One of the most beautiful chicken breeds in the world is the Belgian d’Uccles, also known as Barbu d’Uccles, or shortened to d’Uccles.
kAm%96 A:?E\D:K65 3:C5 H2D 4C62E65 :? E96 =2E6 `g__D 3J 2 H62=E9J C:49 sFE49 3FD:?6DD>2?[ |:4926= '2? v6=56C] q2C3F >62?D “362C565” :? sFE49j &44=6 :D 2? 2C62 :? q6=8:F>] %96 =@H6C 42D6 “5” :? 7C@?E @7 &44=6 >62?D “@7]”k^Am
kAms’&44=6D 2C6 ECF6 32?E2>D[ >62?:?8 E96C6 :D ?@ =2C86 7@H= 4@F?E6CA2CE 7@C E96 3:C5]k^Am
kAm%96J 92G6 2 3@2E=@25 @7 A6CD@?2=:EJ 2?5 =@G6 E96 4@>A2?J @7 A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm#:49 '2F89? 92D C2:D65 5’&44=6D 7@C J62CD 2?5 =@G6D E96>]k^Am
kAm“%96J 2C6 ?@E @?=J 362FE:7F=[” E96 {:?4@=?[ }63] C6D:56?E D2:5[ “3FE E96 >@DE 5@4:=6[ =@G:?8[ 7C:6?5=J 3C665 @7 32?E2> E96C6 :D]”k^Am
kAmw6 42==D E96> E96 “F=E:>2E6 c\w 8:C=’D 5C62>]”k^Am
A Mille Fleur variety of the Belgian d’Uccles breed. The breed of chicken originated in Belgium in the late 1800s.
Submitted photo
kAm“x7 J@F 3FJ @?6 7C@> >6 2?5 9@=5 :E @? J@FC =2A 8@:?8 9@>6[ 2?5 A6E :E[ 2?5 7665 2?5 H2E6C :E[ :E H:== 36 J@FC 72:E97F= 7C:6?5 7@C =:76[” 96 D2:5] “xE H:== D:E @? J@FC =2A 2?5 D?F88=6]”k^Am
kAm%96 3:C5D 2C6 E@@ D>2== E@ 36 C2:D65 7@C >62E AC@5F4E:@? 2?5 2C6 5646?E 688 =2J6CD 3FE E96:C 688D 2C6 D>2==] '2F89? 92D FD65 5’&44=6 688D H96? 96 ?665D 2 D>2==6C 688 H9:=6 92=G:?8 2 C64:A6]k^Am
kAm%96J’C6 ;FDE 7C:6?5=J[ 96 D2:5] “%96J’C6 G6CJ A@AF=2C :? E96 324<J2C5 7=@4< H@C=5 3642FD6 J@F 42? H2=< @FE E96C6[ D:E 5@H?[ 2?5 E96J’== 4@>6 CF??:?8 @G6C] %96J’== ;F>A FA 2?5 D:E @? J@FC =68D] *@F 42? D6E E96> @? J@FC D9@F=56CD 2?5 H2=< 2C@F?5 =:<6 2 A:C2E6 H:E9 2 A2CC@E]”k^Am
kAm$@>6E:>6D 5’&44=6D H:== 36 :?5:8?2?E H96? E96J 5@?’E 86E 2EE6?E:@?]k^Am
kAm“$@>6E:>6D E96J’== 86E 4C233J H:E9 J@F :7 J@F 5@?’E A:4< E96> FA[” '2F89? D2:5]k^Am
kAmw:D C@@DE6CD =:<6 E@ A@DEFC6 7@C E96 42>6C2]k^Am
kAm“%96J’C6 ?2EFC2= A@D6CD[” 96 D2:5] “*@F H2=< 3J 2 A6?[ E96J DE2?5 FA] %96J =@G6 E@ A@D6 2?5 E96J =:<6 2EE6?E:@?]”k^Am
A d’Uccles rooster struts his stuff for the camera.
Submitted photo
kAmq642FD6 E96J 2C6 >@C6 DFD46AE:3=6 E@ AC652E@CD 3642FD6 @7 E96:C D>2== D:K6[ '2F89? <66AD E96> A6??65 52J 2?5 ?:89E] w6 4@G6CD 9:D A6?D H:E9 A@F=ECJ ?6EE:?8 2?5 >2<6D DFC6 E96J’C6 =@4<65 FA 2E ?:89E]k^Am
kAm'2F89? A@:?E65 @FE E96C6 :D 2 5:776C6?46 36EH66? 92E496CJ 688D 2?5 3C6656CD’ 688D] %96J 2C6 2=>@DE 4@>A=6E6=J 5:776C6?E 3C665D[ 96 D2:5[ H:E9 E96 92E496CJ >2=6D E6?5:?8 E@ 36 >62? 2?5 288C6DD:G6 2?5 E96 76>2=6D E6?5 E@ 36 D<:??J[ D<:EE:D9 2?5 D42C65]k^Am
kAmw6 2EEC:3FE6D E92E E@ 86?6E:4 D6=64E:@? 2?5 E92E 92E496C:6D 5@?’E DA6?5 E:>6 H:E9 E96:C 3:C5D]k^Am
kAms’&44=6D 92G6 D:?8=6 4@>3D 2?5 C65 @C @C2?86 6J6D] %96 3:C5D 92G6 2 >F77 2?5 362C5 H9:49 6IE6?5 2C@F?5 E96 9625] w6?D 92G6 G6CJ D>2== @C ?@?\6I:DE6?E H2EE=6D] %96:C 362<D 2C6 9@C?\4@=@C65]k^Am
kAm%96:C ?64<D 2C6 D9@CE[ E96:C D<:? :D H9:E6[ 2?5 E96:C =68D 2C6 762E96C65]k^Am
kAm#64@8?:K65 3J E96 p>6C:42? !@F=ECJ pDD@4:2E:@? :? `h`c[ E96 p!p 2446AED D6G6? G2C:6E:6Di E96 >:==6 7=6FC[ WE96 >@DE A@AF=2CX[ A@C46=2:?[ H9:E6[ 3=24<[ 8@=56? ?64<[ >@EE=65 2?5 =2G6?56C]k^Am
D’Uccle chickens are known for their muffs and beards, which extend around the neck.
