Salmon Faverolles are a fabulous French chicken breed and one of the most endearing breeds around. They are guaranteed to steal your heart.
What makes Salmon Faverolles so special? They’re stunning, fluffy, quirky, chatty, affectionate, easy going and appear to have a lust for life. This chicken will make you laugh out loud and treat you to four eggs a week.
It’s hard to articulate how adorable this breed is. If you’ve never kept chickens before, then The Salmon Faverolles will soon have you hooked!
Salmon Faverolles don’t tolerate humans, they love them. They seek out fuss and affection and make the perfect pets. This is why we love Salmon Faverolles.
If you want an engaging poultry pet then…BOOM…you’ve found your breed!
If you’re new to chickens or you’re hoping to grow your flock, then have you heard of Chickenpedia? The clue’s in the name: it’s an encyclopedia of all things chicken, but much better! You’ll find bite-sized reliable advice, expert tips, downloads, charts, trackers, healthcare courses, coop plans…the works! Check it out here.
“I was new to keeping chickens and wanted helpful advice. Chickenpedia courses have been incredibly helpful and your online consulting invaluable. Thank you!” (Claire S, Columbus, OH)
This beautiful breed is on the Livestock Conservancy’s threatened list through no fault of their own. They’re winning our hearts again though, quite rightly, so if you like what you read, maybe you can help these hens ditch the at-risk list for good!
La Faverolles is pronounced ‘fav-ur-roll’ - ideally with a fancy French🇫🇷 accent and a rolled ‘r’. Faverolles is always written with an ‘s’ whether singular or plural, but the ‘s’ should only be pronounced when plural. Trust me when I say that you won’t want to stop at just one Faverolles anyway, so I wouldn’t worry about getting confused.
Coming up:
What Are Salmon Faverolles Chickens Like?
What do Salmon Faverolles Look Like?
What Varieties of Faverolles Are There?
How Big are Salmon Faverolles?
Salmon Faverolles Bantams
Salmon Faverolles Roosters
Where Did Salmon Faverolles Chickens Come From?
How Many Eggs Do Faverolles Lay?
Do Salmon Faverolles Lay Pink Eggs?
How Much Space Do Salmon Faverolles Chickens Need?
What Do Salmon Faverolle Chicks Look Like?
Are Salmon Faverolles Hens Broody?
Are Salmon Faverolles Suitable for Beginners?
Do Salmon Faverolles Make Good Backyard Chickens?
MEET THE SALMON FAVEROLLES
What Are Salmon Faverolles Chickens Like?
Salmon Faverolles chickens are very rewarding to keep. They’re loveable little nutters!
Salmon Faverolles are full of character and show genuine enthusiasm for everything they do. Whatever they’re up to - they go at it with added oomph! They’re often described as barnyard comedi-hens as they’re so exuberant, inquisitive, and comical.
Salmon Faverolles have a very friendly temperament. They’re chatty chickens and will happily hold a conversation with you about their plans for the day or your choice of sweater. Even if you don’t chat back they’ll still totter around after you holding a one-sided conversation.
They’re as cuddly as they look! These fluff-bomb beauties don’t just tolerate affection, they demand a fuss and a cuddle. They’re known to form bonds with their humans and will cherish a little 1-2-1 time with you. Even the roos are calm and docile.
They even seem to have a weird little Faverolles ritual: they’re often spotted darting about intentionally chest-bumping each other before carrying on about their business as though nothing has happened. It’s kind of like a poultry fist pump amongst barnyard buddies.
What do Salmon Faverolles Look Like?
Salmon Faverolles are fluffy from head to toe…all ten toes! They’re medium-sized birds but look larger than they are thanks to their voluminous feathery attire.
Faverolles’ fluffy little faces remind me of Ameraucanas, with fuzzy cheeks and tufty beards. They have a single five-pointed red comb and exceptionally small red wattles, that are barely there and sometimes completely absent.
Salmon Faverolles hens are salmon colored – hence the name. If I’m honest, I would argue that salmon is pushing it when it comes to their feathering: it’s more of a honey-brown color with a bit of a pinkish tinge across their heads, necks, and wings. Most of their body is creamy-white with grey under fluff and they have white breasts with salmon-colored speckles. They have the most perfect salmon-pink beaks.
They are the only chicken breed to have white legs, and they have feathery feet with a funky fifth toe that points upwards. It’s this 5th toe that points (quite literally) to the presence of the Dorking chicken in the breed’s bloodline.
Salmon Faverolles roosters are – curiously – not Salmon colored at all. They’re one of the few chicken breeds where the males and females are uniquely colored.
Salmon Faverolles roosters have black beards, breasts, leg feathers, and undercoats, with white-tipped golden wings. Their hackles, backs, and saddles are straw-colored and they often have hints of green in their tail feathers.
What Varieties of Faverolles Are There?
