The White Bruges fighter – A Rare and Unusual Surprise (part 1, 2026)
This year, I came across something quite unexpected in the world of Bruges fighter: four pure white chicks originating from a silver-necked background. An unusual and fascinating result, especially considering that white is not a colour I commonly encounter in this breed.
The birds belonged to Klaas Verreyd. There were four in total: one cockerel and three pullets. Klaas kept one of the pullets, while I took the cockerel and two of the other pullets.
He also sold me a silver-wheaten hen. Unfortunately, this hen killed all my white birds. It was a disappointing loss, particularly because I had been looking forward to observing how these unusual white birds would develop.
I had taken several photographs and videos of them, but unfortunately, they were stored on my old smartphone, which I lost during the summer. As a result, I no longer have any visual records of those first white Bruges fighter.
An Unusual White Result
Klaas currently has one white hen remaining. She has a crossed beak, however, and this was not an isolated problem: all the white birds I received also showed crossed beaks.
The cockerel was a good size and had an attractive overall appearance, but when looking at the group as a whole, I would describe the result as rather weak.
The combination of the unusual white colour and the recurring beak deformity makes this an especially interesting, but also challenging, breeding project.
Another characteristic that stood out was their pigmentation. These pure white Bruges Gamefowl had very pale pink legs and facial skin. While this gave them a distinctive appearance, it was not necessarily a positive feature from my point of view.
A Second Attempt with Klaas Verreyd
Despite the disappointing first result, I do not want to abandon this project.
Klaas's remaining white hen will also be coming to me. Together with the silver-wheaten hen I still have, I intend to establish a separate breeding pen.
For this project, I plan to use a black silver-necked rooster from the same strain. He also carries white and may be capable of passing this colour on to his offspring.
The idea is for Klaas and me to make another attempt at producing white Bruges fighter, while carefully observing the results and selecting the best individuals.
Naturally, the crossed beaks will be a major point of attention. I do not want to perpetuate this defect simply to preserve an unusual colour. Correct beak formation, sound structure, good proportions and the characteristic Bruges fighter type must remain essential selection criteria.
A Rare Colour Worth Investigating
What makes this project particularly fascinating is the fact that these pure white birds originated from silver-necked stock.
It raises interesting questions about the inheritance of white in this particular strain and how reliably the colour can be reproduced. The black silver-necked rooster, which also carries white, offers an opportunity to investigate this further.
At this stage, I do not want to draw conclusions about the genetics or the future stability of the colour. More breeding results will be needed before anything can be said with confidence.
The pale pink legs and facial skin, together with the crossed beaks, also show that an unusual colour result does not automatically mean a good breeding result.
My Conclusion
The white Bruges fighter are certainly one of the strangest and most unexpected developments I have encountered in my breeding work.
Four pure white chicks from a silver-necked background were already a surprise. Unfortunately, the first group presented several weaknesses, particularly the crossed beaks and the pale pink pigmentation.
Nevertheless, I believe the project deserves another attempt.
Klaas Verreyd and I will try again, using the remaining white hen, the silver-wheaten hen and a black silver-necked rooster carrying white.
The objective is not simply to produce white Bruges fighter. It is to produce white Bruges fighter that are also structurally correct, healthy, well-built and true to the breed's desired type.
For now, this remains an unusual and unfinished chapter in my Bruges fighter breeding programme. But one thing is certain: pure white birds emerging from a silver-necked background are rare enough to deserve closer investigation.
