AUSTRALIAN POULTRY STANDARDS:

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ORIGIN OF BREED:        Belgium

CLASSIFICATION:          True Bantam  -  Softfeather Light Breed

EGG COLOUR:               White or tinted

 

There are three main varieties of Belgian Bantams available in Australia – the Barbu d’Anvers (Bearded Antwerp), the Barbu d’Uccle (Bearded Uccle) and the Barbu de Watermael (Bearded Watermael). These long established true bantams have no large counterparts.  There are many colour varieties, some very intricately marked and representing an engrossing challenge for the bantam breeder.  There are also three other types: Barbu d'Everberg (Rumpless d'Uccle), Barbu du Grubbe (Rumpless d'Anvers) and the Bosvoorde (Rumpless de Watermael), though these are not generally seen in Australia.

 

Barbu d'Anvers

The Barbu d'Anvers is always rose-combed and clean legged

 

Male Characteristics

Carriage and Appearance: Small, proud, standing bolt upright, with the head thrown well back as though always ready to crow with characteristic great development of neck hackle. Type: body broad and short, with arched breast carried well up.  Back: very short, slanting downwards to tail. Wings: medium length, carried sloping towards ground.  Tail: carried almost perpendicularly, the main tail feathers strong and not hidden by the narrow sickle feathers.  The two largest sickles slightly curved and sword shaped, the remainder in fan-like tiers to junction with saddle hackles.Head: appearing rather large.  Comb: curved, broad in front, ending in a leader or spike at rear, preferably covered with small tooth-like points, or alternatively hollowed and ridged.  The point or leader to follow the line of the neck.  Eyes: large and prominent, as dark as possible, colour to vary in keeping with plumage.  Beak: short, strong and curved, carrying a longitudinal band of light or dark colour in keeping with the plumage.  Face:covered with relatively long feathers standing away from the head, sloping backwards and forming whiskers, which cover the ears and ear lobes.  Brow heavily furnished with feathers.  Beard: as full as possible composed of feathers turned horizontally backwards from both sides of the beak and from the centre vertically downward, the whole forming a trilobe effect.  Earlobes: small. Wattles: rudimentary or preferably none. Neck: of moderate length. Hackles: thick and convexly arched, entirely covering the back and the base of neck and forming a closely joined cape at the front. Legs and Feet: thighs short of medium length. Shanks: free from feathers.  Toes: four, strong and straight, with nails of same colour as the beak.

 

Female Characteristics 

With certain exceptions the general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences. Carriage: A little bird, compact, plump, very lively, with characteristically full rounded neck hackle and well developed beard. Tail: short, carried sloping upwards, slightly curved towards the end and a little open.  Head: appearing broader than that of the male and more "owl like".  Hackle: inclining backwards and forming a ruffle behind the neck, with feathers broader than in the male.  The female hackle, contrary to that of the male, diminishes in thickness towards the bottom of the neck.

Barbu d'Uccle

The Barbu d'Uccle is always single combed and feather legged

 

Male Characteristics

Carriage and Appearance: Typically male with a majestic manner, short and broad, with characteristic heavy development of plumage. Type: body broad and deep.  Back: very broad, almost hidden by enormous neck hackle.  Breast: extremely broad, the upper part very developed and carried forward, the lower part resembling a breastplate.  Wings: close, fitting tight to body, sloping downwards and incurved towards but not beyond the abdomen. Wing butts covered by neck hackle and wing ends, covered by saddle hackle, which should be abundant and long.  Tail: well furnished, close and carried almost perpendicularly to the line of the back.  The two main sickles slightly curved the remainder in regular tiers and fan-like down to the junction with the saddle hackle. Head: slender and small, with a longitudinal depression towards the neck. Comb: single, fine, upright, less than average size, evenly serrated, rounded in outline, blade following line of neck.  Eyes: round, surrounded by bare skin.  Brow heavily covered with feathers becoming gradually longer towards the rear, with a tendency to join behind the neck.  Beak: short and slightly curved.  Beard: as full as possible composed of feathers turned horizontally backwards from both sides of the beak and from the centre vertically downward, the whole forming a trilobe effect. Earlobes: small. Wattles: are rudimentary or preferably none.  Neck: Furnished with silky feathers starting behind the beard at the sides of the throat, with a tendency to join behind the neck to form a mane.  Hackle: very thick and convexly arched, reaching to shoulders and saddle and covering the whole back. Legs: strong, short and well apart, the hocks having clusters of long stiff feathers close together, starting from the lower outer thigh, inclined downwards and following the outline of the wings.  Shanks: front and outside must be covered with feathers, short at top and gradually increasing in length towards the foot feather. Footings turned outwards horizontally, with ends slightly curved backwards.  Toes: outer toes and outside of middle toes covered with feathers similar to shank feather.

