THE C A M P I N E S 



19 



back is naturally more or less V-shaped, in fact, judges 

 should not cut for or insist on straight barring in the 

 back of the male. 



The more barring in the tail the better, up to a 

 certain point. We should not give the preference to 

 nicely barred main tail feathers that run gray, then 

 white at the base, rather than to a moderately well- 

 barred tail of sound color. The latter bird plainly has 

 the greater strength of color and greater breeding 

 value. 



Strength of color in the wings is also important. 

 Frequently the secondaries are nicely barred. Gray 

 primaries when opened out are unsightly, and when 

 clear cut barring is not to be found in the primaries, 

 black with positive streaks and spots of white is much 

 to be preferred to a gray, washy color, which is sure 

 to fade and become more indefinite from year to year. 

 When the white penciling in the back is too wide, the 

 primaries are apt to be weak in color. 



We have deferred reference to the hackle until now, 

 for, upon observing the wings and turning the bird 

 over to examine the throat and breast, we find that 

 when the hackle is white the throat and upper breast 

 barring is apt to fail, and what you have gained in 

 hackle is ofifset in a defective throat plumage. In judg- 

 ing chickens, one must balance qualities. When the 

 back penciling of white is not too wide and. the wings 



are sound and the throat nicely barred, the specimen — 

 a well barred one — will win and the judge will not ex- 

 pect the penciling to break ofif suddenly with the be- 

 ginning of the hackle. Of course, a hackle in which 

 the penciling runs heavy well up towards the head, pre- 

 sents a most unattractive extreme of color. Fig. 3 

 illustrates good body color, with a consequent amount 

 of markings in the hackle — a permissible amount. From 

 males with a few white-tipped feathers in the black, yet 

 soundly barred, are to be bred females with the clearest 

 hackles and sound l»»dy color. 



Coming down to the breast, crescentic markings are 

 often seen in cheap birds. When the hard surface breast 

 feathers terminate and the flufif begins, the black is fre- 

 quently grayish and the white not clear cut, but par- 

 taking somewhat of the black. In the really first grade 

 specimens the barring here is as firm and strong as on 

 the front of the breast. 



The body in many specimens is nicely marked. In 

 mating or judging, always remember that a great, 

 wealth of plumage in the hackle, saddle and tail of the 

 male is most desirable. The ' foundation male of both 

 the Silver and the Golden Campines were "henny" 

 males, and the best breeders are now striving to pro- 

 duce males with cock-plumage and at the same time 

 hold a plumage pattern and color which is identical 

 with that of the female. 



Campines in Belgium, England and America 



4 



A Short History of the Campine and its Sister Fowl the Braekel — The Braekel-Hamburg and Braekel-Campine 



Crosses — Their Utility and Fancy Qnalities — They Are Layers of Large, Heavy, White-Shelled Eggs 



and their Flesh is White and Delicate, Hence it is Expected That they Will Please Those 



Who Breed For Market Eggs and Fowls— How to Mate— The Golden 



Campines — t ainpines in America in the Early Nineties 



By F. L. Pla(t 



HE Campine is a heavy layer of heavy eggs. It 

 is a Belgian breed that upwards of six hundred 

 years has been grown as the "farm chicken'' by 

 the peasants who live on the sandy plains of the dis- 

 trict of La Campine, which is the 

 largest county in Belgium, and in- 

 cludes that part north of Brussels 

 and west of Antwerp. This sandy 

 country is • covered with a scrub 

 growth of brush about knee high 

 and natural food is scarce, so the 

 Campine chickens must from nec- 

 essity be good foragers — they must 

 roam far in search of food and be 

 quick to catch every form of bug- 

 life. Therefore they are an active 

 race, and in breeds of poultry alert- 

 ness and small size are associated 

 together. 



While the Campine in its native 

 country covers a great deal of ground 

 searching for food and is active afoot 

 and good on the wing, it knows its 

 master and is not afraid. Along 

 about dusk when the birds congre- 

 gate in the barn yard or come into 

 the door yard, they are not easily 



A winning- Sliver Braekel hen bred 

 by A. Rombaut, Gand, Belgium. The 

 tall of the Braekel Is more perpendi- 

 cular than that of the Belgfan Cam- 

 pine. The Braekel Is broader backed 

 and It has the strong legs and mus- 

 cular shoulders of the Minorca. The 

 tail of the Belgian Campine is more 

 horizontal and the birds more closely 

 resemble the Hamburg. 



frightened, but are friendly. When fitted for the show 

 room, they are good posers, and are gentle and com- 

 fortable to handle. 



The Campines are pretty birds, but it was not until 

 about 186S that any attention was 

 paid to breeding them for feather 

 *and form. A Mr. VanHorn, who 

 was station master of St. Lierre at 

 Turnhout, Belgium, made a hobby 

 of the Campines and during- thirty 

 consecutive years was engaged in 

 breeding and improving the Cam- 

 pine breed. He gave the peasants 

 eggs, often his best cocks and even 

 his pullets, thus improving their 

 stock from the fancier's viewpoint- 

 making it more desirable and val- 

 uable. 



It was this stock from La Cam- 

 pine that was imported into Eng- 

 land and exported to America. They 

 were admitted to the American 

 Standard of Perfection, and ap- 

 peared in the edition of 1894. The 

 back description of the male called 

 for a white saddle. These white- 

 topped males were white in the wino- 



