Estaires chicken
The Poule d'Estaires is a breed of domestic chicken from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of north-eastern France. It is a variety of the Langshan breed imported to England from China in 1872, and exported from there to Europe soon after. Some were raised in the Pas-de-Calais département, and others in the neighbouring Nord département, particularly in the areas of Estaires, La Gorgue, Laventie and Merville, from which birds were supplied to Lille. A breeders' club was formed in 1999, and in 2004 the breed came under the protection of the Centre Régional de Ressources Génétiques, the genetic resource centre of the Nord – Pas de Calais region.
| Life Span | 5-10 years |
| Weight | 2-5 kg |
What to Know Before Buying an Estaires chicken
Finding a responsible Estaires chicken breeder requires more than browsing classified ads or responding to social media posts. The USDA requires any breeder who sells chickens commercially — especially those selling online or through third-party dealers — to hold a federal license and submit to regular inspections. A legitimate breeder should be willing to provide their USDA license number, invite you to visit their facility, and show you where the animals are housed and socialized.
Before committing to a purchase, ask the breeder for veterinary health records, vaccination documentation, and any genetic testing results relevant to the Estaires chicken. Reputable breeders will also ask you questions in return — about your living situation, experience with animals, and ability to provide long-term care. A breeder who asks no questions and is eager to ship an animal immediately is a significant red flag.
Use the search tool below to check whether any USDA-licensed facilities breeding Estaires chickens appear in our database. If they do, review their inspection history carefully. Look for patterns of violations, pay attention to severity levels, and compare their compliance grade with other breeders in the same state. This due diligence takes minutes and can save you from supporting a facility with documented animal welfare problems.
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Search our database of USDA-licensed facilities to find inspected breeders and check their compliance history.
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