What to breed with houdan to make chocolate color houdans?

[CHICKENX2005]

What breed of chicken would you recommend to mix with a mottled houdan to make chocolate colored houdan type chickens?

 

[NatJ]

What breed of chicken would you recommend to mix with a mottled houdan to make chocolate colored houdan type chickens?

It needs to have the chocolate color. If you can only find chocolate in one breed, use that one.

If you have a choice of chocolate breeds, look for the one that is most like a Houdan (body size & shape, crest, comb type, egg color, etc.)

If your Houdans have flaws, this might be a chance to improve other points as well. For example, someone mentioned in another thread that Houdans are often smaller than the correct size for their breed. Crossing to a Chocolate Orpington would probably make larger chicks than crossing to a Chocolate Serama, to give an extreme example.