 

Female Characteristics 

With the following exceptions, the general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for natural sexual differences. Carriage and Appearance: A quiet little bird, short, thick and cobby. Beard: Resembling that of the male but formed with softer and more open feathers. Hackle:inclining backwards and forming a ruff (collar) behind the neck, with feathers broader than in the male. Female hackle, unlike that of the male, diminishes in thickness towards bottom of the neck.  Tail: Short, flat in width, not carried so high, the lower main feathers diminishing evenly in length.

 

Barbu de Watermael

The Barbu de Watermael is always crested and clean legged

 

Male Characteristics

Carriage and Appearance: Proud little bantam characterised by its beard and small crest.  Always on the move, perky. Back: short and sloping backwards.  Breast: rounded, carried forward and well up.  Wings: medium length, carried sloping towards the ground, curving beneath the tail in the female, spread lower by the male.  Tail: slightly open and carried well off the perpendicular.  Sickles quite short and only slightly curved. Head:Appears large because of the crest and whiskers, skull normal. Crest: quite bushy, not too long, slightly erect and "flying" backwards.   Comb: rose, medium sized (length 3 cm, width 1 cm) covered with small tooth-like points, ending with three small leaders.  Beak: rather short, slightly curved. Earlobes and wattles: rudimentary only and covered by muff and beard. Muff and beard well developed and forming a trilobe. Hackles: thick, forming a mane at the back. Thighs: hidden by feathers of abdomen. Shanks: medium length (5 cm). Toes: four, straight, smooth.

 

Female Characteristics 

Allowing for the natural sexual differences, the characteristics are the same as for the male except for the following. Back: A little longer than that of the male. Wings: Wings medium length, carried sloping towards the ground, curving beneath the tail. Tail: slightly open and carried at the same angle as that of the male. Crest: Semi-globular, not interfering with the sight of the bird. Hackles: not as thick as the male's but still forming a mane.

 

Barbu d'Everberg (Rumpless d'Uccle)

Barbu du Grubbe (Rumpless d'Anvers)

Barbu Bosvoorde (Rumpless de Watermael)

The above three varieties should follow their counterparts in every respect except for the following:

 

Male Characteristics

Tail: completely absent, the whole of the lower back being covered with saddle feathers.

 

Female Characteristics

The general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

 

WEIGHTS

 

Belgian bantams should be as small as possible.  The following weights will serve as a general guide:

 

    Barbu d'Anvers                                 Barbu d'Uccle                                   Barbu de Watermael

    Male      700 - 790g   (25 - 28 oz)         Male      790 - 900g  (28 - 32 oz           Male      600 - 700g   (21 - 25 oz)

    Female   600 - 700g  (21 - 25 oz)        Female   700 - 790g  (25 - 28 oz)        Female   500 - 600g   (18 - 21 oz)

 

DISQUALIFICATIONS AND SERIOUS DEFECTS

 

For general disqualifications read page 11 of “Australian Poultry Standards 2nd Edition”

 

Disqualifications for this breed are:

All varieties: yellow legs, feet or skin.

Barbu d’Anvers: feathers on shanks or feet.

Barbu de Watermael: pronounced protuberance on the top of the skull.

Barbu d’Everberg, Barbu du Grubbe and Barbu Bosvoorde: any sign of a tail.

 

For serious defects read page 13 of “Australian Poultry Standards 2nd Edition”

 

Serious defects for this breed are:

Barbu d'Anvers: Strongly developed wattles.  Conspicuous ear lobes. Overly large or misshaped comb, especially in the males.  Excessive leg length. Excessive size.  Insufficient or sparse beard. Main sickles in tail too long or too curved (Note: young male sickles are longer than adult males). Incorrect eye colour.

