Houdan: France's Five-Toed Crested Table Breed

Egg-color genetics

The Houdan lays a white shell — there is no brown or blue pigment laid down over the shell, so the eggs come out clean white rather than tinted. Shell color is not what breeders select this bird for; the value is in its plumage, its crest and beard, and its old French table qualities.

Why the Houdan is worth conserving

The Houdan was once one of France's most important table breeds, valued for fine-grained, flavorful meat, and it earned Label Rouge certification for eating quality. As commercial hybrids took over meat production in the 20th century, numbers collapsed. The Livestock Conservancy tracks it as a rare breed, and keeping breeding flocks going is part of why exhibitors still work with it.

For a modern keeper it is a genuinely dual-purpose bird: a fair white-egg layer (many strains lay well through winter) that is calm, gentle and tolerant of confinement, with the bonus of a striking crested, bearded appearance.

What color eggs do Houdans lay?

Houdans lay white eggs of medium-to-large size. There is no brown or blue tint — the value of the breed is its plumage, head furnishings and table qualities rather than shell color. Production varies by strain, but well-bred birds are reasonable layers and are often noted as good winter layers.

Breeding notes

• Breed to the five-toed foot: like the Dorking and the Silkie, the Houdan carries a fifth toe (polydactyly). It should sit above the back toe and point upward, well separated from it. Select breeders whose extra toe is cleanly formed — doubled, fused, or missing fifth toes are common faults to cull against.
• Both crest and beard/muffs are required head furnishings — a bare-faced or crestless bird is a disqualifying fault in this breed. Pair birds with full, round crests and dense beards; avoid split crests or crests that fall over and block vision.
• The comb should be the small V-shaped (horned) type sitting low in front of the crest. Watch for single-comb throwbacks and for oversized combs that push the crest out of shape.
• Set up single-variety pens. The Mottled pattern (black feathers tipped with white V-shaped mottling) grows whiter with each molt, so select young Mottled breeders with clean, even spotting rather than birds already heavily flecked. The White variety was developed in America by crossing Mottled Houdans with White Polish, so keep White and Mottled lines separate to preserve pattern and type.
• Remember its roots as a French table/dual-purpose bird: it was crossed historically with Dorking and Crevecoeur for meat quality and earned Label Rouge recognition in France. Select for good body width and a broad breast alongside the ornamental head, not just show fluff.

Showing notes

• The Houdan is exhibited in the APA's Continental class; enter by variety (e.g. 'Mottled Houdan, large fowl'). Bantam Houdans are also shown.
• Crest grooming is the make-or-break job: wash and dry the crest and beard well ahead of a show, keep it free of mud and feed, and train birds to shallow drinkers at home so the furnishings stay clean. A stained or matted crest reads as poor conditioning to a judge.
• Judges look for the full round crest, dense beard and muffs, the V-shaped comb, and the correctly formed fifth toe. A missing crest or beard, a single comb, or a malformed extra toe are the giveaways that pull a bird down.
• In the Mottled variety, aim for even white V-tipped spotting over a beetle-green black; birds get progressively whiter with age, so a young bird with modest, tidy mottling often shows better than an older, heavily whitened one.

Hatching & incubation

• No breed-specific incubation requirements — treat Houdan eggs like any standard chicken egg: about 99.5°F forced-air, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch.
• Crested chicks can hatch with a little extra fluff or a raised skull knob on top of the head; this is the developing crest and is normal.

Recognized varieties

Frequently asked questions

What color eggs do Houdans lay?

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White eggs, medium to large. There's no brown or blue tint. Laying varies by strain, but good lines are steady layers and are often praised as winter layers.

Are Houdans good for showing?

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Yes — the Houdan is a classic exhibition breed, shown in the APA's Continental class in Mottled and White. Judges reward a full crest, dense beard and muffs, the V-shaped comb, and a correctly formed fifth toe. Crest and beard grooming is essential to compete.

How hard are Houdans to hatch?

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No harder than any standard chicken — 99.5°F, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch. There are no breed-specific incubation quirks; crested chicks may simply show a little extra fluff or a skull bump where the crest will grow.

Why do Houdans have five toes?

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The Houdan carries polydactyly — a fifth toe — a trait it shares with the Dorking and Silkie and one it inherited from old five-toed French fowl. The extra toe sits above the normal back toe and points upward. It's a required breed characteristic, so breeders select for a cleanly formed fifth toe.

Are Houdans rare?

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Yes. The Houdan is a rare breed listed by The Livestock Conservancy. Once a major French table fowl, it declined sharply as commercial hybrids took over meat production and is now kept mainly by exhibitors and conservation-minded breeders.

What is a Houdan's temperament like?

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Calm, docile and gentle. Houdans tolerate confinement well and are friendly toward keepers, though — like other heavily crested breeds — their vision can be limited by the crest, so they can be easy to surprise.

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