Belgian Watermaal

[CastielH]

The Belgian Watermaal (sometimes spelled as Watermael) is a clean legged true bantam that is ABA recognized and has a dedicated group of breeders and exhibitors working to get it APA recognized. I'll be posting my own flock and welcome anyone else with Watermaal to chime in, this thread is open to anyone who has Watermaal, is interested in learning more about them, or just wants to see cute chickens. The Watermaal Club of America has an active community on Facebook for anyone who is interested. I'm including the current ABA standard as one of the founders of the breed in the US posted here on BYC as well as a few educational posters made by members of the club.

I'll make a post when I get the chance to grab individual pictures of my birds but I currently have 8 birds, 6 white and 2 black, they're about 7 weeks old.

Would like to mention that the Watermaal standard is not published in the ABA because it is listed as an inactive breed. HOWEVER, it IS recognized and it does have a standard here in the United States. The recognized varieties of the breed here are as follows: Black, Blue, Buff, Mottled, Quail and White
Because this is such a rare breed in the US that is not commonly sought out and because there are few people who know a significant amount about this bantam and also because the standard is not actively published in the ABA standard of perfection, I am adding it here so those who are interested can better familairize themselves:
ABA dWatermael Written Standards
Translated from German Standard

Watermaal Bantam
Origin: Belgium. American Status: Rare, if at all.
Note: Should be preserved because of unique three-spiked rose comb.

Weights
Cock: 26 ounces Hen: 22 ounces
Cockerel: 22 ounces Pullet: 20 ounces

Shape of Male

COMB: Rose - broad, rather short, nearly square in front, sitting firmly and evenly on head, top level, covered with fine points, free from hollows, with three spikes that are round at the base to their tips, each tapering to a fine point, the middle spike being longer than the two outer spikes that press down on the tassel.
TASSEL: A tuft or crest of feathers rising from the rear of head at rear of comb, falling gracefully over back neck.
BEAK: Short, strong, well curved.
FACE: Fine in quality, nearly concealed by relatively long muff feathers.
BROW: Heavily feathered.
EYES: Bold, prominent.
WATTLES: Rudimentary only.
EAR LOBES: Very small, inconspicuous, and hidden by muffs.
BEARD & MUFFS: Abundant, very fully developed, the whole forming a collar of three barely separated ovals, giving muffed effect.
HEAD: Appearing to be large because of tassel.
NECK: Medium length, feathers abundant, convexly arched on the order of what is termed bull necked.
HACKLE: Entirely covering shoulders and most of back, forming a closely joined cape in front of neck.
BACK: Moderately broad and short, slanting noticeably from shoulders to tail, rather abrupt angle at juncture with tail.
SADDLE: Profuse, medium length lower saddle feathers.
TAIL: Main Tail - feathers strong, of medium width, moderately spread at all times, carried a little short of the perpendicular, not hidden by sickle feathers.
Sickle -- two main sickles slightly curved, ending in a point at their extremities.
Lesser Sickles -- rising above one another fan-like, ending in point at their extremities.
Coverts -- broad, filling in space between sickles and saddle.
WINGS: Moderately large, carried well back and down below the tail, lower edge slightly above hocks.
Shoulders & Fronts -- well concealed by hackle.
Primaries -- moderately long, concealed by secondaries.
Secondaries -- moderately long and broad.
BREAST: Very broad and deep, upper part well developed and carried well forward.
BODY & STERN: Body -- deep, short, stubby. Stern -- fluff, short.
LEGS & TOES: Legs -- set well apart when viewed from front.
Lower Thighs -- short, stout at top, tapering neatly to hocks, heavily feathered.
Shanks -- medium length, smooth, round, stocky.
Spurs -- short, fine, set low.
Toes -- four, straight, well and evenly spread.
APPEARANCE: Proud, noticeably erect.

