Backyard chicken keepers have prized French chicken breeds worldwide for decades, thanks to their friendly and docile nature.
Even today, some of the most popular breeds are French chicken, including dual-purpose and ornamental varieties.
As with any animal, you should research before adding one of these French chicken breeds to your flock to find the best fit for your needs and situation.
This list includes the most famous French chicken breeds available today to help you understand which breed might be right for you.
1. Leghorn
The Leghorn is one of the French chicken breeds known for its egg-laying abilities. These chickens are small in size but make up for their personality.
They are active and curious, and they love to explore their surroundings.
The Leghorn is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a chicken that will provide you with plenty of eggs.
2. Light Sussex
The Light Sussex is also one of the French chicken breeds developed in England but has French ancestry.
The breed was created by crossing the White Leghorn with the Barred Plymouth Rock.
Meanwhile, the Light Sussex is a dual-purpose breed that can be used for egg and meat production.
The breed is known for being calm, friendly, and good mothers. The hens lay large brown eggs, and the roosters weigh around 8 pounds.
3. Ardennaise Chicken
The Ardennes Chicken is a French breed known for its outstanding egg production.
This chicken breed can lay up to 280 eggs per year and is also great for meat production.
The Ardennes Chicken is a hardy bird that can withstand cold temperatures and is resistant to disease.
This chicken breed is calm and docile, making it an excellent choice for backyard chickens.
4. Bresse Gauloise Chicken
The Bresse Gauloise is a French chicken breed known for its high-quality meat.
These French chicken breeds are white with red combs and wattles, and they have a reputation for being good egg-layers.
Though The Bresse Gauloise is an expensive breed, many say the meat is worth the price.
If you’re looking for French chicken breeds to add to your flock, the Bresse Gauloise is a good option.
5. Coucou des Flandres Chicken
The Coucou des Flandres is a heritage breed of chicken originating in the Flanders region of Belgium and France.
The breed was nearly extinct by the early 21st century but has been revived by dedicated breeders.
The Coucou des Flandres is a large bird, with roosters weighing up to 9 pounds and hens up to 7 pounds.
The breed is known for its unusual appearance, with a black body and white saddle feathers.
6. Coucou de Rennes Chicken
The Coucou de Rennes is a breed of chicken originating in the city of Rennes, France.
The breed was created in the 19th century by crossing several other French chicken breeds.
In addition, Coucou de Rennes chickens are known for their docile nature and egg-laying abilities.
These chickens make great pets and are also suitable for meat production.
7. Crèvecœur Chicken
The Crèvecœur Chicken is a French chicken breed developed in the 18th century.
The breed gets its name from the village of Crèvecœur-le-Grand in the Picardy region of France.
The CrèvecÅ“ur is a rare breed listed as critical on the American Livestock Conservancy’s Conservation Priority List.
The Crèvecœur is a medium-sized bird with a single comb and wattles.
Meanwhile, the breed has both rose and white varieties. The Crèvecœur is a good egg layer, with hens producing up to 200 eggs per year.
8. Estaires Chicken
The Estaires Chicken is a French breed of chicken developed in the town of Estaires, located in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.
The breed is known for its large size, with roosters weighing around 9 pounds and hens around 7 pounds.
The Estaires Chicken is also known for its calm temperament and good egg production, with hens laying an average of 200 eggs per year.
9. Faverolles Chicken
The Faverolles chicken is also on the list of French chicken breeds. It was developed in the 19th century in the village of Faverolles, located in Normandy, France.
The Faverolles chicken is a dual-purpose breed that can be used for egg and meat production.
The Faverolles chicken is known for its docile and friendly personality, as well as its beautiful feathers.
10. Houdan Chicken
Houdan chickens are French chicken breeds. They are known for their five toes on each foot.
They are also good layers of eggs, and their meat is very tender. Houdans come in two varieties: Standard and Bantam.
The Standard variety is the larger of the two, and the Bantam variety is smaller.
11. La Flèche
La Fleche is a French chicken breed known for being hardy and suitable for foragers. They are also known to be good layers of brown eggs.
La Flèche, the French chicken, is a dual-purpose breed, meaning it can be used for meat and egg production.
The hens typically weigh 4-5 pounds, and the roosters 5-6 pounds.
12. Maran
The Marans is a French breed of chicken from the port town of Marans, in the Charente-Maritime département of southwestern France.
The Marans were bred from crosses between the local chickens and the Croad Langshan.
The Marans were first imported into Britain in the 1930s and North America in the 1970s.
The Marans is considered a gourmet breed due to the dark color of its eggs, which are said to have a chocolatey taste.
