Ardenner Bolstaart
The Ardenner Bolstaart, or Ardennes rumpless chicken, is the tailless counterpart of the Belgian Ardennaise. Bolstaart is a Dutch name for the rounded, tailless rear created by the absence or strong reduction of the tail and its supporting vertebrae. Otherwise it keeps much of the Ardennaise character: light body, close feathering, alert expression, strong legs, and many possible color varieties. It is not a blue-egg Araucana type; it is an Ardennes farm chicken selected for rumpless form and active foraging.
Management is closer to a range bird than a confined ornamental. The Bolstaart can fly, roost high, and move quickly, so covered runs or tall fencing are useful where predators are common. Hens may lay modest numbers of white or lightly tinted eggs, and the breed is kept mainly by rare-breed enthusiasts and exhibitors. Matings need attention to body balance, fertility, and the true rumpless outline, because careless crossing or over-selection can blur the difference between the Bolstaart and ordinary tailed Ardennaise stock.
