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A NEW BRAHMA BOOK By: The Brahmaclub Netherlands
On May 16, 2015 at the Brahma Club day and annual meeting, held in Liessel at Martin Linskens’, the chairman of the Club, the new Brahma book was presented.
Left: Chairman Martin Linskens. Below: After 15 years Martin took the decision to hand over the chairman's hammer to Sander Visser.
After resigning from his post as chairman, it was unanimously decided to award honorary chairmanship of the Brahma Club to Martin Linskens. The new Brahma book The presentation of the new book was quite a show, enjoyed by the many members. Hans Ringnalda, former president of the Brahma Club and Publisher of the book, arrived dressed up as a ‘Yank’, in a Jeep, crossing through the adjacent meadow, and handed the first book to Martin Linskens and Berend Beekhuis.
Left: Hans Ringnalda at the presentation of the Brahma book. Unfortunately, during the drive the book had become all wet because of an unexpected thunderstorm. This book contains ‘all breeding knowledge of the Americans and the English’ – who together created the Brahma Engelsen’ – and was ‘stolen’
by the ‘the Dutchies’. “Now the American breeders have to ask the Dutchies how to breed Brahmas”, Hans said with a big grin. He also touched briefly the origin of Brahma: “I was a few times in India. But I saw only beautiful women, no Brahmas”, referring to the fantasy story that the Brahma had originated in India. (This is incorrect information which is still published in many documents, even in the Dutch Poultry Standard!) Left: Hans Ringnalda at the presentation of the Brahma book. Below: There were so many interested people that the tent was almost too small.
Left: Esther Ringnalda, Hans’ daughter, who prepared the book for printing, was also put in the spotlight.
THE Brahma book. Text: Berend Beekhuis and Sigrid van Dort We truly believe this is THE definitive work on Brahmas. The Dutch luxury edition comes with stitched binding, linen covers and full colour dust jacket and landscape orientation, much like the other books in the Avicultura series which detail chicken breeds. A book for the one who appreciates quality in print thus keeps and treasures its unique production values and backed with world class content. Containing comprehensively researched material sources old and new its thorough, yet very modern, with content rarely seen before which might not be expected immediately for a well known breed like the Brahma. Although the breed characteristics are well understood, the Brahma is therefore often best shown in its classic colours lights and dark, but they surprisingly even nowadays provide for the creative breeder opportunities to create new colours. The
Brahma, due distinctiveness, doesn't easily allow random tinkering with colours compared to the more common breeds.
The book starts with the turbulent history of the Brahma. The origin of the Brahma can be traced back to China, Shanghai harbour, similar to the large Cochin. After the first importations to America and England, these two countries agreed on different breeding directions of the birds they had, at that time called, 'Shanghai', resulting in the Brahmas and the Cochins from today.
There is much emphasis on the colours, although certainly also on type of the standard Brahma and the bantam of which the latter should really look like the miniature of the large. This book reflects the Dutch and the Belgian Brahma club since they both have a leading role in Europe for promoting the original or classic type of Brahma. A Brahma can have any colour, but when shape is absent, it is no longer a Brahma. The personal opinions and expertise from leading breeders on how to breed the Brahma to a zenith considering type, leg length being an important point of attention, and colour, is included. Also discussed is the controversy between the original Brahma type or the happy medium - which the Dutch breeders always choose and is most close to the original type as depicted by Ludlow - and the German type with the long(er) legs. Type of the Brahma in America and The Netherlands are similar. Yet the English and German vary in type. Nevertheless there is an international standard description which is everywhere the same, including room for interpretation and variation. This standard for breeders allows some subtle and variation with minor details within the standard, is what this book tries to reflect, pictures in the book illustrate this admirable. THE Brahma book is not limited to continental northern Europe, birds from many other countries are examined as well and accompanied with ample photographs.
Thanks to digital communications it is now possible to exchange experiences with other breeders everywhere in the world and we can peek in their coops all year, not only during 'showtime'. THE Brahma book is a well rounded work, we believe it describes many of the extrinsic and intrinsic values of the breed. Accessible to anyone who perhaps is only a little bit interested in this breed and histories etc or someone more intensively into breeding, keeping and understanding the bird, either way they will find a wealth of knowledge and experience from THE Brahma book, gained with the most enthusiastic and skilled breeders in Western Europe. I am delighted to announced that the English edition has already started! After many requests from American and UK breeders and not least of course all other breeders for whom the Dutch language is equal to Mandarin Chinese. 'Britain rules the waves... Holland rules the Brahmas'. What enthusiasm can do....hey? As soon as it is clear when the book will be published, and also its dimension/price, it will be announced. For more info you are welcome to contact me at [email protected] Kind regards, Sigrid van Dort. Right: Ludwig van Roy, another contributor to the book, speeches on behalf of the Belgian Brahma Club.
Left: Leo Basten speeches on behalf of Havens Animal Food, who sponsored the book.
In the book are many stories and images that are new for everyone. Hendrik Timmer took care of the colour descriptions, a huge job. Berend Beekhuis has provided an enormous amount of material. His opinion, ideas and experience run like a thread throughout the book. Martin Linskens: "For me as outgoing President of the Brahma Club this book is the icing on the cake." Do you want to order the Dutch book? Please contact the secretary of the Brahma Club, [email protected] On www.brahmaclub.nl/ you can view a few pages of the book. It was a very special day with the presentation of a very special book! Beautiful, thick, rich and above all a very readable book with many interesting pictures, of which many have never been released before.
Left: Outgoing President Martin Linskens offered the club a beautiful banner, so he would not be 'forgotten'. Below: Finally Sander Visser, the new chairman, got the floor and thanked the members that voted for him for placing their trust in him.
Right: The cover of the Brahma book-English edition. Photo: Sigrid van Dort.
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Europe Foundation
This is a publication by the online magazine www.aviculture-europe.nl
English edition ISSN: 2352-2445 You are not allowed to copy, distribute, send
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