Would like to show LF Salmon Faverolles - Where to start??

[Jmurcks]

I'm not sure if this is the correct section to post this so please forgive and delete if needed!

I want to show large fowl Favorelles in the salmon color.
Everyone mentions not to start with hatchery stock but rather good show stock.
Can anyone point me to someone that has them?
I'm willing to pay up front to start with the best I can get but being a rarer breed there are so few breeders I didn't know where to start!!
Would prefer if someone could ship, otherwise around N Alabama.

Thanks and sorry again if I am in violation!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Many breeds have clubs. That's where I'd start to find the best breeders. Most of these clubs also have FB portals now-a-days as well.

Get a mentor, always begin with the very best stock you possibly can, buy the Standard of Perfection - join APA for large fowl and ABA for bantam. Part of joining the APA is getting The Year Book. In that Year Book are listings and advertising of some of the best breeders of exhibition quality, bred to standard fowl.

The very best to you as you begin this new journey and adventure.

 

[junebuggena]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/268082/faverolles-thread
This is the thread for Faverolles. It's pretty big, but you should be able to find some good resources buried in there.

 

[keesmom]

Unfortunately the Faverolles Fanciers of America dissolved a year ago due to lack of interest. The FB page is still active though so you could check there. There is a lengthy Faverolles thread (the one junebuggena posted) however there are few of us who still check in there.

I can't think of any LF salmon breeders in your area. There are some on the west coast, northeast, Ohio and Texas.

 

[Jmurcks]

Thanks so much for the info!

It was strange to check Craigslist and not have a single hit!
I thought I might have spelled it wrong lol

I wouldn't mind having them shipped to me but I think I may have picked the wrong time of year to start looking!

 

[keesmom]

It isn't the wrong time of year to look. Actually now is the time to try to find them as breeders weed out the excess hatchlings. The problem is there just aren't many breeders out there. Two of the 3 remaining long timers have dispersed their flocks over the past 2 years. One sent his breeders to Leisha Comer in OH. Another is here in MA.

I got an extremely late start on hatching because of the harsh winter so I have no idea if I can help. Everything I have is still too young to judge,.

 

[Jmurcks]

I would love to purchase some from you, when you decide who to let go!
I will try to keep looking in the meantime and see what I can come up with!

Would it be a bad idea to purchase hatchery stock and work up, being they are so hard to find?

 

[junebuggena]

Hatchery stock can be pretty terrible quality in terms of color. A lot of hatchery sourced hens are way too dark to even consider breeding. And then there is the size and shape to contend with. Hatcheries like to breed their stock smaller, and lighter built to get better production, but then the birds no longer meet standard. If you do choose to start with hatchery stock, be prepared to cull heavily in the first 5 years. It will take a long time, and a lot of culling to get your gene pool in better shape.
That's why everyone says get your stock from a good breeder if you are really serious about preserving the breed.

 

[Fred's Hens]

[COLOR=rgb(7.840000%, 9.410000%, 13.700000%)]FIFTEEN THINGS YOU MUST DO TO BECOME A GOOD CHICKEN BREEDER
As posted on the Marans of USA facebook page.
By: Rip Stalvey [/COLOR]

[COLOR=rgb(7.840000%, 9.410000%, 13.700000%)]Wow, I have a half day off...I'm almost giddy with excitement. So I thought I would do something I haven't been able to do for a while; write a post.
I was thinking some about what I would tell someone who asked me what they should do to become a good chicken breeder. So here's my list. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=rgb(7.840000%, 9.410000%, 13.700000%)]1. Study the APA Standard of Perfection. Not just about your chosen breed either. The first thirty or so pages contain great information. Plus learning about other breeds will be invaluable to you.
2. Be honest with yourself. Don't suffer from coop blindness and fool yourself into thinking your birds are better than they are. Not being able to see the faults in your own birds is another issue.
3. Find a mentor. Good mentors are hard to find but worth their weight in gold. Look for someone that's been breeding birds at least fifteen years. Then follow their advice!
4. Keep your line pure. Crossing two different lines is the fastest way to fail that I know of. If you feel you need new blood get an unrelated bird from the same line you're working with. Always introduce new blood by using a female rather than a male...your results will be better over the long term.
5. Know where you want to go with your breeding. What needs to be fixed about your birds? What is your primary focus; type, color pattern, or egg color. Don't try to fix too many things at one time.
6. Build from a solid foundation. Get the very best birds you can lay your hands on. That way you be light years ahead of many. Re-read numbers 1 and 4.
7. Remember the rule of tens. For every ten chicks you raise usually only one will be good enough to keep. For every 100 chicks raised count on ten being good enough to keep. Never keep a bird that won't move your program forward.
8. Cull your birds rigorously. The tendency is for most people is to keep too many birds. Don't do it as it will only set you back! Re-read number seven.
9. Limit your numbers. Only hatch as many chicks as you can adequately care for. Chicks reared in crowed conditions never reach their full potential. If you have space for 50, hatch 40.
10. Keep really good “forever” records. Document every thing...matings, results, egg color, growth rate, vigor, etc. This will document your progress and guide your future. Hang on to these records for dear life.
11. If you're in it for the money you won't succeed. Sadly there are too many folks that are out to make a quick buck. Typically their birds are pretty inferior representatives of the breed.
12. Breed from Cocks and Hens. When you do this you're dealing with a known quantity. It's a case of what you see is what you've got. Cockerels and pullets will change a lot as they full mature.
13. Support the APA and the breed club. Become an active member in both. These are the organizations working
to improve the hobby and the breeds.
14. Accept responsibility for your birds. It's not right to blame your line's creator for the faults in your flock. Once you acquire your start and begin breeding them they are your line not theirs.
15. Share your knowledge. Never be afraid to share what you've learned with others. Many old time breeder I knew were quick to help a new comer. We don't see much of that anymore and that's a shame because too much knowledge has been lost. [/COLOR]

 

[Jmurcks]

I am printing that out and hanging it in my hatching room!
I like that!