Fayoumi

Origin:  Egypt

Category:  Softfeather Light

Egg Colour:  White or Off-White

Sitter:  Yes

The Fayoumi or Egyptian Fayoumi is also known in Egypt as Bigawi. It is named for the region where it originated - the governorate of Fayoum, which is south-west of Cairo and west of the Nile. It is believed to be an ancient breed evolving over thousands of years into the birds they are today. It is a hardy breed, well suited to hot climates. It thrives when able to free range. The breed is a fast maturer and may lay as early as four and a half months. It is primarily an egg-laying breed, producing a moderate number of small eggs. Cockerels may crow at five or sick weeks.  The hens are generally good brooders and mothers. Chicks are active and robust at birth. Fayoumi have been thought to be resistant to many diseases as a result of their high survival rates. 

Male characteristics

Type and carriage: Active and lively. Carriage upright.  Wide at the shoulders, tapering to the tail. Body of moderate length and depth. Breast developed and full giving a rounded appearance. 

Wings:  Moderately long carried well above the lower thigh.

Tail:  Large tail that is abundantly furnished and carried spread and well up. 

Head: The Fayoumi has a single comb, with even serrations. The comb, earlobes and wattles are bright red; the eyes are dark brown, the beak and toenails horn-coloured. 

Eyes: large and dark brown.

Earlobes and Wattles: Red.

Comb: Single, medium-sized, evenly serrated.

Legs: Slate blue

Female Characteristics

The female's body, wings, and tail are penciled. 

Colours

Two colour varieties are recognised: silver-pencilled and gold-pencilled; the colour pattern of the plumage shows similarity to that of the Belgian Braekel.

Silver Pencilled - See Braekel plumage markings. In colour, the hackle, wing bows, and saddle of the male of the silver variety are silver-white; the rest of the body plumage should be barred, the barring extending into the sickles, coverts being black laced with silver in the male and darkly barred or pencilled in the female. The hackle of the female is white, and the rest of the plumage is barred, the barring extending into the tail feathers. The main tail feathers of both are sold black with green sheen. The black should bars of the body plumage should be at least three times as broad as the white, and the white should be of a grayish tint rather than pure white. 

Gold pencilled - See Braekel plumage markings. The gold pencilled fowls are of a golden bay and black colour. 

In both varieties beak and claws are horn coloured. Comb and wattles are red. Eyes dark brown. The colour of flesh and skin in all varieties is white, the shanks and feet are slaty blue. 

Weights

Male Standard: 1.35–1.8 kg

Male Bantam: 430 g 

Female: Standard: 0.9–1.6 kg

Bantam: 400 g

Disqualifications and Serious Defects

See Disqualifications.

Serious defects include significant colour defects such as black striping in the neck and laced feathers on the body. Any significant deviation from breed characteristics. 

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayoumi

https://huehner-welt.com/rasseportrait-fayoumi-alte-huhnerrasse-aus-agypten/

Image Source: Egyptian Fayoumi pullet by Cory's chickens 09 - Egyptian Fayoumi pullet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cory%27s_chickens_09_-_Egyptian_Fayoumi_pullet_(28488787120)_(cropped).jpg

Image Source: An Egyptian Fayoumi at a poultry show by Benny Mazur.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NEW--Egyptian_Fayoumi.jpg

https://poultrykeeper.com/chicken-breeds/fayoumi-chickens/

https://www.thenaruvi.com/products/egyptian-fayoumi/

Scanton (1912) International Correspondence Schools Belgian, Dutch and German Fowls. 

Wikimedia Image: User:Stijn Ghesquiere 2004. - Stijn Ghesquiere, own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=295333