Houdan chickens: Sweet and stylish backyard egg layers
One of the great mysteries of backyard chicken keeping is why Houdan chickens aren’t more popular. These chickens are so sweet, good with children, comical, and such great conversation-starters. They have such a unique look and such a loving personality.
“While good dual-purpose birds for backyard and barnyard, with their V-shaped comb and crest of head feathers, Houdans are also quite stylish.”
If you’re looking for a bird with a docile temperament and a bit of pizazz, Houdans may be perfect for your backyard. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know to decide if these chickens are right for your flock, including:
Houdan meat (how much do they provide and what does it taste like?)
Climate considerations for Houdan chickens (are they a good fit for your region?)
Houdan temperament (are they right for you and your family?)
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Have Houdan chickens?
Houdan chicken facts
Category: Pet, eggs & meat
Origin: France
Egg-laying ability: Good
Broodiness: Moderate-high
Meat production: Good
Cold tolerance: Poor-mediocre
Heat tolerance: Good
Predator evasion: Poor
Foraging ability: Exceptional
Toleration for confinement: Good
Temperament: Docile
Aggression toward flock members: Low
Noise level: Moderate-high
Origin of Houdan chickens
Houdan chickens are a French breed, and are named Houdan after the French town.
The breed has ancient roots, but has been modified quite a bit in recent times. According to The Livestock Conservancy, Houdans may have been developed from the five-toed chickens documented in Ancient Roman times. Houdans may be a combination of these five-toed chickens and old crested breeds.
However, in the 1800s Houdan chickens were crossed with other breeds, such as Crevecoeurs and Dorkings to make them faster growing and more productive meat birds. These Houdans became extremely popular table birds in France, and were developed to have an exceptional taste. The chickens were also decent egg producers.
“Without question, the Houdan chicken is a very useful and productive breed. The only curiosity is that it did not secure permanent popularity in either America or England.”
Houdans were imported into England in the 1850s and into America in the 1860s. A new variety, the White Houdan, was developed in America through crossbreeding the original Mottled Houdan with White Polish chickens. The White Houdan was recognized as an official breed in 1914.
Sadly, Houdan chickens have since fallen out of favor, and by the beginning of the 21st century, they were almost extinct. The Livestock Conservancy had the breed listed as “critical.” Thankfully, the breed’s numbers have increased some in the last decade and their conservation status has been upgraded to “threatened.”
Hopefully, with more awareness of this delightful breed, numbers will increase even more. Hatcheries are starting to sell these chickens now (rather than just specialized breeders), so that’s a start.
What do Houdan chickens look like?
Houdan chickens come in two varieties, Mottled and Black. They also come in a bantam (i.e., miniature) form.
Houdan feather colors and patterns
The majority of Houdans come in the original mottled variety. These chickens are mostly black. About 1/3 to 1/2 of the black feathers have white V-shaped tips, giving the birds the mottled appearance. The Mottled Houdans have both black and white in their crest feathers.
One interesting thing about mottled breeds is that every time they molt, their feathers will typically grow back with more white coloring than before. So, very old mottled chickens will look much whiter than they did when they were younger.
Below is a table that shows a couple of the other color differences between the Mottled and White varieties of Houdans:
| Houdan varieties | Beak | Shanks and toes |
|---|---|---|
| Mottled | Dark horn | Pinkish-white mottled with black |
| White | Pinkish-white | Pinkish-white |
Below you can see a YouTube video that shows both the white and mottled variety of Houdans.
Please note that at 1 minute into the video, a man holds one of these birds upside down in order to treat it for lice or mites. Do not ever hold chickens upside down as this can injure or even kill them. For more information, check out my article, Holding a chicken upside down: Is it safe?
In some countries, Houdans may exist in other color varieties. These varieties include:
Solid Black
Blue Mottled
Red Mottled
Lavender
You can see an example of a Gold or Red Mottled variety in the photo at the top of this article. Unfortunately, this variety is not yet available in the United States.
What else is notable about the Houdan chicken’s appearance?
The large crest of feathers, together with the muffs and beard, are what make the Houdan most notable. The crest grows out of a bony knob on the top of their skulls.
The chickens also have five toes, which is unusual for chickens (four is standard).
And, of course, their combs are also unusual. They have small- to medium-sized V-shaped combs, sometimes called devil horn combs. These combs are located in front of their crests, but if the crests are large, the combs may be hidden.
One interesting note, only the American Houdans have this V-shaped comb. Across the Atlantic, Houdan chickens have a leaf comb, sometimes called a “butterfly comb” because it looks like a butterfly with its wings open.
