Poultry
Crevecoeur
B tier
Crevecoeur is an old French black crested breed from Normandy, named after the village of Crèvecœur-en-Auge. Birds show a full crest, beard, V-comb, and glossy black plumage, with a compact, solid body historically valued for fine table quality as much as for appearance. Meat is traditionally esteemed as delicate and well flavoured—closer to classic French farmhouse poultry than to mild industrial broiler. Young Crevecoeurs roast beautifully; older birds suit slow braises and rich stocks. Today the breed is rare and kept mainly by conservationists and specialty producers.
Also known as: Crèvecœur, Crèvecœur normand, Crevecoeur, Crevecoeur
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History
Black crested fowl of the Auge region in Normandy supplied local markets with eggs and esteemed table birds.
French poultry writers praised Crèvecœur chickens among the country’s finest gourmet dual-purpose breeds.
Early American standards listed Crevecoeurs, though numbers remained limited compared with Mediterranean layers.
British imports established small Crevecoeur flocks for exhibition and experimental table breeding.
Wartime losses and industrial poultry left Crevecoeur critically rare within France.
Norman and national conservation programmes worked to rebuild Crevecoeur populations for heritage gastronomy.