Nationale Dag Van Het Levend Erfgoed

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SUNDAY 29 AUGUST 2010

Text: Nicole Schalkx, Stichting Zeldzame Huisdierrassen (SZH) and Elly Vogelaar (AE)

Above: Dutch Draught Horses. Photo: Dirk de Jong.

At the “National Day of the Living Heritage” on Sunday 29th August, the Dutch Foundation of Rare Farm Animal Breeds (SZH) will be displaying more than 50 rare Dutch farm breeds. A colourful Exhibition of cattle, horses, sheep, goats, dogs and chickens will be gathered at the Velder Estate in Liempde, North Brabant, in the Netherlands. We intend that this event will be a pleasant and entertaining way to get a larger public interested in the value and potential of ‘our living heritage’.

What you can expect To make sure you have a fantastic time and an unforgettable experience, the day will be filled with shows, demonstrations, competitions, judging and workshops. There will also be a wide variety of food and regional specialities available. All the Livestock - horses, cattle, sheep, goats, dogs and small animals - will have their own arenas, called ‘pleinen’, at the Show, allowing you to see the breeds together. This will enable you to see the differences in the appearance and characteristics of the various breeds. You will also find out how the animals were used in the old days, if and how they might have changed, and how they are used today. There will be a programme at the main Central Area of the Showground provided for the various species, showing how they appear throughout the day.

The 'culinary square' is near the Central Area. Here you will discover the diversity of flavours in dishes prepared with products from the various rare breeds. How these animal products taste is not just a result of their quality and preparation, but also of that extra ingredient - the story behind the particular breed.

And then there is a children's corner where youngsters, through games, scavenger hunts and other activities, will discover the ‘old’ Livestock varieties. All in all, this special day will be a feast for the eyes, ears, taste and mind.

Left: Friesian Fowl, yellow-white pencilled cock. Below: Hamburgh, gold pencilled hen. In Holland, these chickens were already known in the old days and they were called ‘Pel’, until the poultry exhibitions became popular and it was clear that ‘Pel’ (pencilling) was a marking and not a breed. This was reinforced by the wide range of differences in the pencilled birds; for instance, some had a rose comb and others had a single comb. From 1900 the group of Pel chickens were split; those with single combs were named Fries Hoen (Friesians) and those with rose combs became Hollands Hoen (Hamburgh). Photos: Aviculture Europe.

The Velder Estate Velder Estate has been chosen as the location for this event because of its central position between the three cities of Eindhoven, Tilburg and Den Bosch, and for its accessibility. The venue provides a beautiful setting for our ‘living heritage’, as our rare breeds are often called. Apart from the main area there are separate areas for various activities, and space for the tents and caravans of participants. There are separate car parks for the visitors at a close walking distance from the estate. Please follow the directions when you arrive at the Showground. Come and enjoy this celebration of agriculture and country life!

Left: The Havana is our oldest rabbit breed originating in 1898. The name has nothing to do with the city of Havana in Cuba, but it was the deep dark brown colour that evoked the name Havana. When the light falls in a certain way the eye will see an intense red glow. Photo Mick Bassett.

Rare Dutch Poultry, Pigeon and Rabbit Breeds One of the five areas (‘pleinen’) at the National Day of the Living Heritage is assigned to the small animals (‘kleinveeplein’) Here you will find all sorts of Dutch chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons and rabbits. The following breeds will be present: - 20 rare Dutch chicken breeds in many colour varieties - several Dutch Pigeon breeds - 6 rare Dutch rabbit breeds - Twente landrace goose - Hook bill duck - North Holland white bibbed duck - Call duck - Crested duck

It is not often that you will find so many rare Dutch breeds gathered together. Also, many Breed Clubs will be there to enlighten you on the additional details of genetics, characteristics, purchase and so on.

Of course the Dutch Poultry Breed Club and the the Dutch Poultry Union’s display will have a prominent position in the area. The small animal pens will be set up in the large Garden Pavilions so they will be protected from the rain and sunshine. The pigeons will be housed in large aviaries.

