Belgian D’Uccles: A True Bantam Chicken Breed

Facts About the Belgian D'Uccles Bantam Chicken Breed

Belgian D’Uccles: A True Bantam Chicken Breed

I started raising Belgian d’Uccles, a true bantam chicken breed, about five years ago and it was quite by accident. I had bought a few mixed bantam chicks at the feed store and one ended up being a Mille Fleur d’Uccle. That little guy was super personable insisting on being picked up all the time. As he got older, he enjoyed riding on my shoulder as I did chores. I’m not sure if he thought he was a parrot or maybe he thought I was a pirate, but that rooster single handedly made me fall in love with the breed! I’ve had d’Uccles ever since, often seeking out well-known breeders for chicks to improve my lines.

[optin-monster-shortcode id=”e9huclfjt4oy1ak6ifrp”]

Interesting Facts About Bantam Mille Fleur d’Uccles:

  • The first d’Uccles were bred in Uccle, Belgium, somewhere between 1890 and 1900.
  • The d is in front of Uccle meaning from or of Uccle. Hence the reason the d is small but the U is capital.
  • They are a true bantam, meaning they have no standard sized counterpart.
  • They have beards, muffs and heavily feathered legs and feet.
  • They have a straight comb and very small or no wattles.
  • The first color of d’Uccle entered into the APA standards of perfection was the Mille Fleur followed by porcelain then white.
  • Mille Fleur is French and translates into English as “thousand flowers”. They are named such because of the individual flower type markings on the ends of their feathers.
  • They get most of their spots after their first chicken molt.
  • Many people refer to them simply as “Millies.”
  • The standard weight of a hen is 1 pound, 4 ounces, and the rooster is 1 pound, 10 ounces.
  • Hens lay a small cream colored egg. They are somewhat broody. Learn about different chicken egg colors.
  • They have a mild temperament.

belgian-d'uccle-bantam

Some people refer to ornamental chickens such as these as ‘lawn ornaments’ and looking at the Belgian d’Uccle bantam chicken breed, I can certainly see why! I hope you love raising bantam chickens, and specifically Belgian d’Uccles, as much as I do.

~L

Originally published in 2015 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *