Dear George, Here is a brief breed history and the Standard, with colour standards for Silberhalsig and Goldhalsig. Hope it helps! Best wishes, Richard ________________________ From the website of the breed club "The Association of Breeders of Kraienkoeppe and Bantam Kraienkoeppe" (http://www.kraienkoeppe.de/) History of the Association The Association of Breeders of Kraienkoeppe and Bantam Kraienkoeppe is an association with a very long tradition. It was founded in Essen on 24 January 1932. The mission of our association is the breeding, preservation, and promotion of the breed of chicken known as the Kraienkoeppe large fowl and bantam. Today, one finds Kraienkoeppe and bantam Kaienkoeppe at many large and smaller poultry shows, some of wonderful quality. The cradle of Kraienkoeppe is in the German/Dutch border region, in the East Dutch province of Twente in Enschede, Ahaus, and county of Bentheim where even today one finds the most breeds. The foundation breeds that went to create the Kraienkoppe were probably Maylay, Belgian Game, Dutch landraces, and Leghorns. The brothers Lazonder were also the first to show the Kraienkoppe at a poultry show in Holland in 1885. In Germany, the first time they were shown was a bigger show, the German Poultry Youth Show in Hanover in 1925. The new breed achieved the general recognition from the poultry breeders, and the animals were now shown at all leading poultry shows in Germany. In the year 1926 the breed was accepted into the German Poultry Breed Standard. After that, the Association of the Kraienkoeppe was founded in 1932. The Association made it mission the breeding and promotion of Kraienkoeppe. The first special show for the breed in Germany took place on the 12-13th of November, 1932 in Hamm/Westfalia. The first recognized colour was the Silverhalsig. But soon a Goldhasig variety was attempted. This colour was recognized in 1929/1930. Following the trend of the time, at the turn of the 20th century the bantamization of all breeds was attempted. At the beginnings of the 40s breeders began to create the Silverhalsig Kraienkoeppe bantams in the Dutch border area. But because of the War, the Associations activities and therefore also the Kraienkoeppe was almost completely set aside. On November 28, 1948 the Kraienkoeppe breeders met in West Germany at the Country Poultry Show in Duesseldorf and revived the Association. Also in the former East Germany, the breeders began to organize themselves again. On December 11, 1949 the Special Association of Kraienkoeppe and Batam Kraienkoeppe was founded in Erfurt, and the breeding of our beloved breed could be continued. After the import of breeding stock and hatching eggs from the Netherlands, the breeders Peil, Ahlbrand, and Berger were successful in achieving recognition of the Silberhalsig bantam Kraienkoppe in Germany. It was accepted into the German Standard on Oct. 19, 1956. In Holland, the following colours are also recognized for the large Kraienkoppe: beside the main colours of Silver- and Goldhasig, the Blue-goldhasig, the Blue-silverhasig, and the Red Pyle. For the batams, in 2003, beside the main colours of Silver-and Goldhalsig, the Red Pyle was also recognized in Holland. In the works are many more colours (especially thw Dutch breeders): crele, white, Orangehalsig, barred, silver wheaten. The Breed Standard (from: http://www.ac-bueroservice.de/gefluegel/kraienkoeppe.htm) Origin: In the Bentheim area, both sides of the German/Dutch border. 1925 was the first time it was shown in Germany. Breeding Goal: An early maturing laying hen with 180-200 eggs in the first year of lay, 150-160 in the second year; non-broody; very rich in tender white meat; minimum weight for hatching eggs is 58-60 grams; shell colour: white to tinted. General Impression: A sleek, powerful type of country chicken, giving the impression of a game bird; especially in the head, and then carriage, and thighs; the tail that is set wide and carried attached; tight feathering, which gives them protection from moisture; feathers on both sides of the quill are narrow; a trusting but very lively temperament. Standard weights: Rooster (2.5-3.0 kg), Hen (2.0-2.5 kg). Breed Characteristic: Rooster Trunk: powerfully built, sleekly elongated, with broad shoulders, upright, elongated carriage; hold themselves like a game bird. Back: good, medium-long, straight, barely narrows from the powerful, wide shoulders to the back; lightly slopes, with a wide, rich (but not too long) saddle. Tail: A bit more than medium-long, with a pronounced tail angle; it carries the feathers lightly spread, with a lot of rounded, hard-shafted sickle feathers which lean toward the body in a beautiful semi-circle; set wide. Breast: wide, full, carried somewhat high and bulging slightly towards the front. Stomach: pretty wide, fully developed. Wings: pretty long, slightly open, but not carried lose/floppy; they lay close to the body; the wing tips are under the saddle feathers. Head: short, wide, rounded, with small brow ridges, and a mares neck (Translators note: where the hackle feathers curve out from the head, like a mane like a good Orloff rooster) Face: red, fine skinned, free of feathers, short. Eye: vivacious, fiery, yellow-red to red, deep set. Beak: short, strong, yellow; horn-striped Comb: not too narrow, laying well on the head, a knot of flesh on the front part of the skull; in the shape of a half, rather long strawberry; shouldnt go on past middle of eye; in a well-bred specimen it has tiny points. Ear lobes: small, red. Wattles: very short, do not obscure the red throat. Throat: A little more than medium-long, powerful; feathers are not too long in the hackle; the hackle really highlights the mares neck, and does not cover the shoulders due to the short feathers. Thighs: muscular, pronounced forward placement with smooth feathers. Legs: good; medium-long, slim; unfeathered, yellow without red stripes. Feathers: tight, no fluffy or loose plumage. Breed Characteristics: The Hen The powerful, slender trunk is carried almost horizontal; she shows a well-developed laying stomach that reaches far toward the back; a tail that is carried slightly open (spread), easily visible thighs, hard plumage, the comb is pretty small; wattles almost invisible; ear lobes small and red -- if pale like a game bird, this is not a fault. COLOUR STANDARDS (For good pictures of specimens of the colour names, see http://www.gefluegel.org/kenn.html) Silberhalsig Rooster: Head: white; hackle is silver-white with pronounced black shaft line; back, shoulders and saddle are pure silver white, but with pronounced shaft lines; the wing covers are silver-white; cover feathers (Binden) are black with green sheen. The secondaries are white on the outside, but black on the inside and tip; the primaries are black with narrow white outer edges; the breast, stomach, and thighs are black; the tail is deep black with green sheen on the sickles. Hen: head is silver-grey; hackle is silver-white with black or grey shaft lines; back, shoulders, and wings are grey with a fine silver-grey sprinkles and white feather shaft; and so every feather shows a narrow light silver-grey edge. No "Flitter" (light, shiny, unmarked edge of a speckled feather). Breast, powerful, salmon-colured; stomach moving toward tail a light ash-grey; tail is black-grey, looking as if sprinkled with flour. Goldhalsig: Rooster: head, orange-red; hackle, with black or grey shaft lines; wing bows and back are gold-red; saddle feathers are gold-yellow with weak shaft lines; wing covers are gold-red with black cover feathers with green sheen; secondaries are brown on the outside, black on the inside and the tip; primaries are black with narrow brown outer edges; breast is black; rest of feathers are black; sickles have green sheen. Hen: gold-yellow head; hackle is gold-yellow with black or grey shaft lines; the body feathers are of a light brown main colour colour tone even throughout, with fine black stripes or peppering; every feather has a yellow shaft and fine, equally wide narrow gold-yellow edges, with no Flitter; breast is salmon coloured; stomach and toward tail are brownish to ash-grey; tail is black with brown marks. Major faults: short or narrow trunk; thin or short neck; too high or too low position; Maylay back; wings that hand down, are floppy; a steep tail or one that has few feathers or is flat; white or grey speckles in dark feathers; either a plump or narrow pointy narrow head; an abnormal comb; wattles that are large; fish eyes; plumage that is soft and fluffy; narrow sickles; duck-footedness; cowlicks in the neck feathers; twisted feathers; COLOUR FAULTS For Silverhalsig: a rich, strong grey shaft line; a too long shaft line; black dots in the hackle; any impurities in the white brown, red, yellow tones; faded colour, or rust colour in the body feathers; neck without marks; mistakes in the salmon breast. For Goldhasig: if it has one coloured, dark, or straw coloured hackle; impure marking; brown breast; if instead of a salmon breast, visible white fluff at the bottom of the feather shaft is visible; black dots in the hackle; back dots in any feather; noticeable rust colour.