If you’re curious what this unique European comb looks like, check out the video below. You can see a good-sized leaf comb on the Houdan rooster especially:
This comb is actually similar to the Sicilian Buttercup chicken’s buttercup comb. The difference is that the leaf comb is not connected in the front or the back, only at the base. (For more on Sicilian Buttercup chickens, check out my article, Sicilian Buttercup Chickens: Beautiful, smart, and wacky.)
How big do Houdan chickens get?
Houdan chickens should be fairly hefty birds. However, because American strains have been bred for aesthetics rather than for meat, they may be smaller than standard.
Roosters: 8 lbs
Hens: 6.5 lbs
Bantam roosters: 34 oz
Bantam hens: 30 oz
What do Houdan chicks look like?
Mottled Houdan chicks are black and yellow with a tiny crest and five tiny toes. You can see a video of these chicks below:
Houdan chicken growth
For a heritage breed, Houdan chicks grow quickly.
Are you getting Houdan chicks?
Share your photos, week by week!
Houdan chickens and egg laying
Egg color: White
Egg size: Medium-large
Age of lay: 6 months
Eggs/week: 3-5
Eggs/year: 150-200
Be aware that reports on Houdan egg laying are mixed. Some say they only get 2 eggs a week. Others say they lay almost every day.
It seems that the number of eggs laid is really dependent on the strain you have. So, if it’s important to you to have a good layer, be sure to ask your breeder or hatchery before purchasing Houdans.
Houdans do lay well into the winter months.
“Houdan chickens are excellent egg layers, equaling Leghorn chickens in dry, sunny conditions.”
Broodiness: Do Houdan hens want to hatch their eggs?
Houdan hens do tend to go broody and want to hatch their eggs. Unfortunately, the hens are also prone to breaking the eggs they are sitting on because these chickens are just too big and stocky to be sitters.
However, if you buy one of the smaller strains that are more typical of American Houdans, you may not have this problem.
Meat production of Houdan chickens
Houdan chickens are said to have an incredible taste. Because they are quick to mature for a heritage breed, they have been popular as meat birds in the past.
According to The Livestock Conservancy, Houdans have “achieved the much sought after ‘Label Rouge’ certification for excellence in taste and production in France.”
Houdans should have a market weight of 5.5-7.5 lbs. However, American strains tend to be smaller since they have been bred as show birds rather than as meat birds.
Houdan chickens: A low-maintenance breed in the right climates
Veteran chicken keeper and best-selling author, Gail Damerow, classifies Mottled Houdan chickens as a “low-maintenance breed. She writes in her book, Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens:
“Low-maintenance breeds are good foragers that have other-than-white feathers for camouflage, trend toward broodiness, and are suitable for your local climate; crested breeds like the Houdan should not be left out in wet, freezing weather.”
If it weren’t for those characteristic crests, Houdan chickens would be a very hardy breed indeed.
How do Houdan chickens do in the cold?
Because Houdan chickens have such large crests, they should not be kept in cold climates. Their crests get wet and freeze. They may literally get covered in icicles, and this makes them very susceptible to frostbite.
Some people insist on keeping Houdans despite living in cold climates. If you are one of these people, at the very least, put a Sweeter Heater above your birds’ roosting bars so that your Houdans can thaw out. This will help to prevent frostbite.
You can find small Sweeter Heaters here on Amazon, medium Sweeter Heaters here, and large Sweeter Heaters here.
How do Houdan chickens do in the heat?
Houdan chickens do well in warm and dry climates. Like all chickens, they need access to shade and to cold, fresh water at all times.
Houdan chickens vs. predators
Most Houdan chickens have “feather blindness.” Their crests are just too large for them to see well. Because of this, they don’t fare well against predators. They just can’t see them.
You can help this problem by trimming their crests so they can see better, but they still probably won’t have the same rearward vision as other chickens.
Some strains of Houdans are worse than others in this regard. The first video below shows a Houdan chicken with a very large crest that can’t see much at all (this little fellow is a sitting duck for predators). The second video shows a Houdan with a more manageable crest size.
Roosters’ crests look a bit different than hens’ crests do. Roosters can usually see a little bit better beyond their crests than can hens.
Houdan chickens: world class foragers
Houdan chickens are incredible foragers. If they are given free range, they will forage a very high percentage of their food.
Houdan chickens: Can they handle confinement?
“Although the Houdan may look rather exotic, it still enjoys the chance to free range and be a normal chicken.”
Houdan chickens have an easy-going temperament and so they do tend to handle confinement well. However, these are adventurous chickens who love to forage, so the more space you can give them, the happier they’ll be.
