Fayoumi Chicken Breed

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Description: Light-bodied with a long neck and almost vertical tail. The head and neck are mainly silver-white, with white or red earlobes and brown eyes, while the body is penciled with black barring with beetle-green sheen. The Egyptian Fayoumi rooster has silver-white feathers on the saddle, hackles, back, and wings, and beetle-green-sheened black feathers on the tail. The female’s body, wings, and tail are penciled. The beak and claws are horn colored. The comb and wattles are red. Egyptian Fayoumi chicks are initially brown-headed with grey-speckled bodies, only developing the characteristic colors as they fledge.
Popular Use: The main use in Egypt is for meat, whereas in Asia they are crossed with Rhode Island Red chickens for egg and meat production. In Europe and America, they are kept for eggs, and they have been extensively studied in the US, Africa, and Asia for their disease resistance.
Productivity: 190–205 eggs per year and high fertility (over 95%). Egyptian Fayoumi chicks have a high hatch rate and mature quickly: hens laying by 4.5 months; roosters crowing at six weeks old. They have lower protein requirements than other chickens.
Weight: Average hen 3.5 lb. (1.6 kg); rooster 4.5 lb. (2.0 kg). Bantam hen 14 oz. (400 g); rooster 15 oz. (430 g).
Temperament: Active and lively, but flighty, fast, and will scream if captured, although some individuals have been tamed through early gentle handling. They are strong fliers and renowned escape artists. If you are bringing home new birds, breeder Ian Eastwood recommends enclosing them until they are used to their new environment or they will likely fly or roam off. However, in the long run, they dislike confinement and fare better if allowed to free-range. Confined birds are prone to feather picking. Egyptian Fayoumi roosters are fairly tolerant of other males. Females do not readily become broody until they are two to three years old.
Adaptability: As thrifty scavengers that forage well, they need little supplemental feeding or healthcare and are able to fend for themselves when kept free-range. They cope well in hot weather, being ideally suited to tropical and subtropical climates. They adapt easily to different climates, such as those in Iraq, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, the USA, and Britain. Their hardiness and resilience are legendary, being resistant to bacterial and viral chicken diseases such as spiroketosis, salmonella, Marek’s disease, virulent Newcastle disease, and leucosis.
Biodiversity: Geneticist Susan Lamont at ISU found the Fayoumi’s genetics very different from other breeds’. She said, “The Fayoumis are a good argument for preserving biodiversity to prepare for challenges that may arise in the future.” These include their unique disease-resistant traits, which can be introduced into production chickens.
Quote: “The Fayoumi fowl is able to deal with less than ideal conditions, heat, and a lower than normal protein feed, while still able to produce high-quality eggs in good numbers. If you can forgive its slightly flighty nature, then this pretty bird, a real street urchin of the poultry world, will prove a useful addition to the smallholder’s portfolio.” Ian Eastwood, Egyptian Fayoumi chicken breeder, UK.
Originally published in the December 2019/January 2020 issue of Backyard Poultry and regularly vetted for accuracy.
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