Egyptian Fayoumi
Encyclopedia
The Fayoumi is a breed
of chicken
originating in Egypt
. Fayoumis are a very old breed in their native region, and are named for the Faiyum Governorate southwest of Cairo
and west of the Nile
. They have been present in the West since at least the 1940s, when they were imported from Egypt by an Iowa State University
Dean of Agriculture
.
However, they are not officially recognized for exhibition
by the American Poultry Association
, and are not included in the Standard of Perfection.
With their upright tails and forward jutting breast and neck, they are sometimes likened to a roadrunners
. They are a light-weight fowl, with roosters weighing in around 2 kilos (4.5 pounds) and hens 1.6 kilos (3.5 pounds). They appear only in a single variety. In roosters, the plumage is silver-white on the head, neck, back and saddle, with the rest in a black and white barring. Hens have heads and necks in the silver-white hue, with the rest barred. Fayoumis have a single comb
, earlobes, and wattles are red and moderately large, with a white spot in the earlobes. They have dark horn colored beaks, and slate blue skin. Their appearance is remarkably similar to the Silver variety of the Campine
breed of Belgium
, and the Campine may be descended from a Fayoumi-like chicken brought north in Europe by the Romans
.
Fayoumis are a hardy breed, and particularly well suited to hot climates. The breed, through poultry genetics
research and anecdotal reports, is thought to be especially resistant to viral
and bacterial infections. They are also very good foragers, and if left to their own devices on a free range
basis they can fend for themselves in a nearly feral
manner. Fayoumi hens are good layers of small, off-white eggs
. They are not given to broodiness as pullets, but can be when they reach two or three years of age. The breed is fast to mature, with hens laying by four and half months, and cockerels crowing at five or six weeks.
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
of chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
originating in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Fayoumis are a very old breed in their native region, and are named for the Faiyum Governorate southwest of Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and west of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
. They have been present in the West since at least the 1940s, when they were imported from Egypt by an Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
Dean of Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
.
However, they are not officially recognized for exhibition
Livestock show
A livestock show is an event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits as specified by their respective breed standard. Species of livestock that may be shown include pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, llamas and alpacas. Poultry such as chickens, geese, ducks,...
by the American Poultry Association
American Poultry Association
The American Poultry Association is the oldest poultry organization in the North America. Founded in 1873, and incorporated in Indiana in 1932 The first American poultry show was held in 1849, and the APA was later formed in response to the burgeoning need for an overseeing body to set standards...
, and are not included in the Standard of Perfection.
With their upright tails and forward jutting breast and neck, they are sometimes likened to a roadrunners
Geococcyx
The roadrunners are two species of bird in the genus Geococcyx of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, native to North and Central America...
. They are a light-weight fowl, with roosters weighing in around 2 kilos (4.5 pounds) and hens 1.6 kilos (3.5 pounds). They appear only in a single variety. In roosters, the plumage is silver-white on the head, neck, back and saddle, with the rest in a black and white barring. Hens have heads and necks in the silver-white hue, with the rest barred. Fayoumis have a single comb
Comb (anatomy)
Anatomically, a comb is a fleshy growth, caruncle, or crest on the top of the head of gallinaceous birds, most notably turkeys, pheasants, and domestic chickens...
, earlobes, and wattles are red and moderately large, with a white spot in the earlobes. They have dark horn colored beaks, and slate blue skin. Their appearance is remarkably similar to the Silver variety of the Campine
Campine (chicken)
The Campine is a breed of chicken originating in Belgium's Campine region. They are a fairly small breed in Silver and Gold varieties, with solid white or golden hackles and iridescent black-green barred bodies. Hens and roosters are nearly identical in feather coloration. They will lay a fair...
breed of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and the Campine may be descended from a Fayoumi-like chicken brought north in Europe by the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
Fayoumis are a hardy breed, and particularly well suited to hot climates. The breed, through poultry genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
research and anecdotal reports, is thought to be especially resistant to viral
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
and bacterial infections. They are also very good foragers, and if left to their own devices on a free range
Free range
thumb|250px|Free-range chickens being fed outdoors.Free range is a term which outside of the United States denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals are allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner. In the United States, USDA regulations apply only to poultry and...
basis they can fend for themselves in a nearly feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
manner. Fayoumi hens are good layers of small, off-white eggs
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
. They are not given to broodiness as pullets, but can be when they reach two or three years of age. The breed is fast to mature, with hens laying by four and half months, and cockerels crowing at five or six weeks.
External links
- Fayoumis at feathersite