Conservation status FAO (2007): endangered Comb type V-shaped Primary use ornamental Egg size Medium Recognized variety Black | Country of origin France APA continental Egg production (annual) 120 Temperament active Egg color White | |
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Weight Male: 3 kgFemale: 2.5 kg PCGB rare soft feather: heavy Similar Houdan chicken, La Flèche chicken, Dorking chicken, Brabançonne Chicken, Cubalaya | ||
The Crèvecœur is an endangered historic chicken breed 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.
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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.:37 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".:152
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.:331
The Crèvecœur is most commonly black; there are three other recognised colour variants: blue, white, and cuckoo.:45 The legs are a dark blue-gray.:116
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 55 g.:37 The Crèvecœur is now raised primarily for poultry exhibition.:37