La Flèche
History & heritage
One living story. Knowledge kept together.
La Flèche — identified breed photograph. · Thomon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · License terms
Follow the story behind the name.
La Flèche takes its name from its French place of origin in Sarthe. Its distinctive V-shaped comb makes a memorable identification feature, although the geographic name has sometimes been misinterpreted as a reference to an arrow.
American imports arrived in the 1850s, but breeders in some regions preferred hardier alternatives. American standard recognition came in 1874. French markets valued its table qualities, including birds prepared specifically for premium meat production.
Black plumage, a split V-shaped comb, white earlobes and dark slate legs characterize La Flèche. Tight feathers can conceal its substantial weight. Hens lay white eggs and are generally poor brooders, so breeding plans should not assume they will incubate their own clutches.
Interpreting a traditional table breed
The society connects La Flèche with Sarthe and poultry supplied to Paris markets in the nineteenth century. Its breed description therefore combines carriage and distinctive head form with a substantial table-poultry body. Those historical priorities are useful context, not proof of present feed efficiency or consumer demand. A careful illustration should show both the head and body, while the precise current national standard remains the reference for formal exhibition judgments.
Sources for general species learning
Sources behind the breed’s story.
The original history, identity and conservation teaching above draws on these cited accounts. Official links open the full material for further study.
Keep learning from official information.
These research portals help locate further material. A search link is a route for exploration; it is separate from the sources used for the article above. Domestic breed information, wild-species assessment, historical books and new research need their own context.
- FAO DAD-IS · Domestic breed information
- IUCN Red List · Species assessments
- Biodiversity Heritage Library · Historical literature search
- USDA National Agricultural Library · Research search
- Google Scholar · Scholarly literature search
- Open Library · Book catalogue search
- HathiTrust · Digitized catalogue search