Above and right: Dutch Hookbill ducks were already know in the Golden Age and often depicted in paintings by Jan Steen, Albert Cuyp and Melchior d'Hondecoeter. The breed is said to have originated from the White Breasted ducks, that were kept for their splendid laying capacity. The Hook bills were selected for their weird hooked bill and today they are kept only by a few waterfowl breeders and exhibitors. Photos: Aviculture Europe.

Right: The Twente landrace had first been described in 1895. These geese mature early. They are lively, semi- heavy geese that come in white and pied. In the old days most of the birds were white. The pied marked geese often only had a small marking on the head, back and flanks. The white down from the neck, breast and belly was more valuable than dark coloured down. The early start of lay was a breed characteristic. In the 19th century Holland had several goose breeds, but they all disappeared shortly after WW1, due to crossing with heavy breeds. The Twente landrace only just escaped this fate. Photo: Klaas van der Hoek.

Left: The Hyacint pigeon is registered as a Dutch breed, although based on ancient writings, we should really assume that the origin of this pigeon is not Holland, but France. This pigeon is very caring for its young. They are hardy, undemanding birds and they also have excellent flying ability. Photo: Robert Hoornstra.

Rare Dutch Livestock Breeds The poultry and pigeon breeds mentioned above are well-known to our readers, of course, but visitors to the Velder Estate will also see performances, such as herding heath sheep, the showing of Dutch draught horses and Gelderland horses, judging of Dutch landrace goats or Belted cattle, and so on. Never before has such a large diversity of old, rare breeds, most of them probably only known to you by name, been gathered together in one place. The following breeds will be present:

Cattle: - Dutch Friesian cattle - Friesian Red and White cattle - Meuse-Rhine-Yssel cattle - Dutch Belted cattle - Groningen White Headed cattle - Deep red cattle - Coloursided White Back cattle Some breeds from Belgium and Germany: - Glan Cattle - Kempen red pied Cattle - Angeln - Belgian white and red

Above: Deep Red cow. Left: Blaarkop cow and Deep Red cow. The Blaarkop (Dutch for ‘blister head’) breed is sturdily built,and muscular, with a horned head, and strong legs. Both red and black Blaarkoppen exist. The body is solid red or black, while the head is white with a red or black ring (blister) around the eyes; the belly is white and the tail has a white tip. Deep Red cows are 135-140 cm high. They have strong feet and legs and are reasonably muscular. They are dark red with a white star on the head, a white belly, white socks and a white tip on the tail. Photos: Aviculture Europe.

Above: A Dutch Belted cow. The Dutch Belted cattle are black, or occasionally red, with a white belt around the middle. This belt should begin a little behind the shoulder and extend not quite to the hips, and extend entirely around the body. It should have no other white markings than the belt. Dutch Belteds are of moderate size; often smaller than the other Dutch cattle breeds. Photo: Aviculture Europe.

Horses: - Gelderland horse - Dutch Draught horse - Groninger horse - Friesian horse. Some breeds from Belgium and Germany: - Alt Oldenburger - Vlaams paard - Ostfriesen - Belgian Draught horse

Right: Gelderland horses. Foto SZH. The Gelderlander and the Groningen are both Dutch Warmblood horse breeds. Originally they used to be a type of working horse, but today they come as an athletic sport horse or the elegant harness horse. They excel in top level competion, in dressage, show-jumping and even carriage driving. The Gelderlander type is also popular as a light draft horse. The calm, even temperament makes them easy to work with.

Left: A Dutch Draught horse. Historically their main use was as a farm horse and they are still used as working animals, but have also become popular as show horses, gaming horses, and even as trail riding horses. They are known for their kind temperament and are easy to handle. They are one of the strongest of the heavy breeds. Photo Dirk de Jong.

