Preserving the Bruges Fighter – Part IV:

The Bruges Fighter in Central Africa:

My Breeding Program, Philosophy and Practical Observations

In recent years, I’ve been approached more and more about my work with the Bruges Fighter — not only from Belgium, but also from across Africa, and recently even from Central and Southeast Asia and the United States. Interest keeps growing, and I often get the same question: “Can you send hatching eggs?”

The answer is always the same: no.

I never sell hatching eggs, chicks, or hens. Only occasionally do I offer a few roosters for sale — birds that I no longer use in my breeding program. In general, I breed to strengthen my own lines, and I end up slaughtering about 95% of what I raise.

I live more than 300 kilometers south of Kinshasa, where I aim to be as self-sufficient as possible. Poultry breeding — and my involvement with AOBA — is a hobby for me. My main activities are managing my private game ranch and running my anti-poaching unit. With over 750 employees who receive a hot meal every shift, and a canine brigade of more than fifty dogs to feed, I already have plenty of responsibilities.

On top of that, there’s a long waiting list of AOBA members interested in my lines. Each year, I sell only a limited number of roosters from my colonial bloodlines at premium prices — ranging from USD 5,000 to 15,000, depending on the line: G1B1 birds are valued between USD 10,000 and 15,000, G1B2 around USD 7,500, and G1B3 approximately USD 5,000 per bird. Buyers are usually politicians, athletes, or musicians from Congo and other African countries. Most of them acquire these birds for show purposes rather than breeding. All sales go exclusively through the AviAuction.App.

Why I Stay Away from the Spotligh

I deliberately avoid the various Bruges Fighter groups on social media and only publish information through the official AOBA website. The reason is simple: there’s too much jealousy and competition among Belgian breeders. Besides, I believe that “self-praise stinks.”

The truth is, I am the only Belgian breeder in the world who possesses all the existing bloodlines of the Bruges Fighter. That gives me the unique opportunity to test every possible combination and evaluate them objectively. And to be honest — apart from one other breeder — most of what I see elsewhere is disappointing: weak strains, low disease resistance, unstable types, poor laying performance, inconsistent colors...

Even within my own colonial lines, there are flaws: they’re strong and true to type, but poor layers, with frequent off-colors and carp backs. Because I speak openly and directly about these issues, some people take offense — and that’s exactly why I prefer to stay away from online breeder circles.

A Scientific and Objective Approach

One major advantage of my project — importing and testing so many hatching eggs — is that it allows for a truly objective comparison between bloodlines. All birds are raised under the same housing conditions, feeding regimen, and management.

That way, I can accurately evaluate the differences between lines. For example, if I raise my birds on 19% protein feed, while another breeder uses 22%, there will inevitably be a difference in size and muscle development at 6–8 months of age.

I also think that the standard description of the Bruges Fighter as a “slow-growing breed” is somewhat exaggerated. Historically, this may have been true when most chicks were raised by hens on open farms — walking kilometers each day and catching insects on their own. Today, with better nutrition and smaller enclosures, growth naturally occurs faster.

However, the Bruges Fighter still continues to grow for a longer period than most other breeds, which remains one of its defining characteristics.

Feeding Practices in Congo

Here in Congo, my birds receive a feed mix with almost 50–60% protein content. That may sound excessive by European standards, but it reflects the local reality. In Congo, insects form a major part of both human and animal diets, and they are a cheap and natural supplement to grains.

In this largely organic environment, where no pesticides are used, there’s an abundance of insects year-round. It’s worth remembering that the domesticated chicken descends from the Red Junglefowl and the Green Junglefowl, both native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia. These wild ancestors did not live on grain or grass — they thrived on insects, seeds, and fruits from the forest floor.

For those interested in observing the edible insects & insect markets in the DRC, I recommend watching the following documentaries

:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHZgBeMRRh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOeAvk2cp1s 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcwRdm1rmmE

My Vision and Tradition

Within AOBA, we do not recognize a white color variant of the Bruges Fighter — something that is, however, accepted in Belgium by the SLE and VIVFN. I personally advocated against recognizing it after discussions with West Flemish missionaries who first helped me obtain my Bruges Fighters, as well as with my maternal grandmother, who came from a farming family near Bruges.

They told me that white Bruges Fighters never existed — unless breeders had crossed them with other fighting breeds like the Liège or Tienen Fighter, or even the Northern French Fighter, which once resembled the Bruges type but was eventually ruined through crossbreeding. On farms around Bruges, they had never seen a white specimen, and these were people in their 80s, who knew the breed from firsthand experience.

I prefer to trust their traditional knowledge over modern breeder associations that impose standards but are not even from the original region.

In Conclusion

Those who are truly interested can follow my breeding program to see which lines I use to create my own sub-lines. This allows others to understand what works for me — under the harsh environmental and climatic conditions of Central Africa.

My goal is simple: to preserve the Bruges Fighter as an authentic, resilient breed, adapted to extreme conditions, while staying true to its origins and traditions — born in Bruges, among proud West Flemish farming families.

I wish to state explicitly that neither I nor AOBA consider ourselves “experts” in the Bruges Fighter. We simply had the good fortune of inheriting what we have. All credit belongs to the breeders who came before us.

Special thanks
I would like to thank Joost De Meyer, a true master breeder of Brugse Vechter, for his guidance and valuable advice. His knowledge and passion are a great inspiration to me as a starting breeder.

Jean Kiala-Inkisi
President – African Ornamental Breeders Association (AOBA)