Faverolles Thread

[hcammack]

congrats

...but I have found some fav girls do not lay until nearly a year (so you know what to send me for Christmas LOL)

Really? My pullets from Dick and Keesmom started laying between 6-7 months.

 

[sandiklaws]

found some great pictures from last summer, my front garden (oops that's not a Faverolles)




the crazy boards to keep the chickens from escaping under the fence



view of where my new coops were built


one of my Merlin girls

 

[sandiklaws]

The toes aren't great, but if it's a cockerel and takes after his dad AT ALL behaviorally, he'll make someone a really amazing flock guardian - probably my sister, who wants to make up her own homestead breed, focused on behaviors like self-feeding, broodiness, etc (some people have to reinvent the wheel, but what can you do). Soup faced down a fox nose-to-nose for his girls and won when he was just seven months old, always danced and tidbitted for them, had a very pleasant and melodious crow (something that I *cannot* say for our Faverolles boys, though they are youngish yet (please tell me they'll get better as they get older?). He was generally the most awesome rooster ever, he even once schooled one of the young Faverolles for lying to the hens about having food! He was very patient with my toddler niece playing "try to touch the chicken", never challenged a human, but just couldn't cohabitate peacefully with the two Faverolles. He never went after them badly, but he picked on them in small ways all the time...needed to be the only roo. We tried to find him another flock to guard, but couldn't, so...Soup.

And I am really glad to hear that these birds aren't total crap. My husband got them for me as a gift last year, and I love them but had always hoped to help curate and preserve an endangered breed - not some half-bred adulteration of one. It's nice to hear that I maybe won't have *quite* as much work to do....

In other words, anyone got some hatching eggs available on or around the 17-23, within a four or five hour drive of Portland, ME?

I have a Fav roo that faced down a fox around 10 months and ran him off (defending the 2 other roos in the bachelor pen!). He also fought off a raccoon (I think since the girls were unscathed) when one attacked- he fought so long and loud that he woke us in time to save him... he was more then 100 feet away from the coop and still engaged with the raccoon, fighting like a mad thing, when we came to his rescue. His eyes/head were so bad I thought the coon had blinded him as he was such a mess his head resembled hamburger,, but I brought him in and cleaned him up and stuck him back with the girls the next day, as I have a no coddle policy here (middle of winter too). 2 days later and he was again breeding them. He has good flesh w/ him being heavier then expected when picked up, OK type, nice color and is an alert and attentive roo... otherwise he is an ugly sucker, (has a very poor comb), but the fox thing cinched his staying here to contribute to the flock... He is going to Michigan (along with a BIG Boulanger roo) to further add his hardy genes. but he is a nervous guy- always growls when you walk up to the coop and never relaxes in human presence. I would chalk it up to poor vision from the coon fight... except he always was like this. Never flogs you ever though. Sons from him are also more alert then the average fav roo.

I have a year old daughter from him that I do not need if you want to make the drive,,no money needed, you can have her for future eggs

this is my boy, Red Jack, he has a severe wing clip because he likes to roost where it is a pain to get him down... either my turkeys (which are now gone) or another roo pulled out his tail, he also is on "alert" and up on his toes in this picture, (he was suspicious of me LOL) his body shape is not showing well here


here he is again... almost caught him relaxing LOL

rats he saw me LOL this one gives you an idea of his size, he is a compact dude

 

[echosrevenge]

Wow...google maps says 4h 11min from my door to your town...that's tempting. If you still have her after our move (late march at the latest, we're hoping to be done by 3/1), I will definitely be in touch - it'll be a lot easier to convince my husband to let me take the one car on an 8-hour round trip for a single chicken then... Those are hardy genes worth hanging on to, and I also operate on a strict no-coddle policy. No insulated coops (just tight and dry), no heat lamps or extra lighting...but they do get hot water 3x a day when it's days on end below freezing like this.

At this point, I have a feeling that even the cull genes from y'alls flocks will be an improvement on 90% of what I've got, so....don't stew her yet? I haven't heard of many Fav roosters who are worth their salt as flock protectors - part of why our coop is 8ft from the house, even with 2 roos - and with us maybe moving to an even more remote spot (backing up on 4,000 acres of conservancy forest land), any guardian genes I can get without going outside the breed will be great.

Red Jack is very pretty, he looks pretty alert too! What sort of turkey is that in the photo with him?

 

[ashandvine]

Sandi what a refreshing sight! Thanks for the garden picture.
I love the blue slate turkey! So pretty!

 

[sandiklaws]

Wow...google maps says 4h 11min from my door to your town...that's tempting. If you still have her after our move (late march at the latest, we're hoping to be done by 3/1), I will definitely be in touch - it'll be a lot easier to convince my husband to let me take the one car on an 8-hour round trip for a single chicken then... Those are hardy genes worth hanging on to, and I also operate on a strict no-coddle policy. No insulated coops (just tight and dry), no heat lamps or extra lighting...but they do get hot water 3x a day when it's days on end below freezing like this.

At this point, I have a feeling that even the cull genes from y'alls flocks will be an improvement on 90% of what I've got, so....don't stew her yet? I haven't heard of many Fav roosters who are worth their salt as flock protectors - part of why our coop is 8ft from the house, even with 2 roos - and with us maybe moving to an even more remote spot (backing up on 4,000 acres of conservancy forest land), any guardian genes I can get without going outside the breed will be great.

I will probably have some cull older chicks in March... if you want me to put aside the better ones for you I will. You might also be interested in the out cross to Dorking project I am doing, this year will be the F1s going back to Pure Fav... the Dorking trio I used last year came from Yellow House Farm in Barrington NH, which has their birds in open sided houses year round, I will definitely have culls from those breedings and also breeder F1 hens that will not be used next year.

Red Jack is very pretty, he looks pretty alert too! What sort of turkey is that in the photo with him?

That was Sterling my Blue Slate tom, he and his mate Opal were gracious enough to allow Red to live with them for a few weeks. I had to sell them last summer because I had all sorts of issues with the wild turkeys coming into my yard, fighting w/ sterling and trying to wisk away Opal (who was not impressed LOL)

 

[sandiklaws]

Sandi what a refreshing sight! Thanks for the garden picture.
I love the blue slate turkey! So pretty!

thanks, I felt so good seeing it I had to share

 

[fancychickenlover]

Hello there,
My first Faverolle hatched yesterday, just thought I'd share a pic of the cutie


Of course, being that it is the only one of our dozen eggs to hatch, I'm convinced it's a roo and have called it Fabio, haha

My first Faverolle rooster who is also my avatar is named Fabio as well!

He's also got a son named Fabian! Great name! It suites Faverolles!

 

[fancychickenlover]

Just candled 10 of my Faverolle eggs and none of them are developing! Probably cause if the cold weather outside before I put them in! but, 5 of my sisters Lemonblue bantam Cochins are developing! Of coarse!!! ... My luck!

 

[keesmom]

Just candled 10 of my Faverolle eggs and none of them are developing! Probably cause if the cold weather outside before I put them in! but, 5 of my sisters Lemonblue bantam Cochins are developing! Of coarse!!! ... My luck!

Did you get the white male from Sandy? If so I'd put your white hen in with him now.

My first batch of eggs didn't do well either. Too cold and too old. Current hatch is going better - first one is hatching now.