La Flèche chicken
La Flèche is a rare, glossy black French table breed best known for its horn-like comb.
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The La Flèche is a pure-bred chicken breed in the PCGB Rare Soft Feather Heavy class. Its origin is given as France.
It is kept in large and bantam forms. Recognised colours: Glossy black with green reflections. Typical adult weights: cock about 3.6–4.1 kg, hen about 2.7–3.2 kg, bantam cock about 1020 g and bantam hen about 790 g.
Expect roughly 150–180 eggs a year, with white shells. It is mainly kept for exhibition or as an ornamental bird.
Compiled from poultryclub.org, poultrykeeper.com, en.wikipedia.org. See sources
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Identity
- Species
- Chicken
- Type
- Pure breed
- PCGB class
- Rare Soft Feather Heavy
- Origin
- France
- Kept for
- Exhibition or ornamental
History
Named after the town of La Flèche in the Sarthe, it was a prized market bird in the 19th century but never caught on widely in Britain.
Appearance
Tall, lean and black with a green sheen; a V comb forming two upright spikes; white ear lobes.
Recognised colours
Glossy black with green reflections
Size and weight
- Forms
- Large, Bantam
- Cock
- 3.6–4.1 kg
- Hen
- 2.7–3.2 kg
- Bantam cock
- 1020 g
- Bantam hen
- 790 g
Eggs
- Eggs a year
- 150–180
- Egg colour
- White
- Notes
- Lays roughly 150–180 tinted eggs a year.
Temperament
- In short
- Active, somewhat flighty
- Keeping notes
- Active and somewhat flighty; prefers free range.
Hardiness
Fairly hardy (unconfirmed)
Broodiness
Rarely broody
Flying
Good flyer
Suitability
- Beginners
- Not ideal for beginners (unconfirmed)
- Good to know
- Can be wary of people.
Conservation status (RBST)
Not on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust's priority list.
Breed club
- The Rare Poultry Society, umbrella · Website
Sources
This page is compiled from:
Review
Some details are still being checked. In particular: hardiness; beginner suitability.
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