The Pépoi or Pepoi is a rustic Italian

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

of small dual-purpose chicken from north-eastern Italy, particularly the

Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...

and

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea. Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of and a ...

regions. It is not officially recognised as a breed in Italy, but is being considered for recognition.

History

The Pépoi is a traditional farmhouse breed of north-eastern Italy, and of

and the north-eastern part of the

in particular. It is one of the few true bantam breeds in Italy, others being the Mericanel della Brianza and the

Mugellese The Mugellese, also known as Mugginese, is a rustic dual-purpose breed of small chicken or bantam from Tuscany, in central Italy. It takes its name from the historic Mugello region to the north-east of Florence. It is not officially recognis ...

. Together with the Ermellinata di Rovigo, the

Robusta Lionata The Robusta Lionata is a modern Italian breed of dual-purpose chicken originating in the city of Rovigo in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy. It was created between 1959 and 1965, by cross-breeding Buff Orpingtons with the commercial s ...

, the

Robusta Maculata The Robusta Maculata is a modern Italian dual-purpose breed of chicken. It originates in the city of Rovigo in the Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, ...

and the Padovana, the Pépoi is one of the five chicken breeds included in the CO.VA. project of Veneto Agricultura, the regional administration for agriculture of the Veneto. The project includes among its aims the conservation of local avian species of limited distribution, and the conservation of genetic resources and biodiversity, and has published a detailed description of the breed. In early 2012, the Pépoi was not officially recognised by the Federazione Italiana Associazioni Avicole, but was under consideration. Critics have suggested that the characteristics of the Pépoi are too variable for it to be considered a breed. Breed numbers remain low. A study published in 2007 used a figure of approximately 550 for the total breeding stock, of which approximately 50 were cocks.

Characteristics

The colouring of the Pépoi is golden (partridge). The skin and legs are yellow. Average weight is for cocks, for hens.

Uses

The Pépoi is a dual-purpose breed. Hens lay 160–180 eggs per year; the eggs are pinkish brown and weigh . In meat production, birds reach a weight of in four months, and are suitable as a single portion or for the spit. The meat is well-flavoured.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pepoi Chicken breeds Chicken breeds originating in Italy