Campine
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Fun Fact
Campine cocks are naturally hen-feathered — they grow no sickle tail feathers, no pointed hackles, and no curved saddle feathers. This makes them look nearly identical to the hens, a unique trait among European breeds.
A slender, elegant Belgian breed from the Campine region (Kempen) of Antwerp and Limburg, noted for its striking silver or gold plumage with beetle-green barred pencilling. Campines are distinctive for being hen-feathered in cocks — the males carry the same pencilled plumage as the females, lacking the long curved sickle tail feathers typical of roosters. An active forager and productive layer of medium white eggs, the Campine is now a rare conservation breed.
🏷️ Breed
Campine
💭 Temperament
Active, alert, nervous, excellent forager, independent
📏 Size
Small-Medium (1.8-2.3 kg)
⏳ Lifespan
5-8 years
🎨 Colors
Silver Campine: white with barred pencilling; Gold Campine: gold with barred pencilling
🌍 Origin
Belgium — Kempen region (Campine), Antwerp and Limburg; ancient breed
🏠 Habitat
Free-range; adapted to the flat, sandy heathlands of the Kempen
🍽️ Diet
Layer pellets; historically forages on sandy heath and farmland
🎯 Purpose
Egg
🥚 Egg Colour
White
👑 Comb Type
Single
🏅 EE Class
Large Fowl