Crèvecœur chicken


The Crèvecœur is an endangered historic breed of crested chicken from the Pays d'Auge, in the Calvados département of Normandy, in north-western France. It is named after the commune of Crèvecœur-en-Auge. It is related to the La Flèche and to other Norman breeds such as the Caumont and Caux and the extinct Pavilly; the Merlerault was formerly considered a sub-type of the Crèvecœur.

History

The Crèvecœur is among the oldest French breeds of chicken; its origins are unknown. It takes its name from the commune of Crèvecœur-en-Auge, near Lisieux in the historic region of the Pays d'Auge, in the Calvados département of Normandy. Crèvecoeur chickens won prizes at the Exposition Universelle of 1855 in Paris. The breed was described in detail by Louis Bréchemin in 1894, but the breed standard was not accepted by the Société d’Aviculture de Basse-Normandie until 1909.
The population of the breed suffered during both the First and Second World Wars; after the latter, it was thought to have virtually disappeared. Recovery was begun in 1976 by Jean-Claude Périquet. In 1995 numbers were reported to be between 100 and 1000 individuals; in 2007 the breed was classified by the FAO as "endangered".
The Crèvecœur was added to the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association in 1874.

Characteristics

The Crèvecœur has a crest similar to that of the Houdan breed. Unlike the Houdan, the Crèvecœur is four-toed and has a V-shaped comb like that of the La Flèche.
The Crèvecœur is most commonly black; there are three other recognised colour variants: blue, white, and cuckoo. The legs are a dark blue-gray.
The Crèvecœur has a gentle disposition and does well in confinement. They have a weak constitution, however, and may require extra care and attention.

Use

The Crèvecœur was traditionally kept as a dual-purpose chicken, raised both for its eggs and for its meat, which is of high quality. The eggs are white, and weigh about. The Crèvecœur is now raised primarily for poultry exhibition.