Houdan Chicken

Houdan Chicken is a French breed originating around the commune of Houdan in the Yvelines department west of Paris, distinguished by a crest, muffs and a beard of feathers around the face, an unusual leaf-shaped comb, and five toes on each foot rather than the usual four. The most recognized color variety is mottled, a black plumage marked with white spotting, alongside black, pearl-grey and, in a variety developed in the United States, white varieties. Historically the Houdan was a significant dual purpose breed for both eggs and meat, at one point a principal meat breed supplying nineteenth century French markets, with hens capable of producing 140 to 160 white eggs a year. The breed has since become endangered as a production bird and is kept today mainly for exhibition at poultry shows.