Shape of Female

COMB: Rose - broad, rather short, nearly square in front, sitting firmly and evenly on head, top level, covered with fine points, free from hollows, with three spikes that are round at the base to their tips, each tapering to a fine point, the middle spike being longer than the two outer spikes that press down on the tassel.
TASSEL: A small, half globular crest of feathers, rising from rear of head at rear of comb, falling gracefully over back of neck.
BEAK: Short, strong, well curved.
FACE: Fine in quality, concealed muffs.
BROW: Heavily feathered.
EYES: Bold, prominent.
WATTLES: Rudimentary only.
EAR LOBES: Very small, inconspicuous, and hidden by muffs.
BEARD & MUFFS: Abundant, very fully developed, the whole forming a collar of three barely separated ovals, giving muffed effect.
HEAD: Appearing to be rather large due to heavy feathering, reminding one of an owl, carried well back on a parallel line with tip of tail.
NECK: Short, convexly arched, feathers forming a ruffle behind neck, feathers broad and covering shoulders, but not front of neck.
BACK: Moderately broad, short, slanting noticeably from shoulders to tail.
CUSHION: Profuse, feathers broad.
TAIL: Main Tail -- feathers strong, medium width, top feather slightly curved in a convex manner, not too widely spread at a little short of the perpendicular.
Coverts -- abundant, flowing well up tail.
WINGS: Moderately large, carried well up back, lower edges slightly above hocks.
Shoulders & Fronts -- concealed by hackle.
Bows & Coverts -- prominent, well rounded.
Primaries -- medium width, concealed by secondaries.
Secondaries -- medium length, broad.
BREAST: Very broad and deep, upper part well developed and carried well forward.
BODY & STERN: Body -- deep, short, stubby. STERN -- fluff, short.
LEGS & TOES: Legs -- set well apart, straight when viewed from front.
Lower Thighs -- short, stout at top, tapering neatly to hocks, heavily feathered.
Shanks -- medium length, smooth, nicely scaled.
Toes -- four, well and evenly spread.
APPEARANCE: small, plump, sedate.

DISQUALIFICATIONS
Absence of beard or muffs -- Wattles severed or removed -- More or less than three spikes on comb.

DEFECTS
Head carried too far forward -- Comb with concave or hollow center -- Large or conspicuous ear lobes -- Underdeveloped beard or muffs -- Back too nearly level and too long -- Excessive flow of sickles in males -- Excessive length of legs.

 

[Amer]

Hello from the d’Anvers side! I love your profile pic!

 

[CastielH]

Hello from the d’Anvers side! I love your profile pic!

Thank you! It's the only picture I have where all 8 stayed still lol, they're energetic little beans.

 

[CastielH]

Not everyone wanted to cooperate but I was able to get individual pictures of everyone, I'll split them into a few posts just to keep things clean. The boys, the girls, and the undecided. Starting with the boys, Kenneth, Notho, Big Boy, and Terran (still not 100% about Terran)

 

[CastielH]

All of them usually stand a lot better but they decided that me positioning them was evil even though they're handled daily. For the girls, 1 (unsure), Big Hat, Pipsqueak, and Peaches. Pipsqueak is a bit of a runt and will just be kept for eggs if she's a girl but she doesn't seem to have any health problems from it. It looks like I forgot to get a rear shot of Peaches but her tail looks good. I know these pictures aren't the best but they're a place for me to start to track them as they grow.

 

[CastielH]

They like to sleep in a pile and then they end up pooping all over each other, hence the stains. I'm really happy with how they're maturing! With the hollow in Notho's comb I don't plan to breed from him unless it miraculously fixes itself and Big Hat (nickname not her permanent name) almost looks like she might have duck toe so I'm not 100% on her either, I'll just have to watch as they mature. If anyone sees anything I missed feel free to chime in! I'm happy to get better pictures too if you think you see something but can't tell in those pictures. Hopefully they'll cooperate better next time.

 

[kurby22]

Ahhh I’d love to join your thread and follow along! Your Watermaals are adorable! I should join the Facebook group, not sure why I haven’t. I don’t have mine all figured out yet, as they are still too young and mostly project varieties. They are very sweet little ones too! I’m so glad you started a thread about them! Thanks for letting me follow along!

 

[CastielH]

Ahhh I’d love to join your thread and follow along! Your Watermaals are adorable! I should join the Facebook group, not sure why I haven’t. I don’t have mine all figured out yet, as they are still too young and mostly project varieties. They are very sweet little ones too! I’m so glad you started a thread about them! Thanks for letting me follow along!

I'm so glad you found this thread! I meant to tag you but it completely slipped my mind. Your babies are adorable! How old are yours now?

 

[fluffycrow]

Omg they're such pretty birds!

 

[kurby22]

I'm so glad you found this thread! I meant to tag you but it completely slipped my mind. Your babies are adorable! How old are yours now?

I’m glad I found it too! I couldn’t find the HAL thread The older batch is 9 weeks and the younger batch is 5 weeks! How old are yours now? The combs are much more developed than mine Red Roof said some of her girls didn’t even get crests till 3 months old! Sooo slow