Malines
The Belgian Malines is a massive bird, amoung the heaviest of breeds (8-12 lbs). This breed is known as a great dual purpose breed: raised mainly for its meat, which is fine, pale, and close-textured and hens lay extra large tan eggs (about 65g). They love to forage but can live happily in a spacious coop and run. This is one of my favorite breeds as the hens are very gentle and loving (they run across the yard to have a chat with you!). Greenfire Farms is a main importer of this breed that dates back to the 1800s in Belgium. Some may confuse them with Barred Rocks or Cuckoo Marans, but their size, feather quality (almost 3D green sheen in the cuckoo pattern), and beautifully feathered legs and feet set them aside.
Our Malines are bloodlines from Greenfire Farms and a fellow Malines enthusiast who's lines are from a different generation of GFF. We have a light phase gene that is popping up, so you may hatch a light colored chick. We do not use these as breeders, we keep them as pets as they turn out to be very gentle and sweet roosters.
Greenlands Farm is a member of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP).
Our NPIP status is U.S. Pollorum-Typhoid Clean, AI Clean, and Salmonella Monitored.
HATCHING EGGS
Ordering Limit
Important: Please only select one listing per breed. If you would like more than what we have listed, please contact us to see if we are able to fulfill. We are a hobby farm and generally don’t have large flocks, but sometimes our layers produce more during certain seasons.
Your payment secures your spot in our shipping schedule. We fulfill orders in the order we receive them. Please understand there may be a wait list. Shipping choices are at checkout.
Accepting Orders for 2023 Shipping Schedule
LIVE BIRDS
(shipping not available)
We will be hatching in the Spring of 2024. If you’d like to place an order to get on our waitlist, please contact us and we will send you a custom listing.
History
The Malines originates in the southern part of Belgium in the province of Antwerp and the northern part of the province of Brabant, in eastern Flanders. 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, China, to the zoological gardens of Antwerp. Later, Brahma, Langshan and Cochin 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 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, when competition from imported specialised meat breeds became more intense, its popularity faded. In 2010 there were 575 breeding birds in Flanders.
