Belgian D’Uccles: A True Bantam Chicken Breed
Facts About the Belgian D'Uccles 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.
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.
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.