The Salmon Faverolles is the most popular variety of the Faverolles chicken breed, but it’s not the only one.
Firstly, there are three types of Faverolles: The original French Faverolles, which can be sourced in either salmon or white, and then the German and the British Faverolles, which are both larger and are accepted in black, mahogany, blue (laced), buff, cuckoo, ermine, salmon, blue salmon, and white in their home countries.
The American Poultry Association standard of perfection recognized the salmon Faverolles variety first, in 1914, and then the white Faverolles in 1981. The salmon Faverolles bantam was then accepted in 1925.
How Big are Salmon Faverolles?
Salmon Faverolles are medium-sized chickens. Males weigh 8-10 lbs and females weigh 6.5-8.5 lbs. Their fluffy feathers make them look bigger than they are.
Salmon Faverolles Bantams
Salmon Faverolles bantams appeared in 1925 and are just a quarter of the size of large fowl. Salmon Faverolles bantam males weigh 40-48oz and females 32-40oz.
Just like large fowl varieties, the bantams almost disappeared after the second world war due to transport issues but are finding their way back into circulation.
Salmon Faverolles Roosters
Salmon Faverolles roosters look very different to the hens. Their coloring is different: they’re primarily a dark mahogany color. They’re also larger and have larger combs.
Finally, a chicken breed that’s easy to sex early! You can sex Salmon Faverolles chicks at just 2-4 weeks of age because the boys can’t wait to show off their darker feathers.
Salmon Faverolles roosters also have a gentle temperament. They’re calm-natured and not aggressive unless they need to stand up for their ladies.
Where Did Salmon Faverolles Chickens Come From?
Salmon Faverolles originated in a small French village called – you guessed it – Faverolles. They’re also said to be somewhat salmon-colored, which sums up the logic behind the breed name.
Nobody is entirely sure how the breed came about, as is often the case with chicken genealogy, but we have a pretty good idea:
The Houdan chicken from the neighboring French village of – you guessed it again - Houdan had it all for a while. They were France’s preferred dual-purpose breed. However, when the use of cages came into fashion with chicken farming, the Houdan was not having any of it! They really didn’t take well to confinement, meaning that the search was on for a chicken that would be more accommodating of the new accommodation.
Salmon Faverolles show a genetic mix of the Houdan, Brahma, French Rennes, Flemish cuckoo, Malines, and the Dorking. It’s all a bit messy, but somehow the cage forgiving Faverolles chicken was born. It took a while for the breed to find its own version of perfect, but by 1886 a distinct type with a consistency of feathering emerged and was considered the best French breed ever produced. Sorry, Houdans… time to step aside!
In 1894 the first Faverolles were imported to the UK, where the Brits chunked the breed up a bit and set a unique UK standard. In 1902 Faverolles made it to the US after being imported by Dr. Phelps of Glen Falls, New York.
CHICKS & EGGS
How Many Eggs Do Faverolles Lay?
Faverolles hens lay 180 – 200 eggs🥚 a year. That’s four medium-sized eggs a week, on average. Faverolles hens mature faster than some other heritage breeds, at just 19 weeks of age. Hens often get cracking on their egg deliveries at just 20 weeks old.
“They are an excellent sustainable heritage breed, laying around 3-5 tinted to light brown eggs each week.” (Meyer Hatchery)
Do Salmon Faverolles Lay Pink Eggs?
Salmon Faverolles eggs are creamy brown. They’re not neon pink but sometimes have a pinkish tint.
Only six chicken breeds are said to lay pink(ish) eggs: the light Sussex, mottled Java, Australorp, buff Orpington, Silkie, and the salmon Faverolles. Some easter eggers lay pinkish eggs too, but not all. If it’s pink eggs you want, then the Salmon Faverolles are a safer bet!
How Much Space Do Salmon Faverolles Chickens Need?
Salmon Faverolles need at least 4 square feet of coop space and they cope well in confinement. They’ll snuggle up together when they’re cold, but fluff and heat don’t go well together, so they’ll need room to space themselves out in warmer conditions.
What Do Salmon Faverolle Chicks Look Like?
Salmon Faverolles chicks are fluffy and creamy-white and come complete with adorable little muffs and fuzzy little legs. Within a couple of weeks, they’ll be showing their true colors and can be sexed.
Are Salmon Faverolles Hens Broody?
Some salmon Faverolles hens are broody, but this depends heavily on their strain. There are mixed reviews about the maternal instincts of this French Momma, and it’s tough to get a straight answer on the subject. It seems that heritage strains are a bit more motherly. Most keepers agree that broody hens do develop into great mothers, but whether your girls are likely to be sitters – who knows!
KEEPING SALMON FAVEROLLES
Are Salmon Faverolles Suitable for Beginners?
Salmon Faverolles are a brilliant beginner breed of chicken. They’re friendly, docile, quirky, and amenable, which makes handling easier and the introduction to keeping chickens even more rewarding.
