Pépoi

Geographic origin: Veneto

Geographic distribution: Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Estimated total population size: 899 (Castillo et al., 2021)

Extinction risk status (FAO, 1998): Threatened conserved

Any other specific information: Small-sized breed

Historical origin of the breed

The Pépoi breed originated in the Veneto region and it is widely spread in the north-eastern Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions. It is one of the very few small size breeds currently available on the market.
It is included in the National Plan on Biodiversity in Agriculture as a local breed and in the Atlas of Traditional Agri-food Products (Atlante dei Prodotti Agroalimentari Tradizionali) of the Veneto region.
Rearing of this rustic breed is easy and suitable for agritourism farms, educational farms and for the production of single-portion chicken. The breed is suitable for the valorisation of typical productions of the Veneto region.

Qualitative morphological traits

Feather morphology: Normal

Feather distribution: Normal

Plumage structure: Adherent and soft

Plumage colours: Golden

Colour features: Bi-colour, with sexual dimorphism

Colour pattern: In the male, head and cape golden, back golden red, chest, belly, and thighs black, tail black with green sheen and down grey. In the female, head and cape yellow, back, shoulders and wing coverts with uniform brownish ground with every feather shaded with black and a neat brilliant gold edge; chest salmon pink, belly and legs ash-brown with edging and patterning on the shafts, tail black with brown sheen, down grey.

Chick plumage colour: Light brown down with darker stripes on the back and head

Comb type: Simple comb

Comb spikes: Five spikes

Ear-lobe colour: Yellowish-white to red streaked with white

Beak colour: Yellow

Iris colour: Orange to red

Skin colour: Yellow

Shank colour: Yellow

Shank feathering: Free from feathers

Pictures from the archives of Prof. Gabriele Baldan and Prof. Massimo De Marchi.

Pépoi male (UniPD)

Pépoi females (UniPD)