Barbu d'Uccle: Strongly developed wattles.  Conspicuous earlobes. Excessively large comb in the males.  Excessive leg length.  Excessive in size. Insufficient or sparse beard.  Main sickles in tail too long (Note: young male sickles are longer than adult males).  Incorrect eye colour. Poorly feathered shanks or feet.

Barbu de Watermael: Strongly developed wattles. Excessively large combs in males.  Insufficient or sparse beard.  Crest too narrow. Excessive size. Main sickles in tail too long.

 

SCALE OF POINTS FOR EACH VARIETY

 

Barbu d'Uccle & Barbu d’Everberg

Type..........................................................50

Head (including muff & beard)..................20

Colour............................….........…...........10

Size..................................….................... 10

Legs and feet.......................................... 10

TOTAL.....................................................100

 

Barbu d'Anvers & Barbu du Grubbe

Type............................................................50

Head (including muff & beard)....................25

Colour..........................................................10

Size..............................................................10

Legs and feet..............................…….......... 5

TOTAL........................................................100

 

Barbu de Watermael & Barbu Bosvoorde

Type.............................................................50

Head (including muff, beard & crest)...........25

Colour...........................................................10

Size…...........................................................10

Legs and feet................................................ 5

TOTAL.........................................................100

 

THE COLOUR STANDARD

 

Belgian Bantams exist in a very large range of colours, probably unequalled in any other soft feather breed of poultry.  The following colours fully described are the recognised "Standard" colours for the Australian Belgian Bantams as at June 2012.  This is followed by the descriptions of recognised, but so far, "Non-Standard" colours.

 

The colours – all varieties

In both sexes for all colours: comb, face, earlobes and rudimentary wattles red.

Earlobes preferably white for the Barbu de Watermael.

 

Millefleur

 

Male Plumage

Plumage: head orange-red with white points.  Neck hackle: black with golden shafts, broadly bordered with orange-red.  Each feather has a black end tipped with a white point.  The extraordinary abundance of the neck hackle makes the main colour appear orange-red, the black parts being scarcely visible. Back is red shading to orange towards saddle hackle.  Wingbows are mahogany-red, each feather tipped with white.  Wing bars russet red with lustrous green black pea-shaped spots at ends, finishing with silvery-white triangular tips, the whole forming regular bars across the wings.  Primaries are black with thin edging of chestnut on the outside.  The visible third of each secondary feather is chestnut, with upper two thirds black.  Remainder of wing uniform chestnut, each feather having at its end a large pea-shaped white spot on a black triangle, the tips evenly spaced to conform with the shape and outline of wing. (Note: the reversal of these pattern markings from the normal arrangement). Tail feathers are black with a metallic green lustre, having a fine edging or lacing of dark chestnut and terminating with a white triangle.  Beard, breast, foot feathering and the remainder of plumage throughout is of a darker chestnut (orange-mahogany) ground colour, each feather having a light chestnut shaft and finishing with a black pea-shaped spot tipped with a white triangle.

 

Female Plumage

Plumage: ground colour uniform lighter golden chestnut with each feather terminating in a black pea-shaped spot tipped with a white triangle.  Tail feathers are black, finely laced with chestnut with white tips.  Wing markings and other plumage as described for male, allowing for natural sexual differences.

 

In both sexes:  Eyes: orange-red with black pupils.  Beak, nails, shanks and feet: slate blue.

Defects to be avoided: ground colour too light or washy.  White markings excessive or indistinct or washed out.  Too much black in ground colour.

 

Silver Millefleur

 

Male and female

Plumage: as for Millefleur with chestnut, orange-red and mahogany colour tones replaced by white. Eyes: orange-red with black pupils. Legs, feet, beak and nails: slate blue.

 

Defects to be avoided: ground colour too light or washy.  White markings excessive, indistinct or washed out.  Too much black in ground colour.

 

Blue Millefleur

 

Male and female plumage.  As for Millefleur with the black replaced by blue.

 

In both sexes: eyes are orange-red with black pupils.  Beak, nails, shanks and feet are slate blue.

 

Porcelaine

 

Male and Female.

Plumage: markings and patterns are as described for Millefleur in both sexes, with the exception that the ground colour is a creamy light straw and the pea-shaped spots are lavender, tipped with white triangles.  Lavender is substituted for the black of the Millefleur in both sexes.  This is a very delicate colour pattern.  Eyes: orange-red with black pupils.  Beak, nails, legs and feet are slate blue.