They’re relatively hardy, don’t ask for much, and they don’t mind confinement. Since the thought of predator-proofing free-range hens can be a real worry for beginners, this makes salmon Faverolles a great chicken pick!
Do Salmon Faverolles Make Good Backyard Chickens?
Salmon Faverolles are brilliant for backyard keepers, so long as you’re okay with noise. They’re very tolerant of confinement and don’t need a huge amount of room to live happy lives, but of course, bigger is better if you can!
“Faverolles are enthusiastic, curious hens who will often come to you hoping for treats. This chicken breed is just about perfect for any garden. Because of their gentleness, Faverolles have become a popular breed of chicken to keep, especially for children or new keepers of chickens.” (Feather & Egg Hatchery)
Are Salmon Faverolles Chickens Noisy?
Salmon Faverolles have the natural exuberance of the French. They are loud. They just love to chat! Hens will chat away to you, to their coop-mates, to themselves, and to anything or anyone who cares to listen.
If you’re excited about a chicken with a bit more personality then that’s great, but if you (or those that live next door) don’t want chickens with opinions, then this happy-chatty breed may not be the right one for you.
Can Salmon Faverolles Chickens Fly?
Salmon Faverolles aren’t great fliers, so they don’t need very high fences to keep them safe and secure. Fortunately, they’re happy to spend most of their time in a well-sized run. If they do get to enjoy some free-range time that’s better still and they’re not likely to take flight and disappear. They are brilliant at scatter gunning around the yard – so they will find a gap in the fence!
How Long Do Salmon Faverolles Chickens Live For?
Salmon Faverolles have a life expectancy of between 5 and 7 years. The healthier they are, the longer you’ll have them yabbering away at you.
You’ll fall in love with them, and want the very best for them, and you’ll be wanting them at your heels until they’re old ladies. Invest a little time in learning how to best care for your chickens and you’ll reap the rewards.
Are Salmon Faverolle Chickens Hardy?
Salmon Faverolles are hardy chickens🐔, which is another reason that they’re great for beginners and established keepers. The village of Faverolles was very close to the Parisian markets, and the breed was intended to serve the markets with eggs all year through. That’s why they’re such fabulously fluffy chickens.
Do Salmon Faverolles Get Sick?
Even the hardiest of hens can face health issues. Whilst salmon Faverolles are a tough little lot, all sorts of nasties can strike them down if they’re not well cared for. Knowing common warning signs for chicken health issues can help you spot issues early and avoid unnecessary suffering.
Fluffed-up breeds like Faverolles are more prone to lice and mites, and since infestations can be harder to spot, they’ve more chance of spreading amongst your flock too. Making sure your Faverolles are treated and checked regularly for lice, and supplying a dust bath, will help spot infestations before they take hold.
Feathered legs are unfortunately perfect for scaly leg mites, so you should be on the cluck out for those nasty little things.
Fluffy feet are prone to frostbite, so making sure your French fancies have a nice warm <coop><link to article> to stay dry when it’s wet will help avoid issues.
Can I Keep Salmon Faverolles with Other Chicken Breeds?
Salmon Faverolles are often at the bottom of the pecking order in mixed-breed flocks. If they’re cluck, they might be in the middle somewhere. They’re just a bit too nice for their own good and more assertive or aggressive breeds will bully them. They’ll be very happy kept with other friendly chicken breeds though.
10 Breeds to keep with Salmon Faverolles
- Orpington
- Cochin
- Brahmas
- Naked Neck
- Jersey Giants
- Sussex
- Barred Rock
- Leghorn
- Silkie
- Australorps
HAVE YOU FALLEN FOR LA FAVEROLLES?
Is The Salmon Faverolles the Right Chicken for Me?
If you want to engage with your chickens and enjoy their company, then yes, they are! Salmon Faverolles are happy-go-clucky, funny, friendly, chatty, chirpy chickens.
They look great, they lay well, and they don’t get glum about being kept in the run.
I can only think of one reason why this <fancy chicken><link to fancy chickens article> might not be right for you: if you’re looking for a quiet chicken breed, then I’m afraid it’s not going to work out. You cannot silence this breed’s lust for life, and why would you want to?
JUST HOW AFFECTIONATE CAN CHICKENS BE?
Share your favorite Faverolles pics with us in the comments!
Finding the perfect chicken breed for you isn’t always easy.
If you pick your pal entirely on looks you might be disappointed when you realize that they want nothing to do with you. If you find a super-friendly breed and bring six chicks home just to find out they can’t handle the heat where you live it could lead to heartache. What if you spot the perfect mix of personality, looks, and a great layer, but they’re so loud that you end up falling out with next door over them?
It’s not easy unless you know what you’re doing. With nearly 500 breeds of chicken, and hundreds more recognized types of chicken how can you possibly work out which ones are right for you? How can you research them all if you don’t know what to search for? How can you trust information on the internet?
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