Left: A Friesian horse. The Friesian horse is an ancient breed native to Holland. As far back as Roman times, the Friesian was noted for its value as a powerful utility animal. Friesian horses are always black, and are noted for their thick and luxuriant mane and tail, as well as the ‘feathers’ long, silky hair on the lower legs. Their docility and willingness to learn makes them suitable for dressage, as well as being pleasant all-round riding horses. Photo: Aviculture Europe.

Sheep: - Mergelland sheep - Black blazed sheep - Drenthe heath sheep - Veluwe heath sheep - Schoonebeek sheep Some breeds from Belgium and Germany: - Bentheimer sheep - Vlaams sheep (from the Flanders area) - Kempen heath sheep

Right: Drenthe Heath sheep. The Drenthe Heath is the smallest native sheep breed. Both sexes have horns. They come in various colours, such as black, red, brown and white, with their wool being mostly white, while the head is reddish-brown and black. The Drenthe Heath can happily live on poor heathland and they are mainly used for local grazing, and their wool products are valuable. Photo: Dirk de Jong.

Left: Black Blazed lambs. The Black Blazed is a cross from the Texel and the Friesian Milksheep from the Netherlands. These sheep are long legged and have a long wooly tail. The ears are horizontal. They are in generally polled. The Black Blazed are black, with a white blaze on the head, white hind socks and a white tail tip. The sheep are calm, with good fertility, often having 3 lambs. They produce lean meat, have high milk production and fine wool. Photo: Aviculture Europe.

Goats: Dutch Landrace goat and Dutch pied original goat.

The Dutch Landrace goat breed is one of the original breeds found in the Netherlands. It is a sturdy, medium size goat with horns. The bucks especially have large horns, curved in the shape of a lyre. The bucks always have long hair, while the hair on the goats is usually short. Their colour may range from piebald gray, brown or black, to pure white. They are mainly kept as hobby animals and sometimes as milk goat. Although some herds of goats are also used to keep natural open areas such as moors free of trees. Photos: Dirk de Jong.

Dogs: all 10 recognised Dutch breeds - Wetterhoun (Frisian Water Dog) - Stabyhoun - Dutch Shepherd Dog - Schapendoes (Dutch Sheepdog) - Drentsche Patrijshond - Saarlooswolfshond (Saarloos Wolfdog) - Dutch Smoushond - Markiesje - Kooikerhondje - Boerenfox (Farmers Fox) Some breeds from Belgium and Germany: - German Shepherd Dog - Belgian Shepherd Dog

Below: Kooikerhondje. Photo: Dirk de Jong. The Kooikerhondje or Kooiker Hound, is a small spaniel-type breed of dog of Dutch ancestry that was originally used as a working dog, particularly in duck hunting(decoy-dog). Today they are kept as a loyal and affectionate and playful companion dog, valued for its easy trainability.

The Drentsche Patrijshond is a versatile spaniel-type hunting dog from the Dutch province of Drenthe, often used to hunt partridges and pheasants. The Markiesje (Dutch Tulip Hound) is a small, undemanding family pet. Friendly towards strangers, but still very vigilant.(Photos on the next page)

Above: Markiesje. Photo: M. van Leeuwen. Left: Drentsche patrijshond. Photo: SZH.

More information The Dutch Foundation of Rare Farm Animal Breeds (SZH) is expecting many people to attend this event. It is the first time such a large collection of authentic livestock breeds can be seen together. Interested visitors can learn about the breeds, but also have direct contact with the breed societies and people familiar with the varieties, and the addresses where these animals can be purchased. Keepers of these varieties can on the day get in contact with other livestock breeders and potential buyers of their stock, so after the National Day of the Living Heritage many animals might have found new owners. If you plan to come, please look at www.dagvanhetlevenderfgoed.nl for more information about the programme and opening times for the Show ground, tickets and address and route information.

Note: Order your tickets online at http://tickets.dagvanhetlevenderfgoed.nl/ If you use this option, you get € 2.00 discount on your ticket. You will pay € 5.00 per adult instead of € 7.00 at the gate. Children under 12 years are free. The chance to buy online tickets ends Sunday, August 22, 2010.

We wish you a pleasant day among the animals!