Faverolles

[Marina]

This is the pullet who won the AOB (All Other Breeds) NZ Championship in Ashburton this year, beating quite a few other birds, including other Faverolles:



And here is my breeding trio - the middle bird is the mother of the pullet above:



In my experience Faverolles aren't the most prolific layers, they mature very slowly and they are not as big as other heavy breeds. My pullets weigh around the 2kg mark and the males around 3kg. They are a timid breed that gets along just fine with Orpingtons who tend to be equally timid.

On the up-side they are very calm, very interesting looking and when they are free ranging they chat away with a voice unlike any other chook I've ever come across. The cockerels make the most tender roast chicken of any heritage breed we have ever eaten so they rightfully have the reputation of being an excellent meat breed.

[GillyJ]

Very pretty and what a handsome rooster!

[wolga]

Beautiful birds ! No wonder your pullet won. She's absolutely gorgeous.
I've heard that Faverolles crossed with Indian Game make amazing table birds. Has anyone tried that ?

[gonetothedogs]

I have pullets bred from last season that are Cochin / Faverolle cross. Beautiful cross. All have beard and muffs and good leg feathering and the 5th toe though one has her 5th toe joined to another toe. Only have one very nice Faverolle hen so only had Cochin roosters to use over her.

[buzzard]

very nice trio Marina

I like the forwardness of the chest, particularly in the females and all of them have very tidy headgear, and you can tell all the girls have the correct undercolour and have that pre-req clear chests, great full orange eye one that pullet

will be nice to see them with more substance, and the male with a bit more red through his shoulder

credit to you Marina, with so many things going on in this breed (the more there is, the more can go 'wrong') it's nice to see a correct breeding group of them

[Marina]

Many thanks for these compliments, Buzzard. They mean a lot.

I was given the two hens in the second picture when they were POL pullets by a breeder friend who was going out of Faverolles. They are hom for all things 'Faverolle' which is very lucky indeed. So I hope I'll get a few more chicks from them this season.

[Marina]

My first 2 Salmon Faverolle chicks of the season. Muffs and beard are already visible as is the leg and toe feathering.



No stripes:

[buzzard]

nice!

and I know it's naff to quote yourself,
this:

and you can tell all the girls have the correct undercolour and have that pre-req clear chests,

=

No stripes:

[lizziebee]

Marina - do you have some recent photos please?

Thanks
Lizzie

[Marina]

Marina - do you have some recent photos please?

Thanks
Lizzie

Of what the chicks look like now? Or of my hens with rooster damage = bare backs

Anyways - this reminds me that I should take some pics, shouldn't I - sun is shining, grass is green - what am I waiting for.

[lizziebee]

Pics of the babies - I'd like to see what they look like now.

That'd be great!

Thanks

Lizzie

[Marina]

This is one of the chicks in the first chick photo now, about 8 weeks old:



Another one, 6 weeks old:



Yet another one, between 3 and 4 weeks old



And a 2 week old:



The 2 week old is the only one with a correct 5th toe - pointing upwards. The others' 5th toe is too close to the ground, in one case it seems fused to the 4th toe. They're all cockerels...

[Marina]

Here a few pics of chicks that have problems:

First up those bald spots on the head - they are there at hatching and when they get older it looks like they have been pecked:





And then these chicks who sit and walk on their hocks:



They never get up and it doesn't get better. Last season I raised 2 of those who only had it in one leg so could move around ok. Both stayed small, about half the size of their siblings, and they never started to lay.

I'm pretty sure it's genetic as it only occurred in one of my pens this season and after eliminating another female I hope it's gone but only time will tell.

[lizziebee]

Thanks so much for those pics Marina!

I replied this morning, but my post seems to have vanished!

I really like the colouring of the adult females. The chicks of course are gorgeous - and they are such a different looking breed. Nice and stocky, fluffy and poofy - you sort of want to cuddle them. I think I could get over the fifth toe and feathered legs if I had a female.

Are you going to keep the boys? What is their temperament like? I googled them and they seem to be very docile - are they?

Appreciate you taking the time - interesting the faults too.

Lizzie

[Marina]

Well, the males are quite perky and alert compared to Orpington males but very quiet and docile compared to Leghorns or Araucanas. Probably comparable with most heavy breed roosters. There are, of course, individual differences.

I'm not sure which of the males I'll keep - the two older ones might have yellow legs (sigh) but only time will tell. They also have a few little feathers on their middle toes - another fault. So they might end up in the pot. I've got at least 40 more eggs being incubated, mainly under hens. It's not an easy breed to get right.

The females are chatty and follow me around (if they can) - lovely character. Eggs are small and many don't lay more than 150 eggs in their first season. However, the bird who won the championship is single mated and in a pen on her own so I know that she has hardly missed a beat during the past 2 months which makes 60 eggs plus maybe 20 before that so I'm hopeful she'll beat the 200 egg mark before she stops to lay to moult.

Faverolles are a non-broody breed - I haven't had a broody one yet. The roosters make excellent eating.

Are you contemplating getting a Faverolle, Lizzie?