby. Stern - fluff, short;

LEGS & TOES: Legs - rather widely set, parallel to each other when viewed from front. Lower Thighs - medium length, feathers starting from

lower inside part of thighs, forming a cluster of long stiff feathers close together, known as vulture hocks, inclined toward the ground

following the outline of the wings. Shanks - medium length, the front and outside covered with feathers which are short at top and

gradually increasing in length toward the bottom, stiff and turning horizontally outward with their ends curving backward. Spurs –

short, hard, fine, low set. Toes - four, straight and well and evenly spread; plumage, outside toe and outside of middle toe covered

in same manner as shanks.

APPEARANCE: Short, broad, cobby, majestic, heavily developed plumage.

COMB: Single - proportionately smaller than that of the male, set firmly and evenly on Head, moderately and evenly serrated, having five regular

and distinct points, slightly Arched, front not to extend beyond point half way between nostrils and point of beak, Extending back over

FACE: Fine quality, free from wrinkles or folds, partially hidden with long muff.

BEARD & MUFFS: Composed of feathers turned horizontally backwards from both sides of beak, from the center, vertically downwards, the whole forming

HEAD: Small, but appearing rather broad due to heavy feathering, carried well back, above a parallel line which when drawn from tip of tail

HACKLE: Heavily feathered, covering shoulders and upper back, not meeting in front of neck.

BACK: Moderately broad, short, slanting from shoulders to base of tail with the whole producing an up-shaped curve with neck and tail.

TAIL: Main tail - feathers medium width, top feathers slightly curved in a convex manner, widely spread at all times, carried at an angle

of 60° above the horizontal Coverts - Abundant, widening as they flow to about two thirds the ways up the tail.

WINGS: Medium length, fitting neatly to the body, sloping downward at the same angle as the vulture hocks, in-curved toward the abdomen.

Shoulders & Fronts – Nearly Covered with hackle feathers. Bows - well rounded. Coverts - well defined with two rows of

broad feathers. Primaries - medium width, strong quills, completely hidden by Secondaries. Secondaries - wide, forming a

BREAST: Very broad, deep, upper part well developed and carried well forward. BODY & STERN: Body - deep, short, and stubby.

LEGS, TOES & Thighs well developed, medium length, feathers starting from lower inside part of thighs, forming a cluster of long stiff feathers close

together known as vulture hocks, inclined toward the ground, following o0utline of wings. Shanks - medium length, the front

and outside covered with feathers which are short at top and gradually increasing in length toward the bottom, stiff and turning

horizontally outward, their ends curving backward. Toes - four, straight, well and evenly spread; plumage, outside toe and

Absence of Muffs and /or Beard, Severed Wattles, Squirrel Tailed, Absence of Vulture Hocks

Large wattles and ear lobes – Neck unduly long and/or too narrow-Scantiness of feathers in beard and muffs,