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September 2012 - Campine
To Belgium goes the credit for originating the Campine. It has a history that goes back several centuries, and was prominent as the principal laying breed in its native country. It was introduced into England around 1898 on account of its productive characteristics, being a reliable spring and summer layer, and producing first class table chickens. Although the earlier specimens of the breed were capable layers as far as quantity was concerned, their eggs tended to be on the small side and were white shelled, which went against them in the English market. In Australia they never reached the prominence that they had in Europe as layers, with several other breeds being more suited to Australian requirements. A writer, early in the twentieth century stated that they would thrive in confinement, but a grass range suited them better, even though too much liberty was apt to make them wild, and observed that they were great fliers and could easily clear a six foot fence. These statements hold true to the present day, but individual birds can be tamed relatively easily for showing. Two varieties, the silver and the gold are commonly encountered in the exhibition pen. This popularity resulted from an upsurge in interest in them around fifteen to twenty years ago, prior to which they were in very few hands.
The Campine is interesting from a genetic view point on two accounts. Firstly, the breed is not, as might be suspected on first glance, a barred breed like the barred Plymouth Rock, and can therefore be used in a barred / non barred sex linked cross, when the males are mated with females of a barred breed. Advantage was taken of this in the early days of research work into sex linkage to produce the Cambar. This was a stabilised auto sexing breed developed in both gold and silver varieties, and was among a host of auto sexing breeds that were developed around the beginning of the twentieth century. Secondly the Campine can be sex linked within the breed. This can be done by mating gold males with silver females, and results in all the pullet progeny being gold and all the male progeny being silver. This sex linked effect does not work if the mating is done in reverse! Superficially the Campine is often remarked as resembling a single combed pencilled Hamburgh, but again looks are deceptive, because unlike the male pencilled Hamburgh, the male Campine’s plumage resembles the female’s plumage.
With the exception of the neck hackles, which should correspond to the colour variety in question, the plumage should be barred or pencilled in beetle green on a gold or white background, the barring being three times as wide as the ground colour. A common fault seen in many birds, males in particular, is a lack of barring on the breast feathers. Where this problem has been overcome, the birds are truly beautiful in appearance, and have frequently taken out major awards at our rare breeds’ event.