Faverolles Thread

[n8ivetxn]

So... they 'got away' and became just pretty birds?
I have eaten a few birds here and on other farms where I lived but they were not heritage birds... not that I can recall anyway. Would you mind explaining what you think the huge differences were? IDK if i am offending Fav keepers here by talking about eating them but I know that is what any cull here will be for. How many of you raise for meat or for show... or just for cute and fluffy fun? I need to make a living with my birds or at least a means for my family as well as have fun with the fluff so i thought I would ask. I understand not everyone eats their birds. Not trying to upset those of you who don't.

I originally bought chickens as a form of livestock, to help me learn to be a little more self-sufficient and eat healthier, local foods. I chose heritage breeds that lay year round, are a little broody, and yes, we eat culls.... However, after I found BYC, chickens have become a hobby as well as food for the table. I really enjoy the SFs and have decided to dedicate a considerable amount of available resources to (hopefully) improving them.

Like most of us here, I'm not independently wealthy, so it helps when I can sell excess eggs and birds to help cover their feed.

I've only eaten one SF so far, he got mean after I brought him home - I won't deal with that and I certainly wouldn't breed that trait. So he went in the freezer at 1 year old. I made chicken and dumplings out of him - yum! My fiance is trying to adjust to this new way of eating, so I have to dress it up a bit for him

 

[n8ivetxn]

I know Melissa (Pasofinofarm) has faverolles and she processes all the culls. She said they are the best tasting out of the breeds she has : Marans, Ameraucanas, and faverolles. She told me they could be pretty good meat birds compared with those other breeds. I will be eating my culls from hatching this spring. I think its a great use of the extra males. Faverolles should be meaty enough to make good eating as that was their original purpose as well as being fairly good egg layers. I think they did slip by and became mostly show stock as did most other traditional table fowl when the Cornish X rolled around.

I think I'd agree with Melissa. Compared to my Marans and Ams, the SF does seem a little "beefier" for a chicken..... Yes, I think it's a good use of extra males... Ams are scrawny little things!

In the above post I mentioned "selling eggs" - I meant for eating, not for hatching. I need better quality SF for that.....

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote: A lot of it is in the cooking and presentation for sure...if we're going to get back to eating how our grandparents and great grandparents did, we have to get back to cooking how they did as well. That's where a lot of people fall on their face when trying to cook a home grown bird...they think they can cook it the same way they do those watered down abominations they buy at the store, and it just doesn't work like that...low and slow is the key.

 

[n8ivetxn]

I don't think you'll offend anyone on this thread when you talk about eating your birds, many of us do it, and those that don't, mostly realize that since that was the Favs original purpose, that they're going to hear about it, want to or not.

Side by side with the Cochin, the Fav just had a deeper, richer flavor (they were both amazing, being home grown though). I did a slow crock pot cook with both of them, and after trying them both (which was the point of cooking them at the same time) ended up shredding all the meat together, made a huge pot of the tastiest chicken soup I've ever had (NO seasoning except salt required) and had shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches.

I haven't eaten very many of my birds yet, because I don't have a lot of extra room to grow them out to butcher weight. But I grow out more each time, and plan to continue...

That's what I want to do - a side by side taste test..... I could invite the neighbors to sample some too (maybe they'd be interested in buying a male or two!)

I've started culling the boys at 5 months. I think that's kind of a standard time frame.....just before they become a hormonal problem!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:

 

[n8ivetxn]

A lot of it is in the cooking and presentation for sure...if we're going to get back to eating how our grandparents and great grandparents did, we have to get back to cooking how they did as well. That's where a lot of people fall on their face when trying to cook a home grown bird...they think they can cook it the same way they do those watered down abominations they buy at the store, and it just doesn't work like that...low and slow is the key.

Yum! I'm getting hungry

Let's see: fried chicken, bbq chicken, chicken noodle (or rice), chicken veggie, casseroles.... endless possibilities!

 

[n8ivetxn]

"abominations"

Yes!

 

[poularde]

I have to say that I liked my Fav boys the best for eating. I have raised Marans, Barred rocks, Brahmas and some Araucana crosses. I think the Favs dressed out the nicest. They have such lovely white skin and meat. I was very impressed. I have some Fav cross boys that I need to process. They are huge!

I am still learning how to cook them properly. I have had the best luck using them in soups so far. The breast meat seems to work just fine with quicker cooking methods.

 

[Cynthia12]

I want blues! I can't imagine how tiny a bantam must be, the LF are tiny enough! - But boy, they get around! They run so fast they look like little fuzz bunnies rolling around in the run area

I was noticing this morning that my little hatchery girls have a little of the black in their beards, just like your little hen! One of them has "toddler legs" - short and stubby!

Here are a few pictures of my little blue Faverolle bantam, with a Swedish Flower LF.




Little Tiny Tot..

Very sweet baby too

 

[bruceha2000]

I wish I could be useful here, but unless they are going to Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket there is not much I can do unless I happen to be traveling... be happy to help anyone between where I live and Virginia next week when I head down there though.

I MIGHT be driving to Troy Ohio next June. If I do, I could get a couple of chickens quite a distance