The Malines, nl, Mechelse Koekoek, italic=no, is a Belgian breed of large domestic

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

. It originates from the area of

Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

(french: ), in the province of Antwerp in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

, for which it is named. It was created in the nineteenth century by cross-breeding local cuckoo-patterned farm chickens with various different types of imported Oriental chicken. With the Jersey Giant, it is among the heaviest of all chicken breeds. It is valued for the quality of its meat, which is pale in colour and fine-textured.

History

The Malines originates in the southern part of the province of Antwerp and the northern part of the province of Brabant, in eastern

. It derives from cross-breeding of local cuckoo-patterned farm chickens with several of the various types of Oriental chicken that began to be imported to Europe in the nineteenth century. From about 1852, cuckoo-patterned local chickens were crossed with birds which had been brought from

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

, China, to the zoological gardens of Antwerp. Later,

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

, Langshan and

Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

birds were also used. The resulting birds had the large structure of the Oriental chickens, but retained the meat quality of the local stock.

Selective breeding Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant mal ...

for type and colour began in 1891, and in 1898 the Malines received official recognition. In the early twentieth century the Malines became famous under the name "Poulet de Bruxelles", and was in great demand for the quality of its meat, which is white and finely textured. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, when competition from imported specialised meat breeds became more intense, its popularity faded. In 2010 there were 575 breeding birds in Flanders. A variant of the Malines, the nl, or french: (roughly, "turkey-headed Malines") was created by cross-breeding with the

Combattant de Bruges The Brugse Vechter, french: Combattant de Bruges, italic=no, is an endangered Belgian breed of gamecock. It dates from the early nineteenth century, and was bred specifically for cock-fighting. It named for its area of origin, that of the city ...

game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

breed. It has an unusual triple

comb A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating ba ...

. It was created in the early twentieth century in response to demand from Germany for still heavier birds, and is heavier than the single-comb Malines. It is reported as a separate breed; in 2013 there were 88 in total. A bantam Malines was independently developed by two breeders in 1990. It is not widespread.

Characteristics

The Malines is a massive bird, among the heaviest of all chicken breeds. The

is usually single; the legs are pale and slightly feathered. In Belgium, eight colour varieties of plumage are recognised; in Germany there are nine.

Use

The Malines is reared mainly for its meat, which is fine, pale, and close-textured. Hens lay about 140–160 tinted eggs per year, with a weight of about They are good mothers and excellent sitters.

History

Characteristics

Use

References

Further reading