I’ve bought four items since Christmas. The first, a resin trio, was a disappointment. Looked good in the promo photos, but will need lots of work. Then I bought Himini’s “Birds” volume 2, from El Greco. Three for one project the fourth for another. As I will show, they are lovely. A bit cheered up, I bought the really nice French Zouave from Wars & Peaces Miniatures in France, then last week as soon as announced for sale, the Himini Russian Officer. After all, the chickens were so good...
Himini do two sets of birds; volume one has four chickens and a duck, volume two, three chickens and a crow. 75mm. I wanted the chickens to go with the Zouave, as you do, and the crow will work with a future fantasy figure. Packed in the usual Himini wooden box, very very nice.
The only downside is that I seem to have no references to chickens. The Zouave, 1914, no problem. As for what sort of chicken would be wandering around a farmyard in northern France in October 1914, I can’t seem to find the appropriate Osprey!.

I think Ospreys eat fish rather than chickens.

We have many different birds in our range. Domestic and wild ones. Chickens, roosters, gooses, raven and owls)) And even more are coming! We will definitely continue this line.

I'll have a look tomorrow in my 'Chicken' book, but Maran's are a native of France and are quite interesting colouring t'boot
Cheers for now
Paul

Marans? Imagine trying to paint those in 75mm scale!

Aargh!

Jeff

Of course mate, don't you?

Sorry just dusting the flour off my hands so I can type a response Bob

Anyway as I was saying . . .
Another choice would be Faverolles which come from Northern France. or possibly some of the Dutch breeds such as Barnies (Barnevelders - one of my favourites, but tricky to paint in the barred feather version!) Or a nice distinctive coloured bird is the Lakenvelder which is claimed to originate in either Holland (likely) or Germany - Both claim the breed as their own.
That should be a few distinctive breeds to get you going, but bog standard 'chicken colours' would also be as likely in a village IMO
Have fun
Paul

Well, I’m going to complicate matters somewhat!. My concept is for the rooster to be the classic, iconographic, “Gallic rooster” as seen on French war memorials and as a French symbol. So probably not something too exotic?.
However, Himini have provided two other chickens, and being a glutton for punishment, I will probably try one of the black and white varieties.