Faverolles Thread

[TNBEARCHICK]

Here are my little beauties.

They are gorgeous, we r raising 3 little guys/gals

 

[imtrying]

where did you get the black?

 

[bruceha2000]

I noticed today that all 4 of the bearded girls (Favs and E.E.s) beard feathers have been pecked out. I had no idea who was doing it and then I saw one of the Favs go out of her way to get to the other Fav and peck at her face.

1) How do I stop this? No blood but since all the girls think anything out of the ordinary deserves to be pecked (freckles, scabs, designs on socks, etc), it seem like it will only get worse.
2) Do I need to do anything for them?

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[sandiklaws]

I noticed today that all 4 of the bearded girls (Favs and E.E.s) beard feathers have been pecked out. I had no idea who was doing it and then I saw one of the Favs go out of her way to get to the other Fav and peck at her face.

1) How do I stop this? No blood but since all the girls think anything out of the ordinary deserves to be pecked (freckles, scabs, designs on socks, etc), it seem like it will only get worse.
2) Do I need to do anything for them?

Thanks,
Bruce

I would give them access to high protein food like game bird crumbs and vitamins in the water for a few weeks to rule out deficiencies , offer veggies and fruits on a skewer on a string, seed bells, scratch spread in the bedding, leafy hay flakes, and any other distractions that will keep them busy... and ID the culprit in a way that can easily be observed from a distance like a bright band or zip tie bracelet, so she can be watched for improvement.

 

[elizmartin]

where did you get the black?

I don't know where their black came from. But Cloverleaf has bantam blacks and some LF, Pam Maynard has LF blacks/blue(splash) and i just received a small group of LF but they are still getting settled and are not laying yet. I think Karen Carpenter in Burlington, Wa. had a bantam black at the Chehalis show today.
eliz

 

[ashandvine]

Yeah, it looks cold. Did the little guy go out and buy an overcoat? That is one fluffed up bird!

LOL... yes, he got brought out of the warmer barn into the light so I could take his pic. He wasn't happy about it. Hence the face. IDK how anything with a beak can be expressive but he was definitely scowling at me. We are in the 20s in the morning but up to 40 right now.

I would give them access to high protein food like game bird crumbs and vitamins in the water for a few weeks to rule out deficiencies , offer veggies and fruits on a skewer on a string, seed bells, scratch spread in the bedding, leafy hay flakes, and any other distractions that will keep them busy... and ID the culprit in a way that can easily be observed from a distance like a bright band or zip tie bracelet, so she can be watched for improvement.

These are great ideas. I knew a few of these but not all. I thought beard picking was often a sign of stress and/or overcrowding. I found that all my birds who arrived bare faced have beautiful beards/muffs now that they are allowed free range and table scraps.

 

[n8ivetxn]

LOL... yes, he got brought out of the warmer barn into the light so I could take his pic. He wasn't happy about it. Hence the face. IDK how anything with a beak can be expressive but he was definitely scowling at me. We are in the 20s in the morning but up to 40 right now.

LOL!

 

[n8ivetxn]

These are great ideas. I knew a few of these but not all. I thought beard picking was often a sign of stress and/or overcrowding. I found that all my birds who arrived bare faced have beautiful beards/muffs now that they are allowed free range and table scraps.

Yeah, Sandiklaws, those are good ideas. Thanks for posting. I haven't experienced it, but something to watch for....

ashandvine, good observation! I never thought about picking being a sign of stress. Maybe because I let mine free range several times a week, they aren't prone to the behavior. And table scraps! (BF will not eat leftovers!

)

 

[bruceha2000]

I thought beard picking was often a sign of stress and/or overcrowding.

Well it is NOT overcrowding. Their coop is 9 1/2 x 12 with a 7 1/2 foot ceiling. The nest box is external, the feeder is hung from the ceiling and the water is a 3/4" pipe with nipples attached to the wall. Plenty of floor space. They have 19 feet of roost at 4' and 8 feet at 2'. Plus they get out of the coop almost every day for many, many hours. Even if they decide not to go outside to hunt bugs or eat grass, they have a 6' x 50' alley outside the coop to wander around. And they get kitchen scraps and BOSS and scratch. And the attack yesterday was whiIe they were all out eating their pre bedtime scratch. I wasn't paying enough attention to which Fav attacked the other but now I see that Clemence doesn't have her beard picked out so the smoking gun is in her foot. For supposedly being a "bottom of the order" breed, these two are pretty feisty. But it could be stress other than their physical environment. I don't know how chickens think or what goes on when I'm not watching.

In any case, I'll take the suggestions to heart and see if she stops.

Bruce

 

[hcammack]

Yeah, it looks cold. Did the little guy go out and buy an overcoat? That is one fluffed up bird!

My Favs have been pretty fluffed up until today when I put together their chicken greenhouse. I will post pictures of it after break. Leaving tomorrow morning from Vermont and driving all the way down to MD. Long 10 hour drive. My friend Allsion will be watching the chickens while I am gone. Hope you all have a great turkey day.