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The Chestnut Barnevelder

A chestnut barnevelder cockerel in the sunshine

If you have been noticing the use of the word ‘Chestnut’ as a term to describe the chickens we have always known as Double Laced Barnevelders then you are not alone.

So there is an old joke about a camel being a horse designed by a committee and that is what the Chestnut Barnevelder is, a standard Gold Double Laced designed by a committee.

The other interesting thing to note is that they haven't changed the name of it on their website. It is still listed as double laced.

Below: The ideal form and colouring for the chestnut Barnevelder.

Now you are up to speed on this, it is this now the official terminology for the Barnevelder in the UK.

The official statement from the club on the Chestnut Barnevelder reads like this:

All members of the British Barnevelder Club were balloted at the end of last year.

All balloted forms received, which was the majority of members, accepted and approved the changes. This was necessary to get the Blue Laced Barnevelder standardised.

Gold Laced could not be considered as a term because it is not a true description and also it is used by Wyandottes. The ground colour of Barnevelders is chestnut not gold. The ballot papers are held by The Poultry Club.

It's chestnut double laced. Doubled laced being the pattern, chestnut being the colour. It is indeed now the official name. There was a postal ballot either last year or the year before, if I remember correctly.

Any changes the British Barnevelder Club request to the standards are only applied to the British Standards.

Above: A young Chestnut male, or double laced depending on where you live.

I am quite surprised that this has happened. Internationally the core variety is Double Laced. 

There has been some confusion in the past with people differentiating them from the silvers and blues by calling them 'gold', however, by having a standard 'chestnut', then it should - hopefully - mean people won't expect them to be gold, like on a Wyandotte.

This applies to the bantam as well. If you enter a Barnevelder in any show in the UK now it will have to be chestnut, whether it is a bantam or Large fowl.