Gauloise Dorée
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Fun Fact
The Gauloise (Gallic Hen) takes its name from the ancient Gauls — the Celtic peoples of pre-Roman France — and is believed to descend from the fighting cocks that Roman writers described as particularly fierce among the Celtic tribes. The cockerel (Coq Gaulois) is France's national symbol, and the Gauloise is its direct living descendant.
One of France's oldest and most active laying breeds, the Gauloise (Gallic Hen) comes in several colour varieties of which the Dorée — golden — is the most celebrated. The Gauloise is a lean, vigorous, Mediterranean-influenced breed with a large upright single comb, close plumage, and an alert, independent character that makes it an outstanding free-range forager. Recognised by the Société Centrale Avicole de France (SCAF) and the EE Europastandard, the Gauloise was once the archetypal French farmyard chicken before commercial breeds replaced it, and is now a conservation breed representing pre-industrial French poultry culture.
🏷️ Breed
Gauloise Dorée
💭 Temperament
Active, alert, independent, excellent forager, flighty
📏 Size
Medium (1.8-2.7 kg)
⏳ Lifespan
5-8 years
🎨 Colors
Golden (Dorée — most famous); also cuckoo, silver-grey, white, black, partridge
🌍 Origin
France; ancient Gallic farmyard breed; SCAF recognised
🏠 Habitat
Free-range strongly preferred; active breed needing space
🍽️ Diet
Layer pellets; exceptional forager — historically kept with minimal supplemental feed
🎯 Purpose
Dual Purpose
🥚 Egg Colour
Tinted
👑 Comb Type
Single
🏅 EE Class
Large Fowl