Faverolles Thread

[hcammack]

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. Came home and all the birds were great. My friend did a good job taking care of them. Changed the setup yet again so its more winter friendly. I will try and take some pictures soon. But the faverolles are getting to enjoy a chicken greenhouse. I may end up turning the lights on in the laying coop soon as they have all but stopped laying in the last few days and hopefully they start up. Also planning on processing a couple of the laying hens possibly in the next day or two. Again hope everyone had a great holiday!

 

[langshanman]

Lisa ,it was nice meeting you today ,you have some beautiful birds love your pullets
langshanman

 

[bruceha2000]

By "ermine" - you mean a weasel?! Yikes! Those things are blood thirsty killers, set some traps. Google it and there is a simple plan for a good trap for those things. It's so simple it 's hard to believe it works.... I've seen one around here, but it only seems to be passing through and hasn't found the coop - yet......

Yep, winter coated weasel. Cute little bugger IF it stays away from the chickens. I just today finished putting 1/2" hardware cloth on the coop floor. Poultry stapled or screwed in behind plywood on all 4 walls. PRESUMABLY, the rodents and ermines will be able to tunnel all they want UNDER the coop but not able to get INTO the coop.

Bruce

 

[hcammack]

Wow they are so dark. Are these supposed to be Salmons?

When my bearded Orloffs and Ams came without beards it took quite a while for them to stop picking and then a molt grew in some HUGE beards/muffs. You know you can put blue food coloring (liquid kind is what I like) on them or zinc oxide (like the lifeguards use) and it might help as an easy experiment. If you aren't showing it might not matter I guess. Cross off your variables: plenty of protein and space; check and check. Nutrition good; check. No bugs; check. I guess if its really bothering you try separating them as best you can for a little while, like no contact, so that the feathers start to grow back in (getting that area wet a few times helps so think of it as a spa get away and just spritz her face with a water bottle) and see what happens after reintro. Its just a weird thing I would do. I love the beards so I want to see them.

Its interesting. I have had some flocks of birds that pull beard feathers and some that don't at all. I have found its difficult to stop once one gets in the habit of it. I had one little wyndotte bantam pullet that would pull on all the faverolles beards. But I have found with a entirely faverolles flock or a flock of faverolles and Ameraucana it hasn't been a problem for me. The fav girls here have grown a lot in the last month or so. I was going to go down to my friends farm and look over the males. But unfortunatly didn't get a chance before leaving for Thanksgiving. Hopefully I will get a chance to head down there some time this week and snap some photos. I am getting anxious to see what they really ended up looking like they are at the 6 month mark now and are apparently breeding my friends hens.

 

[hcammack]

Here are some pictures of the new faverolles setup let me know what you guys think.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

beautiful birds

 

[n8ivetxn]

Yep, winter coated weasel. Cute little bugger IF it stays away from the chickens. I just today finished putting 1/2" hardware cloth on the coop floor. Poultry stapled or screwed in behind plywood on all 4 walls. PRESUMABLY, the rodents and ermines will be able to tunnel all they want UNDER the coop but not able to get INTO the coop.

Bruce

Wow.... I hope it does stay away. I've read horror stories where they just kill everything in sight in a single episode - just to lick up the blood.

The evening I saw one here, it was crossing the yard, going toward the road and I think it unexpectedly came across my resident hare - and a chase ensued. The rabbit ran around the shop with that horrible thing chasing after it, about the 3rd lap it all stopped.... I saw the rabbit the next evening, so I know it lived.... I had just walked out of the house in time to see it all, the weasel totally ignored me the whole time - and I stood there not knowing how to help the poor hare! Needless to say, next day I purchased traps - and haven't seen it since!!!

Hardware cloth is great stuff, my coop is fortified like a castle!

 

[n8ivetxn]

Nice set up Henry

I'm so glad I have a greenhouse, it helps me keep my sanity during the 9 month rainy season

and I can share it with my Favs!! They love it..... I kept them in it until I got my first coop built (I couldn't wait to have chickens, kinda got the cart before the horse

 

[comerspoultry]

Lisa ,it was nice meeting you today ,you have some beautiful birds love your pullets
langshanman

Nice meeting you too!!!!

 

[bruceha2000]

Here are some pictures of the new faverolles setup let me know what you guys think.

Daytime "out of the wind run" only I presume? I bet they like it!

Pretty windy yesterday. My girls spent most of the day hanging around in the barn alley but they went out several times, feathers blowing in the 27F wind and didn't seem to notice. I, on the other hand, had very cold toes and hands even though I was wearing gloves when I could and boots AND was mostly in the alley out of the wind.

They are beautiful girls.

Old North end?

Bruce