 

Defects to be avoided: ground colour too light or washy.  White markings excessive or indistinct or washed out.  Too much lavender in ground colour.

 

Silver Porcelaine

 

Male and female plumage. As for Porcelaine with the creamy light straw colouring is replaced by white.

 

(Normal) Quail

 

Male Plumage

Head feathers: dark green-black, finely laced with gold.  (Note: Crest of de Watermael: black ground colour with buff lacing and buff shafts) Beard: golden-buff, shading darker towards the eyes, where plumage is black, finely laced with gold.  Neck hackle: brilliant black, sharply laced with buff, having a golden lustre and yellowish-buff shafts. Back: black ground colour with gold lacing, starting in the middle of the feathers and narrowing towards the tips, forming lance-like points with golden-silky barbs and well defined light ochre (ie yellowish buff) coloured shafts from root to point. These feathers are relatively broad under the neck, but narrower and longer nearing the saddle hackle.  Colour more intense with black ground colour more pronounced towards the saddle hackle. Wing bows light gold, the lower half of each feather black and clearly defined from upper half, which should be golden buff.  Wing bars: light ochre, each feather having a black triangular tip, the triangles forming two regular bars across the wing. Bottom third of secondaries is a darker ochre, other two-thirds dull black.  Primaries: dull black and hidden when wing is closed. Tail: black with metallic green lustre, finely bordered with brown and with faintly defined light shafts. Sickles: black. Side-hangers: black, laced with ochre and having well defined light shafts. Breast: golden-buff with each feather finely laced with ochre the shafts being distinct and clear.  Thighs: same colour as the breast. Abdomen and underparts: greyish brown, with silky, golden barb-shaped tips.  General effect is that all the upper parts are dark and the lower parts light, giving the appearance of being covered with a dark chequered cloak.  The dominating dark tint is chocolate-black, with a soft silvery lustre, known amongst artists as umber.  The general light tone is golden buff or yellow ochre and well defined light shafts are important.  Foot feathers: dull black with light buff lacing.

 

Female Plumage

Head, face and neck: covered with feathers that increase in size as they near the body, ground colour umber with very fine gold lacing.  (Note: Crest of de Watermael, umber ground colour, with gold lacing and shafts.)  Neck: velvety, darker than the back and clearly defined from it.  Shaft and lacing are clearer and more golden towards the breast. Back: covered with umber coloured feathers having a silvery, velvety lustre, each feather dark, finely laced with chamois and with bright nankin shafts showing a strong contrast. Wings: the same colour as the back, dark umber finely laced with chamois, feathers broader and brighter towards lower part of wing.  Primaries: (hidden when wing is closed) are dark intense umber. Tail plumage and cushion: similar to back and of the same character. Breast: clear even nankin the shafts pale and distinct, feathers nearing the wings are finely and progressively bordered with dark umber, forming a distinctive colour pattern. Footfeather: dark umber with light buff lacing.

 

In both sexes Eyes: dark brown (nearly black) with black pupils.  Shanks and feet: slate grey.  Beak and nails: horn coloured.

 

Defects to be avoided: salmon or brownish colour on breast.

 

Blue Quail

 

Male and Female

Plumage: similar to the quail in all respects except that the black markings are replaced by blue.

 

Silver Quail

 

Male Plumage

Head: covered with feathers of a dark greenish black, finely laced with white. Beard: white, going darker towards eyes where feathers assume a black ground colour, finely laced with white. Neck hackle: silky feathers with a brilliant black ground colour sharply laced with white, having a light coloured shaft.  Breast: deep solid white, with shafts being very distinct and clear.  Back: black to umber with a lacing of white, which starts at the middle of the feather and becomes narrower towards the top, forming a lance-like point with white barbs, clearer than the lacing and ending in the upper part of the feather.  Shaft well defined. Light colour divides the feather from the root to the point.  These feathers are relatively broader under the neck hackle, becoming narrower and longer.  Towards the saddle hackle, the colours become more intense, the black ground colour more noticeable in proportion as it approaches the end of the saddle hackle feathers. Wings: bows white, lower half of each feather black to umber and laced with white. Wing bars: white, each feather having a black triangular tip, the triangles forming two regular bars across the wing.  Bottom third of secondaries white, other two thirds dull black. Primaries: dull black, hidden when the wing is closed. Tail: black with a metallic-green lustre, finely bordered with dull black/umber and with finely defined light shafts.  Sickles: black. Thighs and breast: white. Abdomen and underparts: greyish-white with silky white barb-shaped tips. Foot feather: dull black with white lacing.  (Note: The general effect is the same as for the normal, Blue and Lavender Quail. The upper parts are dark and the lower parts are light, giving the appearance of being covered with a dark chequered cloak.  The dominating dark tint is chocolate/black with a soft silvery lustre known as “umber”.  The light tone is white and well defined light shafts are important.)

