Faverolles Thread

[Fruitful Acres]

Anything with an orange leg band hatched early 2012. Everything else hatched this year and is a son or daughter to Hoss. The rooster looking boy has sprigs on the back of his comb so he going to be eaten. Keep in mind that he only about 6 months old. Both of the younger cockerels are about 3 months old and appear to have acceptable combs and good feet. One is lighter in color than the other and I've been noticing that the darker one is a little heavier too. This is currently the "layer" flock.

... from another angle.

 

[Fruitful Acres]

I have so many pictures, but hardly any that are decent of the breeding group of hens. Here are a couple, although some of these girls are molting and Cotton has more tail in now (and a head when she isn't whirling around).

The one in front is from the original 2012 hatched group, like Cotton.

 

[Fruitful Acres]

Really beautiful birds!

X2 :

 

[n8ivetxn]

Thank you. I can tell uploading pics is my next task.

I just finished reading the entire thread. It's been a nail biter. I've felt the rush of excitement when Rose and Peter started making contributions to the thread. I've cried when sickness and predators took out prize birds. I've been thoroughly depressed to watch the older breeders disappear and find all the links to some of the most informative web pages dead. I've learned a TON though.

We now have a breeder pen and a layer coop. I've carefully examined the boys and I'm down to 2 cockerels that are possibilities and the father of all who isn't going anywhere. I'd love to pick up a richly colored, typey, breeding quality cockerel if anyone knows how to get one to Texas.

This year, I've put the best colored girls (who happen to be the best layers and have good toes) in the breeding pen. Next year, I'll get much more picky about beard thickness and combs. I don't want to lose sight of the body shape, size and broodiness that I also want to retain, but since the oldest of the hens only hatched last spring, I want to increase flock size and see some girls at maturity before culling any girls.
You all have seen to it that the bug bit me!

A big, Texas "Howdy!"

and welcome to the thread (I'm from North Central TX) - nice flock! It's so tough getting good pics of chickens, LOL!

I'm not sure how many good hens you have for breeding, but the long time breeders have a saying I try to keep in mind, "build the barn before you paint it!" Good combs have been difficult for me to get, almost as difficult as good toes

. I don't worry so much about color. - Type, size, feet and combs are priorities for me - I've found the beard and color are good, for the most part..... I also choose broodiness in my girls - Some of us just don't have time or inclination to mother a bunch of chicks

, so I let them do it!

If you need a nice cockerel shipped to you, the USPS will ship live birds, but most breeders won't ship a single bird, you might have to buy 2 or 3 to keep company and stay warm.... I bought 2 hens from Keesmom last fall, those girls traveled from the Northeast to the Northwest! - They were well worth it.... Also, Delta Airlines has 2 excellent programs for shipping live animals (DASH, or live animal cargo) - and I've heard dog breeders that rave about how well the pets are cared for, I may be using it soon to purchase new bloodlines for my sheep flock. Looking at Delta's rates, I think it's comparable to using the USPS.

Rita

 

[lilypad]

I have bantams my hens are about 32 oz and my males are about 34 oz

Thank you! I shall hopefully get round to weighing my girls tomorrow

 

[Fruitful Acres]

A big, Texas "Howdy!" and welcome to the thread (I'm from North Central TX) - nice flock! It's so tough getting good pics of chickens, LOL!

I'm not sure how many good hens you have for breeding, but the long time breeders have a saying I try to keep in mind, "build the barn before you paint it!" Good combs have been difficult for me to get, almost as difficult as good toes :/ . I don't worry so much about color. - Type, size, feet and combs are priorities for me - I've found the beard and color are good, for the most part..... I also choose broodiness in my girls - Some of us just don't have time or inclination to mother a bunch of chicks , so I let them do it!

If you need a nice cockerel shipped to you, the USPS will ship live birds, but most breeders won't ship a single bird, you might have to buy 2 or 3 to keep company and stay warm.... I bought 2 hens from Keesmom last fall, those girls traveled from the Northeast to the Northwest! - They were well worth it.... Also, Delta Airlines has 2 excellent programs for shipping live animals (DASH, or live animal cargo) - and I've heard dog breeders that rave about how well the pets are cared for, I may be using it soon to purchase new bloodlines for my sheep flock. Looking at Delta's rates, I think it's comparable to using the USPS.

Rita

Thank you. We must be really close to each other. Perhaps we can trade down the line or something. What kind of sheep do you raise? We raise Katahdins. Our farm name was what I ended up choosing for my handle here.

I've got an abundance of decent toes in the girls. I haven't looked at their combs. I have looked at body shape, laying behavior, general color (like if there's no difference in color between the top and bottom of the hen) and broodiness this year. When I have more to select from next year, my first priority is going to be larger and darker eggs, followed by beards and combs. I'd like to see what the pullets look like after a hard molt next year. Right this minute, the breeding pen consists of 3 hens, 3 pullets and Hoss. We have 2 more hens that I plan to put there once they are out of quarantine. In the past, we've kept at least 3 dozen layers, so until our numbers are higher, I don't feel inclined to be too particular on the girl's looks. I just didn't want to bother with a mixed flock and after reading about how Faverolles don't do too well in a mixed flock, I don't regret at all starting with only the Faverolles.

The boys, I have so many to choose from that I'm going through the criterion some of the experts on this thread mentioned previously...combs, beards, toes, at hatch (OK, we're a little past hatch, but that just means we can send them to the freezer instead of waiting for them to get big enough)...that alone left me with just 2 of the younger cockerels to choose from. Since they are in the 8-10 weeks range, the next culling point was shape and weight. One is definitely heavier, but shape is excellent on both to my inexperienced eye. I'm thinking they both stay around since they are too small to eat just yet and I'm all about insurance in case something happens to one of them.

How much did the shipping cost on the two you got? Maybe it makes sense to buy a few younger ones or a bunch of eggs if I get a broody hen (I'm not real good at incubation and like you said, like to let the hens do the work).

 

[lesslea317]

I really like the idea of buying a big rooster. I only have one good boy as far as type, and he has a smaller comb and body then the others with funky Combs :-( I would also like at least one hen that isn't German dark....but that's just more of a preference thing I suppose. Seems a lot easier to fly a chicken than a sheep, lol, I went across the country for my Awassi sheep too and it was a fun road trip, but I don't think I would do it for one chicken!

 

[Fruitful Acres]

I really like the idea of buying a big rooster. I only have one good boy as far as type, and he has a smaller comb and body then the others with funky Combs :-( I would also like at least one hen that isn't German dark....but that's just more of a preference thing I suppose. Seems a lot easier to fly a chicken than a sheep, lol, I went across the country for my Awassi sheep too and it was a fun road trip, but I don't think I would do it for one chicken!

Awassi?! In the US? How much did that cost and where did you get it?...or would you have one for sale at some point? I'd love to get my hands on one. That's a milk sheep that would actually thrive here in Texas... Although I would have to take up shearing.

 

[ashandvine]

So... missing my favs. I only come in here to torture myself with everyone elses Someday again...

 

[barngodess]

So where in Texas are you Fruitful Acres? I'm in Victoria and travel to north Austin area often.
Pamela
Little Creek Farms