poultrykeeper logo

Fayoumi Chickens

Fayoumi Chicken
No. of Eggs
3.1/5
Easy to Keep?
3.5/5

Uses: Utility / eggs.
Eggs: 180-220 white or cream.
Origin: Egypt.
Weight: Cock: 1.81Kg, Hen: 1.36 – 1.58Kg.
Bantam: Cock: 430g Hen: 400g.
Colours: Gold Penciled, Silver Pencilled.
Useful to Know: Fast to mature, selected for egg laying. Extremely active, flighty very well suited to coping in the heat. A rare breed in the UK but still found in Egypt where they originated and have existed for around 4000 years.
Photo: A Silver Pencilled Fayoumi hen.

Fayoumi chickens originate from an area to the south west of Cairo in Egypt and are believed to have evolved over 4000 years into the birds they are today. There is little known about Egyptian breeds and very few ever get exported out of the country. Information is scarce.

The Fayoumi was imported into Britain in 1984 by the Domestic Fowl Trust. It has never really taken off with fanciers and I see very few in the rare breed sections of even the largest poultry shows.

The Fayoumi is hardy, quick to mature and a very active breed that can be quite flighty, easily clearing a tall fence if they put their minds to it. They were selectively bred for producing eggs and can be still found in Egypt but are extremely rare in Britain. If you are considering keeping them, they should be handled regularly from an early age so that they will build their confidence and not take off when approached. Their plumage pattern is similar in appearance to the Brackel from Belgium.

Photos

Sorry, no photos yet. If you keep Fayoumi chickens, please get in touch, we would love to get some photos.

Books

The following books are available. Links take you to the Amazon or other sellers’ pages for the books.

Breed Clubs

These are the breed clubs for the Fayoumi

Related Posts:

On this page:

You might also enjoy:

Housing Geese
Keeping Geese
Housing Geese

Providing you can give sufficient space, adequate ventilation and security from nighttime predators, a goose house need not be complicated. In this article, Mo provides the low-down on housing geese.  

Read More »
Orpington Chickens
Chicken Breeds
Orpington Chickens

The Orpington fowl is more impressive in the flesh than in photographs that accompany the various books on pure breeds of poultry. 

With its abundance of feathers, the large fowl Orpingtons fill their show pens and are a sight to behold. The bantams – a miniature version of this magnificent breed – are still relatively big birds and equally eye-catching and impressive.

Read More »
Hatchability of Chicken Eggs
Incubating, Hatching & Brooding Chicks
Hatchability of Chicken Eggs

The hatchability of chicken eggs is as essential for backyard chicken keepers as it is for commercial flocks, especially when you have a limited number of eggs from a rare breed or breed in numbers to produce a small number of birds for the show pen.

Read More »
A poultry orchard with geese
Keeping Geese
Creating an Orchard for Poultry

Traditionally, in Europe, people kept poultry in orchards. Chickens and waterfowl would eat insects and fallen fruit, and geese would keep the grass short. Droppings helped provide nutrients for the trees, and the trees provided shade, shelter and safety.

Read More »