The Dutch Owlbeard
History
The Dutch Owlbeard or "Nederlandse Uilebaard" as it is known in the UK, is one of the oldest Dutch chicken breeds dating back to the 1500's, depicted in paintings in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were nearing extinction in the 1900's but preserved by The Dutch Poultry Club. Today they are considered endangered in their native country. The Dutch Owlbeard was imported to the US by Greenfire Farms in 2018.
About
Currently there are only three colors/varieities found in the US: lemon with black spangling, gold with black spangling and silver with black spangling. In the Netherlands, there are 14 recognized colors. The Owlbeard lays a large white egg for a total of 150-200 per year and is a cold hardy breed who typically lays throughout the winter.
The Owlbeard has three distinguishing traits that are unique to the breed. The first is a two-horned V-comb, of equal size that stands upright. The second is a cavernous nostrils that rise above the beak's surface. The third is large round muffs and beard that connect all the way around.
Personality and Character
The Dutch Owlbeard is tame and docile, and not flighty. As chicks they can be bold and are typically the first ones out of the brooder and exploring. They are excellent foragers. We find ours to be very people-oriented and sweet in nature. They are the first ones to fly onto our arms and shoulders and love to be petted and talked to!
Breed Standard
While the Dutch Owlbeard is considered an inactive breed at this time, enthusiasts in the US are working at getting the breed recognized by entering them in shows to gain attention and interest.
Here is the standard written up by the Dutch Poultry Club:
Male Characteristics
Carriage: Upright, lively and alert.
Type: Body moderately long, comparable to a cobby, somewhat low-set American Leghorn. His body lines should be graceful and his temperament lively.
Back: moderately long and broad.
Breast: Full, well-developed.
Wings: Rather well developed and carried tight to the body showing strength.
Tail: Carried rather high. The main tail feathers should be fairly spread. The sickles and the lesser sickles should be well developed, while the tail coverts should be abundant. A well finished tail greatly adds to the beauty of the birds. The saddle, like the hackle should be abundant and rather broad. It should cover the points of the wings and run out into the tail covers without practically showing a division.
Head: of medium size and well curved on top of the skull and no crest however most birds have a small number of upright feathers.
Comb: Horn comb of the LaFleche type, consisting of two hornlike points of medium size, standing UPRIGHT, about above the eyes. Horns of about 2cm in length, NOT falling over to the side or backwards.
Eyes: Large and full.
Beak: Short and strong with cavernous nostrils rising above the beak surface.
Beard and Muffs: Large with all three sections, the beard, and the who whiskers all appearing as one, showing no division. It should be as round as possible. A smaller well-shaped beard is preferable to a bigger one that doesn't meet requirements.
Wattles: minimal or absent.
Earlobes: White and out of sight due to muffling.
Neck: Medium long, slightly arched, carried backwards so as to make the breast come out prominently.
Legs and Feet: Thighs are short and the legs are medium long. The legs are of a nice slate-blue colour.
Plumage: Body plumage close-fitting. Hackles abundant with feathers showing a tendency to grow backwards on which account it looks thicker than it really is.
Female Characteristics
The females are much like the males. The horns are even smaller than in the males. In proportion to their size the females usually have a larger beard than the males, especially the two and three years old hens. The back which slopes down toward the tail is a trifle longer than in the males. The tail is nicely spread and is carried like a Leghorn tail. The general appearance of the Owlbeard female is that of a somewhat cobby, low-set Leghorn hen.
Weights
Standard fowls: Males 2.2 - 2.5kg. Females 1.7 - 2.0kg
Carriage: Upright, lively and alert.
Type: Body moderately long, comparable to a cobby, somewhat low-set American Leghorn. His body lines should be graceful and his temperament lively.
Back: moderately long and broad.
Breast: Full, well-developed.
Wings: Rather well developed and carried tight to the body showing strength.
Tail: Carried rather high. The main tail feathers should be fairly spread. The sickles and the lesser sickles should be well developed, while the tail coverts should be abundant. A well finished tail greatly adds to the beauty of the birds. The saddle, like the hackle should be abundant and rather broad. It should cover the points of the wings and run out into the tail covers without practically showing a division.
Head: of medium size and well curved on top of the skull and no crest however most birds have a small number of upright feathers.
Comb: Horn comb of the LaFleche type, consisting of two hornlike points of medium size, standing UPRIGHT, about above the eyes. Horns of about 2cm in length, NOT falling over to the side or backwards.
Eyes: Large and full.
Beak: Short and strong with cavernous nostrils rising above the beak surface.
Beard and Muffs: Large with all three sections, the beard, and the who whiskers all appearing as one, showing no division. It should be as round as possible. A smaller well-shaped beard is preferable to a bigger one that doesn't meet requirements.
Wattles: minimal or absent.
Earlobes: White and out of sight due to muffling.
Neck: Medium long, slightly arched, carried backwards so as to make the breast come out prominently.
Legs and Feet: Thighs are short and the legs are medium long. The legs are of a nice slate-blue colour.
Plumage: Body plumage close-fitting. Hackles abundant with feathers showing a tendency to grow backwards on which account it looks thicker than it really is.
Female Characteristics
The females are much like the males. The horns are even smaller than in the males. In proportion to their size the females usually have a larger beard than the males, especially the two and three years old hens. The back which slopes down toward the tail is a trifle longer than in the males. The tail is nicely spread and is carried like a Leghorn tail. The general appearance of the Owlbeard female is that of a somewhat cobby, low-set Leghorn hen.
Weights
Standard fowls: Males 2.2 - 2.5kg. Females 1.7 - 2.0kg