1876.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
413 
The French Breeds of Poultry. 
If profit is tlie chief end of poultry keeping, and 
this is certainly the purpose for which farmers and 
those who raise poultry for the market, as well as 
those who compete for prizes at the poultry shows, 
are all in pursuit of, 
then the French breeds 
■of fowls are worthy 
of high consideration. 
There is no other coun¬ 
try in the world where 
poultry is so popular a 
product in the market, 
or so frequent a dish 
upon the tables as in 
France, and a breed 
that is in favor there 
must possess positive 
merit. In addition to 
the vast number of eggs 
which are consumed in 
every possible shape in 
cookery, and in various 
arts, millions of dollars 
worth are exported 
from France every year, 
and the poulel, various¬ 
ly presented, is not only 
a very conspicuous item 
on the bills of fare, but 
its delicacy and suc- 
oulence entitle it to the 
prominence it there en¬ 
joys. That it is accept¬ 
able in France should 
be to a breed a passport 
to popular favor every¬ 
where. Yet the French 
fowls are not nearly 
so popular in America as they deserve to be. We 
confess we never could banish the light Brahma 
from our yard to replace it with either tne Houdan 
or the Crevecoeur, but this is rather for its friendly, 
amiable disposition, and its excellent, and fairly 
plentiful eggs, especially in winter, rather than for 
the quality of its flesh ; for a Brahma is inclined to 
be “ scrawny ” in its youth, and yellow and tough 
in its age, and not par¬ 
ticularly toothsome at 
any period of its life ; 
while the Houdan s and 
the Crevecceurs are both 
prolific egg producers, 
grow rapidly, and pos¬ 
sess white and juicy 
flesh. Yet we have ad¬ 
mired these fowls in the 
yards of other people, 
and have listened favor¬ 
ably to frequent praise 
of their profit and their 
beauty. The Houdan is 
doubtless a very hand¬ 
some and attractive 
bird, and a flock of 
them, well bred and 
well cared for, is very 
showy in the yard or the 
field. They are square 
and massive about the 
body, with short legs, a 
spirited or even a fierce 
carriage, on account of 
their peculiar crest, 
beard and muffling, and 
the lively markings of 
their plumage ; which, 
when perfect, is of a 
mixed “pebbly” black 
and white. They have 
the fifth toe, a useless, objectionable member, 
which they inherit from the Dorking strain in 
their ancestry, although along with it they have 
the fine flavored flesh and plump breast of that 
Tace. Their legs are gray and their bones remark¬ 
ably light. They are egg producers rather than 
upon each side, and with both sides alike in shape ; 
the hackle is black and white, the beard and muffle 
almost hide the face, and the wattles are long and 
evenly rounded at the ends. The hen is square 
bodied, and low framed, with plumage like that of 
the cock; the crest is full and round and not loose 
and straggling or shaggy. The fifth claw is large 
and turned upwards, as with the cock. If good 
birds are procured to start with, they should breed 
very true to the marks, but if long closely bred 
they will in time become mixed in appearance. 
The Crevecceur, like the Houdan, is named from 
the village in France, in the neighborhood of which 
it has long been largely 
bred for market. These 
birds are remarkably 
stately and handsome, 
although sombre in 
color, except in the sun¬ 
light, when the golden 
green reflections from 
the plumage make them 
very brilliant, but this 
peculiarity is only 
brought out in a favor¬ 
able light. They are 
much more rarely seen 
than the Houdans, al¬ 
though as producers of 
eggs, and for non-sit¬ 
ting, as well as for early 
maturity, and white¬ 
ness, and sweetness of 
flesh, they surpass 
these. They are not 
winter layers, which is 
an objection, but when 
the cock is crossed 
upon Brahma hens, the 
eggs produce table 
birds of heavy weight, 
excellent quality, aud in 
time for early market¬ 
ing. They suffer noth¬ 
ing from confinement, 
and a dozen can be 
easily kept in a yard 
of 20 feet square. They are very tame and 
friendly when petted. They excel as table birds, 
notwithstanding their black legs, which, how¬ 
ever they may be objected to by the market men 
or the cooks, have no ill effect upon the color, 
flavor, or tenderness, of the flesh, which is very 
white and of delicious flavor. Young birds will 
fatten when 3 months old, and have been made to 
weigh 4 pounds at that 
age, and at 6 months, 
with two weeks fatten¬ 
ing, have weighed 7 
pounds. The Creve¬ 
coeur cock should be a 
heavy, compact bird, 
mounted upon short, 
thick legs ; the thighs 
being well feathered, 
tend to give the birds a 
heavier and more solid 
build. The back is 
broad and flat, giving a 
robustness to the fig¬ 
ure, and slopes but 
slightly towards the 
tail, which is carried 
high. The general car¬ 
riage is dignified, their 
sedateness being sotne- 
what hightened by their 
sombre coloring. The 
comb is two-horned or 
“antlered,” and the 
crest is formed of lance- 
let shaped feathers 
which fall backwards 
and do not straggle 
wildly in all directions 
as in the Houdan. The 
chicks are hardy when 
properly cared for, but 
early chicks of this breed are rare, on account of the 
late habits of the hen. The breast is full ; thehaekle 
is long and sweeps gracefully down the neck ; the 
beard and muffle are full and low on the throat, and 
the plumage, as previously described, when perfect, 
is of a solid black with greenish and sometimes bril- 
breeders, and if properly fed, the hens will lay on 
without stopping to “sit.” They will thrive in 
confinement, when properly kept, as well as when 
roaming at large, and when allowed to range, exer¬ 
cise the liberty now and then with greater freedom 
than is convenient upon the farm. The stand¬ 
ard of excellence of the poultry fanciers for the 
A PAIR OF HOUDAN FOWLS. 
Houdan is subject to some variation as to minor 
points, such as the shape of the comb ; the fifth 
toe, however, is insisted upon; the feathering 
should be of black and white, evenly mixed, and 
not patchy ; the saddle of the cock is tipped with 
straw yellow; the crest is of black and white 
feathers, evenly mixed, and thrown back so as to 
show the comb, which is double, evenly toothed 
A CREVECCEUR COCK AND HEN. 
