The Egyptian Fayoumi is an ancient landrace from the Nile valley and behaves like one: fast-maturing, intensely alert, near-impossible to catch, and outstanding at finding its own food. Hens start remarkably early, sometimes at four months, and lay 160 to 200 small off-white eggs a year. The breed's real reputation is disease resistance, with documented resilience to viruses that flatten other flocks. Built to shed heat rather than hold it — light body, big comb, close-lying feathers — it is superb in hot country and poorly equipped for a freeze, and it is no one's lap chicken.
Heat tolerant
Flighty
Egg colorOff White
Egg production160–200 / year
TemperamentFlighty
BroodinessRare
ClimateHeat tolerant
PurposeEggs, Meat
Weight
Hen4.5 lb
Rooster5.5 lb
How to spot it
CombSingle
Single, red
Plumage
Silver-white head and neck over a black-and-white barred body
Carriage
Upright, tail held high, almost a gamebird stance
Look for
A small, upright, silver-headed barred bird that will not let you near it
Single