However, if you do allow them to free range, definitely consider trimming their crests so they can see predators. You may also consider taping them. For how-to videos on trimming and taping crests, check out my article on Silkie chickens.
If you live in a place with inclement weather, you’ll want to make sure that you have a run with a roof on it so your Houdans stay dry.
Houdan chicken temperament: Just what kind of birds are they?
Houdan chickens tend to be incredibly gentle and docile.
If you have Houdan chickens that are acting nervous or flighty, it’s probably because they can’t see.
“…Victim of her beauty, she knows nothing of what is going on about her and shrieks with fright at the slightest noise.”
If your chickens are acting this way, trim their crests back or tape them (see my Silkie chickens article for video instructions).
Houdans are very inquisitive and intelligent chickens. One chicken keeper said, “…my Houdans learned to peck the back door to come inside from watching the dog scratch at it.”
Many Houdans like being handled. One chicken keeper said of her Houdan hen, “She loves to be cuddled like a stuffed animal.”
Another said that hers are “easy to pick up, and seem to love attention.”
How are Houdan chickens around children?
Houdan chickens are usually excellent around children.
One chicken keeper said that her Houdan hen had a special relationship with her 2-year old daughter, saying, “She loved my toddler and would peep for her and fly into her arms, she loved being carried around.”
Another said that her hens “were handled extensively by myself and my 3-year old daughter, and they seemed to love it. They learned their names quickly and run/fly across the yard or street or wherever they have wandered when we call them.”
And another said of her Houdans, “they both tolerate, with eternal patience, being caught and cuddled by our kids.”
Are Houdan roosters aggressive to people?
Roosters of any breed can be a mixed bag, but there do seem to be a lot more anecdotes about aggressive Houdan roosters than gentle ones.
How well do Houdan chickens get along with other chickens?
Houdan chickens are not at all aggressive with other chickens. However, they do tend to get picked on by other chickens. Sometimes they can be badly bullied if their crests are too large and obscure their sight.
Houdans do best if they are housed with chickens who have similar gentle dispositions.
Houdan chickens: Are they noisy?
Houdan chickens, like many crested breeds, tend to be noisier than average.
The Houdan breeders of Riverbend Farm, Nova Scotia, say this on their website about Houdans:
“As adults, the hens are very vocal and ‘chatty,’ making many soft calls to each other and ‘talking’ to their owners whenever they are around.”
Like roosters of all breeds, Houdan roosters are vocal as well.
Below is a video of a Houdan rooster who is either egg singing (the calls chickens make around eggs or laying hens) or he’s alarm-calling (interestingly, rooster alarm calls are the same as the egg song). He also slips some crows in there partway through the video.
Houdan chicken health problems and life expectancy
If your Houdans have massive crests that cover their eyes, eye infections can sometimes occur. If your chickens are having a hard time seeing through their face feathers, consider trimming the feathers. Similarly, if your Houdans are getting their face feathers dirty, consider trimming to protect the eyes.
For a video on how to safely trim chicken crest feathers, see my article on Silkie chickens.
You may want to consider using nipple waterers for your Houdans as well, rather than bowl-type waterers. Nipple waterers prevent crest and beard feathers from getting wet, which is incredibly important in cold temperatures. I recommend this nipple waterer on Amazon—it’s works in both summer and winter.
You should also be aware that Houdans may need the toenail on their fifth toe trimmed occasionally. This extra toe grows in a strange direction—it curves upward. Because Houdans don’t walk on the extra toe, the toenail doesn’t get worn down at all.
If you take good care of your Houdans, your chickens can live to be 5-8 years or older.
Breeds you may want instead of Houdans
If you like the looks of Houdan chickens, you may want to consider other crested breeds, such as:
Polish chickens. Polish chickens come in all different colors and patterns, and, unlike Houdans, they are incredibly common and easy to find.
Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickens. These crested birds, unlike Houdans, are cold hardy. However, they are very flighty and don’t tolerate confinement well.
Crevecoeur chickens. Crevecoeur chickens are very similar to Houdans. These are also sweet chickens that hail from France, and make a great addition to a backyard flock.
Silkie chickens. The sweethearts of the chicken world, Silkies are one of the most popular chicken breeds (for good reason).
If you want to learn more about these other breeds, check out my articles:
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Houdan sources
Bassom, Frances. Mini Encyclopedia: Chicken Breeds and Care. Dorking: Interpet Publishing, 2011.
Damerow, Gail. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2017.
Ekarius, Carol. Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2007.
Verhoef, Esther and Rijs, Aad. The Complete Encyclopedia of Chickens. Lisse: Rebo Publishers, 2005.