Brakel Hühner

Brakel

Gallus gallus domesticus

Wissenswertes

Brakels were nearly extinct by the 1970s with fewer than 100 birds remaining. A dedicated conservation programme in Belgium rescued the breed, and it is now considered a living piece of Belgian agricultural heritage.

An ancient Belgian breed from the Brakel region of East Flanders, with documented history stretching back to the 14th century making it one of Europe's oldest surviving poultry breeds. Brakels have a distinctive pencilled plumage pattern — silver or gold ground colour with fine black pencilling on each feather — and a white head and neck hackle contrasting sharply with the pencilled body. A productive layer of white eggs, the Brakel nearly vanished in the 20th century and is now actively conserved.

🏷️ Rasse

Brakel

💭 Temperament

Active, alert, flighty, good forager, independent

📏 Größe

Medium (2.3-2.7 kg)

Lebenserwartung

5-8 years

🎨 Farben

Silver Brakel: white with black pencilling; Gold Brakel: gold with black pencilling

🌍 Herkunft

Belgium — Brakel, East Flanders; 14th century or earlier

🏠 Lebensraum

Free-range; historically a farmyard and village breed

🍽️ Ernährung

Layer pellets; excellent forager — historically semi-feral village birds

🎯 Zweck

Egg

🥚 Eifarbe

White

👑 Kammtyp

Single

🏅 EE-Klasse

Large Fowl