Bantam Faverolles or Bantam Orpington

[AceTex88]

I would like to start a small garden flock of Bantams, but cant decide on Bantam Faverolles or Bantam Orpingtons. Any suggestions, and also any good breeders in Central Texas I could get a few eggs or chicks from? From What I have researched, both will meet my needs of decent egg production (although a bit small), and friendly (this is a requirement for my wife and children, as we had a mixed flock before that were a bit on the aggressive side). Any experienced input out there???

 

[Angiebubs]

Hard chocies! Those are the two breeds I am considering actually breeding. My thought, both are very sweet gentle birds. Orpingtons tend to go broody more often than Faverolles. The Orpingtons are more common so would be easier to find and with a larger variety of colors. IF you live in a climate with snow, the faverolles can have more issues with ice/snow freezing to legs and face muffs...ALso being that faverolles have feathered legs, they are slightly more prone to leg mites. Hope this helps with your decision.

For fertile eggs-PiperOmar on here sells/ships fertile eggs for both of these breeds in the LF, but not sure if they have bantams-I would search on their nickname and see. They have GORGOUS chickens!!!

 

[EweSheep]

I have raised both Orpington and Faverolles Bantams and they are both delightful birds to own and enjoy!

I never had ANY issues with freezing of face, muffs and leg mites or frozen feathers on my Faverolles, even right down to the mud! I get leg mites on my Orpingtons but never on my Faverolles. Could those leg mites be "selective"?

Anyway, both are good choices! Orpingtons are easier to find than Faverolles. Faverolles are known to be the real "underdog" of the chicken world and they are easily pecked by dominant ones. Unless the Faverolles been raised as chicks with the others, I find it was not a problem. Faverolles are very good for city living and they are certainly my favorites!

Right now I have a Black Orpington Bantam hen, she is already four years old, coming five. She has raise three batches of chicks herself and she is an excellent mother. I can depend on her when I am getting chicks in the mail at the time she gets broody for a week and she can hold out as long as two months! AND she would get broody twice a year!

 

[Angiebubs]

LOL Ewe Maybe! My Faverolles face muff kept getting icicles on it...so ins he would come for a little blow drying time...maybe she planned it? SHe is also a screamer-pretty cute. When she doesnt want to be bothered she lets out this drawn out screech pretty funny but then she always snuggles right up. ALso someone has decided her face muff needed trimming and shes missing some of the muff feathers. She was raised with a batch of 6 other breeds and they introduced to my flock and never had any issues with her getting picked on.

I have over a dozen orpingtons and variety fo personailitys but none were agressive. I have two black orps that are perpetually broody. One of them has me worried as shes getting pale and skinny (thinking she may also be moulting) so she gets fermented feed held in front of her each morning-spoiled birds! I have also started taking her out to free range for an hour and not letting her in coop to get her eating more.

 

[AceTex88]

Thank You for the insight... I am partial to the look and rareity of the Faverolles at the moment although I am a bit concearned about the Hot Humid Texas Summers... But Im sure as long as they are provided some some shade and plenty of water... they should do fine. Still have not made my mind up, although it might just come down to availbaility at this point, as you said ; orpingtons might be easier to locate.