 

Female Plumage

Head, face and neck:  ground colour umber with fine white lacing.   Beard: as for the male. Neck: is velvety, darker than the back and clearly detached from it.  Shaft and lacing are clearer and more white towards breast. Breast: clear, even, solid white.  The shafts pale and distinct.  Feathers nearing the wings finely and progressively bordered with dark umber, forming a distinctive pattern. Back: covered with umber coloured feathers having a silvery lustre, each feather dark, finely laced with white, with white/bright shafts showing in stronger contrast.

 

In both sexes: Wings: same as the back, dark umber finely laced with white feathers broader and brighter towards the lower part of the wing. Primaries: hidden when the wing is closed and are dark intense umber.  Tail and cushion: similar to back and of the same character. Eyes: dark brown (nearly black) with black pupils.  Shanks and feet: slate grey. Beak and nails: horn.

 

Defects to be avoided: salmon, brown or nankin on the breast.

​

Lavender Quail

 

In this colour the dark upper parts of the quail are replaced by silvery-blue (uniform throughout the body) and the lower parts are replaced by straw varying to cream according to the area of the body and the sex.

 

Male Plumage

Plumage: head feathers are laced with cream.  Beard: cream, darkening to straw towards eyes, laced with gold.  Neck hackle: sharply laced in cream with golden lustre and lightish shafts. Back: cream laced, golden-straw barbs, cream shafts. Wing bows: light cream.  Lower parts of feathers are clearly defined from upper halves, which should be straw.  Wing bars; light ochre.  Bottom third of secondaries cream. Tail: bordered with golden straw. Side hangers are laced chamois.  Breast: cream laced with ochre with distinct shafts. Thighs same as breast. Abdomen and underparts: silver/bluish grey with straw barb-shaped tips.

 

Female Plumage

Head, face and neck: cream laced. Beard: as for the male. Breast: cream, shafts pale and distinct. Back: feathers laced with cream/straw with light shafts. Wings: same as back, laced with cream and becoming lighter towards bottom of the wing. Tail plumage and cushion similar to the back.

 

In both sexes. Eyes: orange-red with black pupils. Beak, nails, shanks and feet: slate-blue.

 

Defects to be avoided: salmon, brown or nankin on the breast.

 

White Quail

 

Male and female.

Plumage: similar to the quail in all respects except that the black markings are replaced by white.

 

Defects to be avoided: too many black spots or grey colouring in the white.  Too pale in the ground colour.

 

White

 

Male and female

Plumage: white, free from any cream or yellow. Eyes: orange-red.  The beak and leg colour may vary from white to slate, with white being the preferred colour.  Nails must be white. 

 

Defects to be avoided: false colours, including straw or yellowish tinge on the back.

 

Cream

 

Male and female

Pure Cream throughout all sections.

 

Black

 

Male and female

Plumage: a rich black all over with a metallic green lustre. Eyes: black, but dark brown acceptable.  Shanks and feet: slate blue, may be blackish in younger birds.  Beak and nails: black or dark horn.

 

Defects to be avoided: any false colouring.

 

Black Mottled

 

Male and Female

Plumage: all feathers are black with a green metallic lustre and are regularly tipped with white. The tips will vary in size with the feather. Eyes: dark red.  Shanks and feet: slate blue or blackish.  Beak and nails: dark horn.

 

Defects to be avoided: excessive white markings or uneven distribution.

 

Lavender

 

Male and Female (Note: this colour should not be confused with the Blue variety)

Plumage: a true breeding pale silvery blue tending towards dove grey with all feathers to be of one uniform shade.  Hackles and saddle in the males have more lustre. Eyes: orange-red with black pupils.  Beak, nails, shanks and feet: slate blue.

