{ Dampierre }
Country of Origin: France
Primary Use: Egg Production
Bird Size: 5 lbs
Egg Production: 250 eggs/year
Egg Size: Large
Egg Color: White
Comb Type: Single
Hardiness: Cold hearty
​Personality: Easy going, Docile
The Dampierre is the re-creation of an old French chicken breed, the Normande, that died out more than a century ago. Until the end of the 1800s the Normande existed, in the Normandy region of France. The Normande was known for its fines white meat, delicate bones, and abundant production of white eggs that the hens were willing to incubate and hatch.
In the late 20th Century three backyard poultry experts in Normandy were able to recreate the vanished breed using Guornay and a Crevecoeur, and in 1996 the birds- renamed Dampierre to distinguish them from the historical Normande breed- were formally introduced at a French poultry show.
This breed is just beginning to make an appearance in the U.S. There are only a handful of active breeders working with this breed. When you buy Dampierre you should expect to cull some chicks in order to continue to improve the breed. Things to consider when evaluating your birds include the presence and shape of the feather crest, comb size and shape and the general type of the bird.