Faverole (breed of chickens): description, breeding at home
Faverole is a breed of chickens that are distinguished by their grace and beauty. In addition to their unusual appearance, birds of this breed have a number of features that distinguish them from other birds. Let's take a closer look at them.
A bit of history
The breed was bred in the XVIII century, in the small French town of Faverollaise. Initially, the aim of the breeding was to obtain high-quality meat for broths. The new breed, bred by breeders by crossing the Goodan, Mantis, Kokhinkhin and Dorking chickens, got its name in 1866. The breed standards were adopted exactly 20 years later.
Did you know? The roosters of the subspecies salmon faverole have the so-called Krause spots - brown-red or dark spots on the sides of the neck. They are considered the hallmark of the breed. It is with such a spot that roosters are selected for procreation.
Description and Features
Among other chickens, the faverol is distinguished by its constitution, inherent only in its color and paws with 5 fingers. Let's look at other characteristics of the breed and its features.
Appearance
The main characteristics of the breed:
| Appearance | |
| Head | Small, has a flattened shape, a lush beard and sideburns |
| Crest | Low, with even prongs, stands straight |
| Beak | Short, yellowish pink, powerful |
| Neck | Medium, dense, covered with mane |
| Chest | Wide, deep |
| Stomach | Deep |
| Wings | Located high, tight fitting |
| Tail | Raised short |
| Paws | Medium length, with 5 fingers, partially feathered |
| Plumage and color | The plumage is magnificent. 3 varieties of faunole were distinguished by color: salmon, Colombian, blue |
Character
The character of the faverole is quite peaceful, slightly phlegmatic. They are prone to taming, able to recognize the owner. They get along well with other birds, do not show aggression, but they are recommended to be kept separately from violent birds so that they do not harm them.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like every breed, the faverole has its advantages and disadvantages. Let's get to know them better.
- Advantages of the breed:
- high productivity indicators;
- adaptability to a cold climate (thanks to the magnificent plumage of the bird, they tolerate the cold well);
- friendly character;
- beautiful appearance;
- chickens are born strong, hardy;
- there are no specific breed diseases;
- oviposition does not stop even in winter.
- There are few drawbacks, but they are still there:
- birds are prone to obesity;
- poorly developed (almost lost) instinct of incubation;
- when crossing with other breeds, productivity decreases sharply;
- high cost of chickens and eggs.
Content Features
The faverol is quite simple in maintenance, nevertheless there are features of the breed care that must be taken into account when breeding it.
Did you know? Scientists have brought out a dwarf faverol. Externally, the birds are no different, but the weight of an adult does not exceed 1.1 kg. At the same time, the dwarf faverol is capable of carrying up to 120 eggs per year, with an average mass of one specimen of 40 g.
Chicken coop
Due to its large size, the bird is not adapted to the content in the cage. Faverols need a spacious chicken coop and a patio for walking.
The chicken coop should be:
- spacious (it is undesirable to allow high crowding of chickens to avoid infectious diseases);
- dry
- without drafts;
- warm (despite the fact that the birds tolerate the cold well, it is recommended to insulate the chicken coop for the cold season).
On the floor must be straw or hay litter.
Important! Faverol tolerates excess moisture very poorly. In this regard, it is important to carefully monitor the dryness of the litter in the chicken coop and the level of humidity, which should not exceed 70%.
Walking yard
Since faveroles are prone to obesity, they need to move a lot, and for this they need a spacious place for walking. Advise to allocate at least 1 square. m per individual. Faveroli fly poorly, so it’s enough to enclose the courtyard with a low fence. It is advisable to walk them and chickens of other breeds separately, in order to avoid unwanted crosses and aggression.
Feeding troughs, drinking bowls, ash baths
Faveroles are prone to spreading feed, this must be considered when choosing feeders and their location. It is advisable to suspend the feeders so that the bird does not have the opportunity to climb into them and that the feed does not fall out. They recommend feeding troughs and drinking bowls deeper than usual with a crossbar in the middle.
In order to avoid the appearance of parasites in the courtyard, they put a large ash bath in which feathers can be cleaned.
Moult and egg laying break
Chickens very painfully endure the molting period, which occurs in the fall and lasts 2-3 months. During this period, the bird eats poorly, hides in secluded corners, its activity decreases, egg laying stops. At this time, it is important to include in the diet a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, as well as maintain optimal conditions. At the end of the molting period, egg laying resumes.
Herd replacement planned
The most productive period of poultry is the first 2 years from the moment of laying. When kept for more than 3 years, the quality of meat and egg production of a bird sharply decreases. Thus, it is worth thinking about replacing the herd when the birds reach the age of 2 years.
Feeding ration
When organizing feeding, it is important to take into account the tendency of these birds to obesity, so you should not allow overeating. The nutrition of adults and young animals varies. Consider the basic requirements for the diet of faverole.
Chickens
The advantage of faveroles is that special conditions or food are not necessary for feeding chickens.
- In the first 2 months of life, chickens need to be fed 6 to 8 times a day, preferably by the hour. By 3 months, the number of feedings is reduced to 4. By 4 months, the bird is transferred to 3 meals a day.
- In the early days, the chicks are fed a finely chopped boiled egg. For 3-4 days, cottage cheese and corn grits are introduced into the diet. When the chicks grow up, they are fed with specialized feed.
- An integral part of the diet is fresh herbs, before serving, it must be chopped.
- Constant access of chickens to clean water is required. It is important to use drinkers that do not roll over.
Adult chickens
Key recommendations for feeding adult birds:
- Feeding should be three times a day.
- The rate of feed or grain is 150 g per 1 adult per day. In the initial stages of obesity, the daily rate is reduced to 80 g.
- In the summer, at least 30% of the diet is made up of green grass and pasture, which the bird is able to independently produce when walking. After it, the birds are fed with compound feed (cereals).
- In the cold season, grass can be replaced with sprouted grain or pulp of vegetables (carrots, zucchini, pumpkin). You can also give needles.
- Proteins and proteins should be constantly present in the diet (especially during molting). For this, you can use whole grains, vitamin supplements, root crops, low-fat food waste.