 

Defects to be avoided: salmon, brown or golden-buff on breast.  Straw in hackles and wing bows of males.

 

Lavender Mottled

 

Male and female.

Plumage: uniform lavender, with each feather having a white tip. Eyes: orange red with black pupils. Legs, feet, beak and nails: slate blue.

 

Defects to be avoided: any excessive white markings or uneven colour distribution.

 

Cuckoo

 

Male and female.

Plumage: uniformly cuckoo coloured with transverse bars of dark bluish-grey on a light grey background.  Each feather should have at least three bars and all markings should be distinct and regular. The tip of each feather should end with a dark bar. Eyes: orange-red. Legs, feet, beak and nails: white and often spotted with bluish-grey in younger birds.

 

Defects to be avoided: any feathers white or spotted with white and also an excessive number of black feathers, any red on the shoulders, wings or hackle.

 

Blue

 

Male Plumage

Body colour an even shade of rich slate blue, with neck hackles, saddle, wing bows, back and tail a dark slate blue.  The remainder should be medium blue, free from mealiness a rich slate blue shading to a lighter slate blue

 

Female Plumage

Overall body colour an even shade of rich slate blue, free from mealiness.  Undercolour a rich slate blue shading to a lighter blue.

 

In both sexes .  Eyes: dark red or red/brown. Shanks and feet: slate.  Nails and beak: dark slate or horn.

 

Blue Mottled

 

Male and female.

Plumage: all feathers should be a uniform blue tipped with white.  The tips vary in size to match the feather. Eyes: dark red. Shanks and feet: slate blue. Beak and nails: horn.

 

Defects to be avoided: excessive white markings or uneven distribution of colour.

 

Laced Blue   (Andalusian type, diffusion of black & white)

 

Male and female.

Plumage: hackles, saddle, wingbows, back and tail of male with head and neck of female should be a dark slate blue.  The remainder should be medium slate blue with each feather showing a darker shade of lacing. Eyes: dark red or red-brown.  Shanks and feet: slate. Nails and beak: dark slate or horn. 

 

Splashed

 

Male and female.

Plumage: mixture of slaty blue and white that has a faint bluish tinge.  The blue in the feathers in the form of large irregular shaped blobs as distinct from V-shaped ticking.  Main tail feathers and primary wing feathers have a lesser amount of blue than the rest of the plumage. Blue splashes to comprise 50% of the plumage.   Undercolour: slaty blue and sooty white evenly distributed. Eyes: dark red or red/brown. Shanks and feet: slate.  Nails and beak dark: slate or horn.

 

“AUSTRALIAN POULTRY STANDARDS 2ND EDITION”

Fawn, Fawn-Ermine and Partridge

 

According to the 2nd Edition these varieties should follow the description of the plumage of the Columbian, Buff Columbian and Partridge Wyandottes respectively. So – here they are. Please allow for the fact that Wyandottes do not have beards or footfeather.

 

Columbian

Male.

Plumage: head silvery white. Hackle: web of feather, lustrous, greenish-black, with a narrow lacing of silvery white, greater portion of shaft black. Back: silvery white. Cape: black stripe increasing in width, length and density as it nears the tail coverts. (Note: the stripe should extend from near the tip of the feather approximately one half to three fourths of the length of the web and allow a clean break of white between the under colour and base of stripe.)  Tail: main tail black. Main and lesser sickles: lustrous greenish-black.  Tail coverts: lustrous greenish-black laced with silvery white. Wings: fronts white, some black permissible.  Bows and coverts: silvery white.  Primaries: black with lower edge of lower web white.  Secondaries: lower web, unexposed portion, black; exposed portion, white; the white extending around the edge of the feather.  The white ends of the upper secondaries growing progressively wider so the exposed portion in the upper row is entirely white; forming a white wing bay when wing is folded. Breast and front of neck: white.  Body: white except under wings where it may be bluish-slate. Fluff: white.  Under colour: light bluish-slate.

 

Female.

