The Barbu de Watermael was developed over a century ago—around 1915 by some accounts—in the town of Watermael-Boitsfort, though its exact origins remain a mystery. Antoine Dresse, credited with creating the breed, deliberately kept the identities of the foundational breeds a secret. While neither he nor his son ever fully revealed which breeds were used, the Barbu d’Anvers is widely believed to have contributed. Dresse did confirm that Polish chickens were not involved, but to this day, the foundational breeds used to create this striking bantam remain unclear.

In the United States, the breed is recognized by the American Bantam Association as the Watermaal (this is the Dutch spelling). The currently accepted color varieties include black, blue, buff, mottled, quail, and white.

With a unique spined rose comb, a beard, a crest, and a color palette for its plumage that is extraordinary in its diversity, these friendly little birds seem designed to melt even the most jaded heart.

Barbu de Watermael hens are truly petite—about the size of a large quail—and lay about 100-120 small, white eggs per year. Mature hens average around 1 pound, while roosters reach about 1.5 pounds. Their elegant crest and full beard frame the face, giving them a distinctive and almost aristocratic appearance. Despite their delicate size, these bantams are surprisingly hardy, adapting quickly to new coops and staying busy and active throughout the day. In our flocks, we keep a rooster-to-hen ratio of about 1:8, which balances well. The roosters do their best to watch over their hens, but given their small stature, they aren’t able to fend off larger threats—so some extra care is needed when free-ranging, as they can be vulnerable.

We’ve also found Barbu de Watermael roosters to be relatively easy to integrate into a flock. While the hens are not heavy layers, they make up for it with their broody instincts and attentive mothering. Around two years of age, their egg production naturally begins to taper off. True to their lively nature, these bantams are endlessly curious, spending much of their time foraging and exploring. Between their charming looks and spirited personalities, they’re a delightful addition to any poultry collection!

The Barbu de Watermael is distinguished by its stylish crest and beard, a rose comb with three distinct points, and clean grey legs. Both hens and roosters stand tall with an upright carriage, a short back, and wings that angle gracefully toward the ground.

Want to dive deeper into the Watermael’s breed standard? Follow the link below and scroll to the section dedicated to the Barbu de Watermael!

Breed Standards - British Belgian Bantam Club

We incubate Watermael eggs at 99.5°F with 55% humidity, though we’ve found that they don’t hatch particularly well under those conditions. Based on our experience, lowering the humidity to around 40% often produces better hatch rates. One common challenge we observed was viable eggs that never pipped, even after leaving them in the hatcher for several extra days. Upon opening some of these eggs, we discovered fully developed chicks inside, which reinforced our belief that lower humidity settings are more successful. 

A small percentage of offspring from our breeding flock may develop woolly or "silky" feathers. These birds should be culled as this trait is not acceptable for birds intended for breeders. This feather type is not easily noticeable on hatch day, so this trait must be monitored as the birds mature.

You may occasionally encounter a rare defect where a chick is missing its beard. In most cases, however, patience is key—it can take a month or two for the bird to grow in a proper beard.

Because Barbu de Watermael chicks are so tiny, we ship them at 2 weeks of age instead of as day-olds. We found that shipping day-old chicks had a very negative impact on their survival, while shipping at 2 weeks has shown a significant improvement. Our standard 72-hour live arrival guarantee still applies to these older chicks.

At 2 weeks of age, Watermael chicks are about the same size as large fowl day-olds, which makes it possible to safely pack them together for shipping. Since these chicks are housed in our brooders until shipment, all Watermael orders will be vaccinated. The only exception is for local customers who pick up day-olds, in which case we can offer both vaccinated and unvaccinated chicks.

Import Notes

Greenfire Farms imported the Barbu de Watermael in 2019, sourcing the birds directly from Belgium.