The Houdan is an old French breed from the town of the same name, bred as a fine table bird and carrying three unusual features at once: a full crest, a beard and muffs, and five toes. Its comb is a butterfly or V-shape, largely hidden beneath the crest. Hens lay 160 to 240 white eggs a year and are docile, though the crest restricts vision enough that they startle easily and can be bullied in mixed flocks. Keeping the crest dry is the main management job — a wet crest in cold weather is the breed's usual undoing.
Good with kids
Cold hardy
Broody
Egg colorWhite
Egg production160–240 / year
TemperamentDocile
BroodinessOccasional
ClimateCold hardy
PurposeEggs, Meat
Weight
Large fowl (Standard size)
Hen6.5 lb
Rooster8 lb
Bantam (Miniature size)
Hen1.6 lb
Rooster1.9 lb
How to spot it
CombV-shaped
Butterfly (V-shaped) comb, mostly hidden beneath the crest
Crest
Large and full, often obscuring the eyes
Toes
Five toes per foot
Look for
Mottled black-and-white plumage with a crest, beard and a fifth toe together
V-shaped