Plumage: head white. Hackle: web of feather lustrous greenish-black with a narrow lacing of silvery white; greater portion of shaft black.  Front of neck, back, breast, wing fronts, bows and coverts, body and fluff: white, except under the wings where it may be bluish-slate.  Main tail: black, except two top feathers, which are slightly laced with white.  Tail coverts: black, with narrow lacing of silvery white.  Primaries: black with white edging on lower webs.  Secondaries: lower webs; lower portion, white extending around end and lacing upper portion of upper webs, growing wider in shorter feathers, sufficient to show a white wing bay when wing is folded; upper webs, black.  Under colour: light bluish-slate.

 

In both sexes. Eyes: orange-red with black pupils.  Beaks, nails and shanks: slate blue.

​

Buff Columbian

 

Male and Female.

Plumage: marked identically to the Columbian with the white replaced by an even shade of rich golden buff.  Under colour: slate.

 

In both sexes. Eyes: red to dark red. Shanks: slate blue.

 

Partridge

 

Male.

Plumage: head dark orange. Hackle: bright orange-yellow shading to a bright lemon-yellow, free from washiness, each feather having a clearly defined, lustrous, greenish-black stripe down the centre, not running out at the tip and free from light shaft. Back: bright red of a scarlet shade, free from maroon or purple tinge.  Saddle hackle: to match the neck hackle.  Main tail, coverts, main and lesser sickles: lustrous greenish-black.  Tail: free of white at the roots.  Wings: front black.  Bow: bright red of a scarlet shade, free from maroon or purple tinge.  Coverts: lustrous greenish-black, forming a distinct wing bar of this colour across wing when wing is folded.  Primaries: black.  Secondaries: inner web and end of feather black, outer web rich bay, the rich bay alone showing when the wing is folded.  Breast and front of neck: lustrous greenish-black, free from red or grey ticking. Body and fluff: black.  Under colour: black or dark grey.

 

Female.

Plumage: head rich golden yellow.  Hackle: rich golden yellow, the larger feathers finely and clearly pencilled with black.  Front of neck, breast, back wing bow, wing bar, wing and tail coverts, thighs, body and fluff: soft light partridge brown quite even and free from red or yellow tinge, each feather plentifully and distinctly pencilled with black, the pencilling to follow the form of the feather and to be even and uniform throughout.  Pencilling to be fine, sharply defined and with three of more distinct lines of black.  Main tail: black with or without brown markings.  Primaries: black.  Secondaries: inner web black, outer web same colour as body showing pencilling when wing is folded.  Undercover: slate. (Note: pencilling in the partridge and silver pencilled varieties should be distinct and in sharp contrast to the ground colour, regular in shape, uniform in width and conform to the contour of the feather.  Each feather on the back, breast, body, wing bows and thighs should have three or more pencillings.  Pencilling which runs into peppery markings and uneven, broken or barred pencilling constitute defects, as does light shaftiness on feathers of the breast and front of neck. Ground colour to be even throughout.)

 

RECOGNISED (by the Belgian Bantam

Club of Australia Inc), BUT CURRENTLY

NON-STANDARD COLOURS

 

Lavender Cuckoo

 

Male and female plumage.  As for normal Cuckoo with the darker grey being replaced with lavender.

 

In both sexes.  Eyes: orange-red. Shanks, feet, beak and nails are white.

 

Defects to be avoided. Any feathers white or spotted with white and also an excessive number of black feathers, any colours other than lavender or white.

 

Buff

 

Male and female plumage

Surface throughout an even shade of rich golden buff quite sound to roots of feathers and free from black, white or bronze feathers.  The exact shade of buff is not material and can vary from lemon to dark so long as it is level throughout and free from shaftiness, or lacing.  The lighter shades should avoid a washing out of colour and the darker shades should avoid having a red tinge.  Undercolour matching surface as near as possible.  Head, neck hackle, back, wing bow and saddle of the males showing greater lustre.  Hackle of the females showing some lustre. 

 

In both sexes: Legs slate blue and the eyes red to dark red.
 

Blue Tailed Buff Columbian

 

Male and female plumage.  Same as the Buff Columbian with all the black replaced by blue.

 

Please Note:

Many other colours are known and many more are possible. There is practically no limit to the sub varieties capable of being produced.

Other known colours currently bred, either in Australia or overseas, include Citroen Millefleur, Buff Mottled, Cream Mottled, Red Quail, Lemon Quail, Birchen, Gold, Blue Birchen, Pile, Black-Red, Blue-Red, Brown-Red, Silver Laced and Gold Laced.