I was interested to
see that two contest
entries were in
praise of a chicken variety I hadn’t heard of — the Salmon
Faverolles. (Like Cuckoo
Marans, the
name is French and both the singular and the plural have an “s” at
the end.) Here’s what our readers have to say:
“Here is a pic if my salmon flavorelle
rooster “King”!! I love this guy!! He is such the
protector of my 4 girls!!” — Lisa
“My beautiful Salmon
Faverolles hen,`Cheeps’! In this photo, she patiently
obliges the grandchildren, Gage and Shyanne. We love her
calm demeanor, beautiful feathers and sweet personality.
Can’t complain about the wonderful, creamy eggs, either!” —
Julie
A bit of research turned up the information that Faverolles were
initially bred to be dual purpose chickens, but have since been
largely selected for exhibition quality. So, you shouldn’t
expect them to be the most productive birds in your flock, but
they are pretty and they tend to be quiet and docile — good for
city pets. Unlike some chickens, Faverolles thrive in
confinement, and were actually the primary breed used to produce
eggs for the Parisian market in the early 1900s. On the
other hand, docility is a negative if you try to mix Faverolles
into flocks of more dominant chickens since they tend to get
picked on.
I’d be curious to
hear from other Faverolle owners. What do you like or
dislike about the breed?
keeps your flock’s drinking water clean even in a small coop.
I have just come home with a dozen fertile eggs to put under a clucky.
I may have to jeep them separated from the main flock due to the differences in aggression. Thanks for the tip (just in time)
Jude — Glad we could help, and good luck with your new chicks!