Draft:Barbezieux (chicken)

The Barbezieux is a French breed of chicken.

It is one of the tallest chicken breeds native to Europe.

The breed was recreated by four chicken breeders from 1980 to 1985.

Currently chickens conforming to the standard are raised in its region of origin. It should also be noted the recent creation of a production sector for quality chickens with a label marked “Poulet de race Barbezieux, race ancienne”, due to the efforts of ASPOULBA (Association pour la sauvegarde de la poule de Barbezieux). In 2003, ASPOULBA drafted regional specifications bringing together five breeders and defining the criteria for production, feeding, and slaughter in a defined territory.

In order to preserve this breed, which had no equivalent until the 19th century, and its genetic heritage, the result of a long adaptation to its environment, it is necessary to systematically exclude from reproduction subjects showing signs of crossbreeding or reproducing heterogeneous chicks.

The period between the two wars got the better of the Barbezieux hen, because the fashion had shifted to the consumption of red eggs, contributing to its decline and benefiting other “synthetic” breeds, notably industrial vocation, coming from the United States, as well as Marans, geographically close.