An ancient domestic chicken breed from France is called the Houdan or Poule de Houdan. It is named after the village of Houdan in the department of Yvelines, west of Paris, where it first appeared. It is a member of the crested chicken family, bearded, muffed, and has five toes on each foot as opposed to the typical four.
Description
The Houdan has five toes on each foot instead of the typical four, is crested, muffed, and bearded, and has a distinctive comb in the shape of a leaf. The feathering may partially or entirely conceal the short earlobes and wattles. In terms of European and Australian standards, the comb is 155 shaped like a leaf or a butterfly; in the United States, it is v-shaped.
Mottled, or caillouté, or “pebbled” in French, is the most popular color variation and the only one that is acknowledged in the United Kingdom. It is a pattern of black with white spots. There used to be a lighter version of the mottled design; in the 1800s, it might have looked more like the splashy combination of white and black that is now known as exchequer. In France, the colors black, pearl-gray, and white are also recognized as distinct color variants. The black mottled, cuckoo, pearl-gray, and white varieties are recognized in the Poultry Standard for Europe of the Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture; a black variant is included but unrecognized. In the United States, the white variety was created. Red and blue-mottled blue were among the other colors that were once recognized.
As Pet
Housing
These chickens do, however, handle confinement quite well. As long as they are given enough room, they can be kept in a coop. Chickens typically need at least two square feet of space per bird, but giving them four can make them considerably more comfortable.
Feeding
a healthy meal consisting of grains, chicken mash, chicken pellets, and grains for infants 8 weeks and older. To make sure they get all their nutrients, this should be given to them first thing in the morning before being let out to roam. When chickens are younger than eight weeks old, Chick Starter is always the best option. In order to assure the quality of their eggs and to maintain optimal health, laying hens should have more protein and calcium in their meals. Your Houdan hens will always appreciate a treat of table scraps in the form of fruits and vegetables. On really hot days, kids prefer these scraps even more when they are given as ice cubes. If you feed your hens properly, they will provide a lot of nutrient-rich fertilizer for your organic garden, which will help your vegetables and flowers develop.
Grooming
These hens adore taking a bath in the dust, and they will also enjoy some herbal essences sprinkled with the loose sand to aid with bugs and extra feather oils. Despite their size, these delicate creatures enjoy receiving attention, and they won’t mind if they are routinely checked for mites, lice, and other parasites. To keep your chickens healthy, check their feathers at least once a week for these pests.
Temperament
meek, serene, and gentle. It is occasionally advised to have their crests cut back because they can sometimes have visual problems due to their crests.
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