Chickens Faverolles - Parisian beauties of universal use
Squat chickens with lush thick feathers and a characteristic protruding collar around the neck are easy to recognize among other breeds. Faverol chickens, due to their chic appearance and plumage as if painted by an artist, are often bred as decorative. Of course, there is something to admire here. But it is much more profitable for the Russian poultry farmer to receive not aesthetic, but "consumer pleasure". However, in this respect, Faverol can satisfy all desires. The bird differs not only in appearance, but also in its rapid growth, because initially the breed was conceived as a broth and meat. But at the same time, the breeders managed to preserve the second purpose of chickens - good egg production. Therefore, the breed is bred with pleasure by many poultry farmers and quite successfully if you know its features.
Faverol is an ancient and "overseas" breed. The first chickens were bred back in the 18th century in France and since then the bird has only improved, and the breed has become meat and egg.
Chickens Faverol - breed description
A characteristic feature of Faverol chickens is five toes, and on the fifth there is a long claw, bent upward, and there are no heels on the feet. Another difference is the collar sticking out in different directions around the neck.
The color of the plumage can be different and depends on the species. Most often, such Faverol chickens are bred:
- Salmon with yellow-brown plumage. In chickens, the color is uniform, with a white border on the feathers. In roosters, the sides of the neck are darker, brown, spots, collars and loins are lighter, and the back is almost red.
- Blue with a characteristic feather color. Moreover, their border is dark blue, not white.
- Silvery (aka Colombian) with white feathers alternating with black plumage.
Productivity of Faverol chickens
The bird is distinguished by an agreeable and peaceful character, the roosters rarely fight among themselves. Chickens live peacefully with other birds. They gain weight quickly and are ready for slaughter at the age of 5 months. In adult form, the chicken weighs more than 3 kg, and the rooster weighs up to 4 kg. Their meat is very tasty, tender, almost like a pheasant.
Young chickens begin to lay at 6 months of age and produce about 130 eggs per year. The shell is either pinkish or brownish, depending on the breed. The egg weighs just over 50 g.
Features of breeding a universal breed
To get offspring, you will have to purchase an incubator, since the hens from Faveroli are bad.It is better to keep a bird of this breed separately, although they will be good neighbors. But more aggressive species will begin to offend them, and Faveroli are not very capable of standing up for themselves.
The chicken coop should be dry, light and warm. The latter is especially important in winter so that the chickens continue to lay. The perches are necessarily low and wide, otherwise the chickens may fall and break due to their weight.
It is advisable that the chickens have a walk, as they are prone to obesity. That's why feed many of them are impossible. It is better to give dry food: grain, grass, roots, vitamins, but not more than 150 g per day for one individual. It is not advisable to give wet mash. They will get stuck in thick feathers, chickens will begin to peck at each other.