Claysmom, perhaps your son would be interested in making his property a Certified Wildlife Habitat? This is easier than most people might think. You just need to provide food, shelter and water for various types of animals. You can Google it and read all about the requirements online, and even print out an application for the official certification. Nicki's city yard is certified, so even those without rural property can qualify. I encourage everyone who is interested to check it out. (If I can managed to stay on the computer long enough, I'll see if I can find the link, but I'm having some unanticipated difficulties from my foot surgery, and won't be here very long.) Glad you guys enjoyed seeing this old post pop up again. I do love these birds, and am happy it was of interest to you. Marcia

Oh, Sped, what a beautiful picture! She is special! You never know, we had Sara, a gray cat (with a red personality), for 22.5 years, so your pretty gal may have a few summers to go. Like us, you must run a good cat house, lol. PM2 - I WISH I lived near a conserved area. 'Fraid the closest we come is living near a right-wing Lutheran organist, but there are horses across and up the street. Fortunately, Ivy pretty much ignores the birds and has not killed one yet. She favors 4 legged things and the random slithering thing...yuck. Claire? Today I noticed a Blue Jay mimicking a Broad Winged Hawk. Darn thing got me to dash into the house for my camera thinking 'Oh, boy, BW hawk in flight" only to find this B Jay clearing out the bird feeder area with his mimicking. It is effective! Have you had a mimicking Blue Jay? The Broad Winged hawks fly overhead around noon time and shortly thereafter, this Blue Jay mimicks them. Jane

No bunnies here even though we have clover. Years ago our cat used to catch the babies and leave them at the back door .... that was sad. Also no coyotes in the last few years. There are woodchucks and mice/rats along the river but probably better hunting elsewhere. I do see the Sweat green bees like the one you photographed, Jane, among all the others in the gardens. And sadly, we also have the dreaded Greenhead flies. Those monsters are making it difficult to work in the garden, especially in the afternoon, without long pants and sleeves. Many mornings a Black-crowned Night-Heron comes to fish for breakfast along the river. The one from yesterday looked particularly "blue". He'll stand a long time at the edge of the dock waiting for the glimmer of fish. He fishes from the edge of the river. I love to watch him "creep" along the bank towards the best spot. The white plume coming off the top of his head.... Finally... a dove nestled into the top of the garden shed roof .... between the Black Mulberry tree behind him and the feeders below.