Pavilly
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Dato Curioso
Pavilly is just a few kilometres from the Seine River's great meanders on its final approach to the English Channel. The black Pavilly chicken stood out starkly against the white chalk cliffs and pale stone farmhouses of the Caux plateau — a dark speck on a bright Norman landscape.
A rare French dual-purpose breed from the town of Pavilly in Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy. The Pavilly is a medium-large bird developed in the early 20th century, characterised by solid black plumage, a single comb, clean legs, and white skin. It was bred as a farm chicken for the small mixed holdings of the Caux region, producing white eggs and decent meat. The breed's black colour was deliberately selected — black feathers were easier to keep clean-looking in the damp, muddy conditions of Norman farmyards, and black pinfeathers are less visible on a dressed carcass, making the Pavilly a practical market bird. After 1950, Normandy's farm structure changed dramatically, and the Pavilly nearly vanished. SCAF and the EE Europastandard recognise it, and a small group of Norman breeders keep the breed alive today.
🏷️ Raza
Pavilly
💭 Temperamento
Calm, docile, good forager, hardy, quiet
📏 Tamaño
Large (2.7-3.6 kg)
⏳ Esperanza de vida
5-8 years
🎨 Colores
Black
🌍 Origen
France — Pavilly, Seine-Maritime, Normandy; early 20th century
🏠 Hábitat
Free-range or enclosed run; well-adapted to damp Normandy farm conditions
🍽️ Dieta
Layer pellets; good forager on mixed Norman farmland
🎯 Propósito
Dual Purpose
🥚 Color del huevo
White
👑 Tipo de cresta
Single
🏅 Clase EE
Large Fowl