Information on the Brakel chicken breed

Elegant lightweights

General information about Brakel

Brakel, also known as Braekel, is an old laying breed that was bred in Belgium around 1898. There is a separate breed in Germany. These animals belong to the speckled hens. The breed is rare and has been added to the Red List of endangered livestock breeds.

Appearance of Brakeln

Both sexes have a full neck coat. The medium-sized head has a red single crest with 5-6 teeth. The ear discs are medium sized and bluish white, wattles – medium sized – are also red. The iris is deep dark brown to almost black, the legs are mostly slate gray. The beaks are usually whitish grayish. The roosters of the Brakler weigh approx. 2.75 kg.

Existing dwarf form

Yes, Dwarf Brakel

Color strokes from Brakeln

silver
gold
yellow white banded (chamois)
blue
black
white
white flowered

Keeping Brakeln

These chickens are best kept free-range or in very large enclosures where they have plenty of distraction. Brakel are excellent fliers, so this should be taken into consideration before deciding to keep them. As these chickens provide some of their own daily food by busily scratching, they are used as “compost makers”: this experiment has worked well in Belgium, so that they are kept in some households to “dispose” of kitchen waste.

Character of Brakeln

Brakel chickens are hardened, very active and vital animals. They never become very trusting, no matter how much effort you put into them, as they tend to be one of the shyer breeds. They rarely get into a breeding mood, which is why you often need a surrogate mother or a brooder to breed offspring.

Eggs from Brakel hens

The lightweights lay plenty of white eggs weighing up to 65g. The hens also start laying quite early, at around four and a half months.