GERRIT GROOTEN... also loves Chickens! Text: Elly Vogelaar. Photos: Aviculture Europe. The other day, when we visited some fanciers in Friesland, we passed through the town of Drachten, Gerrit Grooten s hometown. Gerrit is a well known Rabbit Expert and Judge and had been our colleague for many years, when we all worked for the printed magazine Avicultura, and we just couldn t resist visiting him. He was surprised to see us - he had just finished cleaning the rabbit coops - and we were welcomed in. An expert in Rabbits Gerrit has been breeding chickens since 25 years, but actually he is most known as a Rabbit and Guinea pig Judge. And of course as rabbit breeder; always still with a liking for Patterned and Marked breeds. Today he devotes himself to have the Rhön rabbit recognised in the Netherlands. It is already standardised in other European countries, such as Germany. A fine rabbit to breed he says, with enough tension and expectations that the markings in the young are correct, but with the ease they don t have to be groomed for the show. Left: A Rhön rabbit and a Rhön dwarf; this colour was called birchen in the older days. Right: Gerrit is busy as well with the creation of a Polish (rabbit) with a special pattern, as we see at the German breed Mecklenburger Schecken.
Gerrit has been keeping rabbits since he was 5 years of age. His grandfather kept rabbits as well. His father however kept chickens, and that also was something very much to his liking.. 75 pullets were bought each year; utility breeds, layers. Kraienkoppe, Sussex, Leghorn, Barnevelder every year a different breed, until the hybrids made their entry. After they got married, Gerrit and his wife Lies went to live in Bodegraven, and there he could not keep poultry. There was a fancier, living in the same neighbourhood who kept Indian Game and Gerrit often went to see his birds, as he found it a very attractive breed and would have loved to keep them himself. Gerrit: Yes, whatever attracts you to a breed especially the type, I think. If I had a dog, I think it would have been a Boxer! Above: A Jubilee Indian Game Bantam cock (red white double laced). Right: One of the Jubilee bantam pullets. Left: Breeders of Indian Game, which have pearl coloured eyes, often do not dare feed there stock corn, because of the fact that it would colour the eyes too yellow. However, Gerrit s chickens get mixed grain WITH corn, and as you can see in the picture, the eye colour is perfectly pearl!
Above left: Gerrit in front of his coops. Chickens Later, when the family moved to Drachten, there was finally a possibility to start keeping (bantam) chickens and ever since, even his wife has got a weak spot for chickens. He started with mottled Wyandotte bantams that he purchased in Germany. They were chosen more for the colour than for the breed; he particularly loves the mottleds and pieds, in the rabbits as well as in the chickens. At some point, all of a sudden, he could take a number of Indian Game Bantams from Roel Nicolai, who stopped the fancy. Gerrit did not have to think about this offer for a long time; this was the breed that he longed for, for such a long time and they were very nice animals, within the adequate standard requirements. Later some more Indian Game Bantams joined his flock, from Wim Haverkate - one of the best breeders of Indian Game Bantams in The Netherlands. This was also a different blood line. Above right and left: Gerrit has the Indian Game Bantams in two varieties; the double laced and the red white double laced. They can be bred together.
Breeding the Indian Game is not easy He constantly tries to find new ways to improve his stock. Breeding is not easy as said, after 2 years the cocks reproduce badly and the hens lay fewer eggs. Every year he tries to breed 20 Indian Game Bantams; the results differ quite a lot from year to year. It depends, among other things, on the age of the cocks. With 40 to 45 percent hatching he is already satisfied. As reproducing is often a problem with this particular breed there are known breeders who try artificial insemination. Gerrit: If I knew how to do it, I would not mind trying it. There are so little bantams and breeders of this breed left! I stated before, in an earlier article: Breeders of Indian Game Bantam are idealists. These Bantams, with their special type and stance, their vitality and vigour, are always a special attraction. Before anything else, they are type and form birds; colour and markings come in second place. The Indian Game Bantams were created in Cornwall, in the South of England, using too small Indian Game, Aseel Bantams and Malay Bantams. They were perfected in the United States, where they are also known as Cornish Bantams. These bantams were already known in 1900, but it took years to refine and standardise the type as we know it today. Left: A jubilee bantam hen. Indian Bantams have a unique bulldog-like type, very broad in breast and shoulders, the shoulder butts showing prominently. The shanks are rather short, round and stout. Seen from the front the birds must be well balanced with wide shoulders and parallel legs that are set wide apart, thus providing a firm foundation for the heavy body. The ratio between length, width and height is 1 : 1 : 1; such blocky birds are very valuable. The head is broad with a peacomb, pearl to pale yellow eyes and a commanding and courageous expression. Sometimes the reddish flesh at the breast bone shows through the sparse feathering. In the Netherlands the Indian Game bantams are recognised in double laced, jubilee (red white double laced), white and red white laced.
Sumatra bantams For 2 years Gerrit has been breeding Sumatra bantams as well; with their pheasant-like appearance, they are very different from the Indian Game Bantams, because game fowl Sumatras have a very rich (not fluffy) but adjoining plumage. The shafts of the feathers are rigid and hard. A characteristic of the male is the long and very richly feathered tail. The sickle feathers droop downwards but shouldn t drag on the soil. Also the females have a relatively long and low carried tail. They have a small head (so called snakehead) with a small triple pea comb. The colour of the comb is variable, ranging from red to purple. The eye colour should be as dark as possible. But the iris and the pupil should be visible. The shanks are dark-coloured and the sole of the feet should be yellow. White soles are also seen but in Holland such birds are disqualified. In the United States white soles are not considered a fault. Some bloodlines show multiple spurs. I chose them because they are a Game Breed as well, Gerrit tells us, but they are incomparable to the Indian Game Bantams. The Sumatra Bantams are much easier to breed, but they are as wild as Crows. The Indian Game are not by all means tame. You can make them tame, but they are not tame by nature. Slaughtering Gerrit is able to slaughter his animals himself, and he has also taught a few young breeders how to undertake this. He commonly uses a captive bolt stunner to incapacitate the animals, especially the rabbits. This method quickly renders the animal unconscious. Therefore he has never sold a live Indian Game Bantam for meat: Then I prefer to eat it myself. Old or Young, they taste delicious; no fat, only meat. To end with The November day was chilly and dark, but inside the stove roared and we were served chicken soup made from an Indian Game Bantam cock This way there is always something new to tell and as long as things keep amazing me, there still is a whole lot of talking, researching and writing to do. Copyright 2009 Aviculture-Europe. All rights reserved by VBC