Submitted photo
kAmu62E96CD @7 E96 >:==6 7=6FC G2C:6EJ[ H9:49 >62?D “>2?J 7=@H6CD[” 2C6 2 C:49 C65\3C@H? H:E9 2 ?62C=J >29@82?J 32D6 2?5 2 3=24< :C:56D46?E 4C6D46?E 32?5 >:5H2J E9C@F89] %96 E:AD @7 E96 762E96CD =@@< D:>:=2C E@ 2 H9:E6 92=7\>@@?]k^Am
kAmw6?D H6:89[ @? 2G6C286[ aa @F?46D[ H96C6 4@4<D H:== H6:89 23@FE ae @F?46D]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 @7 E96 762E96CD @? E96:C =68D 2?5 766E[ >F55J J2C5D 42? 36 2 AC@3=6> 7@C E96>] %96J’C6 ?@E 7@?5 @7 4@=5 H62E96C[ 3FE D@>6 :?DF=2E:@? :? E96 4@@A 42? 96=A]k^Am
kAm%96J 2C6 @7E6? 42==65 2? @C?2>6?E2= 3C665[ 3FE E96:C 42=>[ A=24:5 ?2EFC6 >2<6D E96> H@?56C7F= 3:C5D 7@C <:5D]k^Am
kAms’&44=6D 92G6 6G6? 366? 42==65 “=2H? @C?2>6?ED[” 2?5 2E E96 EFC? @7 E96 a_E9 46?EFCJ[ E96J H6C6 ?:4<?2>65 “=:G:?8 7=@H6CD @7 @FC 82C56?D]”k^Am
Rich Vaughn with a d’Uccles chicken. The Lincoln, Neb., man has raised chickens, including Jersey Giants, since he was a child.
Submitted photo
kAm'2F89? 2?5 9:D 3C@E96C #@5 '2F89? @7 u@CE %9@>AD@?[ $@FE9 s2<@E2[ H@C< 2D 2 E62> H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 5’&44=6D] #@5 C2:D6D E96> 3FE 5F6 E@ 9:D H@C< 5@6D?’E E2<6 E:>6 @77 E@ D9@H E96>] #:49 5@6D E96 D9@H:?8]k^Am
kAm%96J 2C6 E96 E9:C5 86?6C2E:@? E@ 36 :?G@=G65 :? A@F=ECJ] %96:C 8C2?5A2C6?ED[ |2CG:? 2?5 #FE9 '2F89?[ H6C6 :?G@=G65 H:E9 (J2?5@EE6D 2?5 E96:C A2C6?ED[ #@36CE 2?5 y@J46[ C2:D65 D:=G6C\=2465 (J2?5@EE6D[ EFC<6JD 2?5 3F77 866D6]k^Am
D’Uccles forage in Rich Vaughn’s backyard. The breed is a true bantam breed, with no larger-size counterpart.
Submitted photo
kAm(96? #:49 D9@HD 9:D 3:C5D[ :?DE625 @7 FD:?8 9:D 7:CDE ?2>6[ 96 FD6D E96 '2F89? u2>:=J ?2>6 :? 9@?@C @7 9:D 8C2?5A2C6?ED’ 2?5 A2C6?ED’ H@C<]k^Am
kAm#:49 :D @? E96 3@2C5 @7 E96 }63C2D<2 $E2E6 !@F=ECJ pDD@4:2E:@? 2?5 2=D@ C2:D6D y6CD6J v:2?ED] w6 :D 2 AC:>2CJ 3C6656C :? E96 ?2E:@? @7 3@E9 5’&44=6D 2?5 y6CD6J v:2?ED 2?5 6I9:3:ED 3@E9 3C665D 2E D9@HD 24C@DD E96 &]$]k^Am
kAm&DF2==J[ E96 5’&44=6D 3:C5D E92E #:49 D9@HD 2C6 AC6\D@=5[ 2?5 96 7:?5D 8C62E D2E:D724E:@? :? 5@:?8 H6== H:E9 E96 3:C5D 2E 4@?E6DED[ E96? 92G:?8 E96 ?6H @H?6CD A:4<:?8 E96> FA 27E6C E96 D9@H]k^Am
kAmw6 =@G6D >6?E@C:?8 @E96CD 2?5 D6==:?8 ?2E:@?2= =6G6= D9@H 3:C5D E92E >2<6 E96:C ?6H @H?6CD D>:=6 %96J’C6 FDF2==J 3:8 H:??6CD 2E A@F=ECJ D9@HD]k^Am
kAmw6 6DE:>2E6D E92E 23@FE h_T @7 E96 E:>6[ '2F89? 5’&44=6D H:? 492>A:@? @C C6D6CG6 2E E96 4@?E6DED 96 2EE6?5D]k^Am
Freelance writer Ruth Nicolaus loves (nearly) everything about the Great Plains, but mostly its people. She lives in eastern Nebraska. Reach her at editorial@midwestmessenger.com .
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!