You have come to the right place to know everything you need to know about the Salmon Faverolle chickens.
We will discuss their appearance, personality, egg laying, and health issues. Keep reading to learn more about this adorable chicken.
Are you looking for a chicken’s combination of beauty and a great personality? If yes, then you should try the Salmon Faverolle chickens.
These adorable birds are described as “barnyard comedians.” They are more likely to interact with their owners than other chicken breeds.
History And Background Of Salmon Faverolles
Salmon Faverolles are known to have originated in France. However, breeders and chicken keepers are not sure exactly what chicken breeds contributed to the lineage of the Salmon Faverolles today.
The birds were first bred back in the 1860s in the town of Faverolles, France. Most chicken experts believe they are a mixture of the Flemish cuckoo, Malines, French Rennes, Dorking, Brahma, and Houdan.
French farmers wanted a dual-purpose utility chicken breed for the markets of Paris and neighboring areas.
During this time, the Houdan chicken was the most popular breed. This was because of their propensity to provide good chicken meat and sell well at the market.
The Houdan chicken was also good at laying eggs. However, they did not like being in a coop. They even developed bad habits that presented problems to the keepers.
Being cooped up also posed various health issues to the birds.
Salmon Faverolles were first imported to the United Kingdom in 1894. In the 1900s, the birds were brought to the USA by Dr. Phelps. Since then, the bird has become popular and has lived in backyard flocks.
Breed Standard And Appearance
Salmon Faverolle chickens are fairly compact birds carrying fairly low to the ground. They are named not only from the French village they originate from but also for the unique hints of pinkish coloring on their bodies.
The bird is described as “adorable” and “fluff.” They have a beard that comes to a beautiful point below their fluffy faces. Many keepers consider this an endearing quality.
They have a single comb with five points and a small red wattle comb that can not be easily seen.
The Salmon Faverolles are also described as having a trapezoid shape. Their breast and back are noticeably wide, and the birds also have deep chests.
Their bodies’ dimensions make them appear much bigger than they actually are.
They have loose and fluffy feathers that make them appear bigger than they are. Their feathers are a rich, honeyed salmon concentrated across the birds’ neck, wings, and head.
They have a white breast area with salmon speckles. The muff and lower part of their body are more of light cream color.
Unlike most breeds of chickens, these birds have white feathered legs. Each foot has five toes, which according to experts, is evidence of the genetic presence of the Dorkings.
These descriptions fit the hens as the roosters are chickens of another color.
Salmon Faverolles roosters have a black undercoat, black beard, and black breasts. Their hackles, saddle, and back are all the color of straw.
Their wings are golden in color. However, the tip of the wing is usually white. The feathers on their legs are black rather than white.
A mature Salmon Faverolle rooster weighs around 8lbs, while a hen weighs 6lbs.
Personality And Temperament
Salmon Faverolles are naturally enthusiastic birds. These chickens are very funny and curious. They spend most of their time roaming around in the backyard.
You will also find them bumping into each other and running wildly around the yard. They are entertaining birds to sit and watch.
Salmon Faverolles are considered cuddly because they are fluffy and like to interact with their keepers much more than most other chicken breeds.
They will run to you hoping for treats whenever you enter the yard or their coop.
These birds have a calm temperament and get along easily with other breeds. However, you should not raise them in the same coop with aggressive chickens.
Since they are calm and non-aggressive, they can be victims of bullying from other aggressive chicken breeds.
They tend to be at the bottom of the pecking order because of their submissive disposition.
Salmon Faverolle chickens are easy to train. If you want to raise a chicken as a pet, this is one of the breeds to consider.
They are not noisy like most chicken breeds. This makes them perfect birds to raise in a city.
Unlike the roosters of other breeds, the Salmo Faverolle roosters are mostly calm creatures, just like their female counterparts. They tend to be fun and excitable.
Egg Production
Salmon Faverolle were created to be dual-purpose chickens. The farmers wanted a bird good at meat and egg production. Therefore, these birds are good at egg production.
Under good care and proper nutrition, a Salmon Faverolle hen will lay about four eggs weekly. This translates to 180 to 240 eggs a year.
They lay medium-sized eggs that are typically brown in color. Some eggs may have a creamy tint to them.
These birds mature quickly and will start laying eggs a little before 18 weeks old. They lay eggs into the older months and will hardly lay in those gloomy and dark winter months unless you add light.
Health Issues
Salmon Faverolles are strong and healthy chickens born without any hereditary health issues. They are not prone to genetic problems or any particular diseases.
However, this does not mean they can not suffer from different health problems.
Since they have a lot of feathers, mites and lice can be a problem. Therefore, you should regularly check them for common chicken parasites and treat them as soon as possible.
Check their legs, under their wings, and around the vent.
Their feathering makes it difficult to see any parasites. If you do not find mites, you can apply Vaseline jelly and rub it upwards so it gets under the raised scales.
This will help to suffocate the mites. You can do the treatment regularly until the parasites are all gone.
Generally, a happy and healthy Salmon Faverolle chicken has an average lifespan of five to seven years.
Feeding
Your Salmon Faverolle chickens will need an adequate and healthy diet to live a long and more productive life. Chicks will require quality crumb feed with at least 20% protein.
This will help with the general growth of their bodies and wings.
At 16 weeks of age, you can slowly introduce them to a pellet. You can also give them grit and oyster shells in separate bowls.
Your hens will require calcium in their diet to aid in the formation of strong eggshells.
You can allow your birds to free range to supplement their feed with various greens, seeds, and bugs. They should also have access to clean and fresh water.
Coop Setup
Salmon Faverolle chickens are medium-sized birds. Therefore, you should give every bird at least 4 square feet of space when constructing your coop.
They tend to snuggle together during the colder months. However, their dense feathering will spread out in the summer.
Your birds will require enough space to spread their wings. Giving them too little space can lead to antisocial behaviors like bullying and feather picking.
For perches, your birds will need about 8 inches per chicken. You can give them more space and several perches to choose from.
Roaming
Salmon Faverolle chickens will do well in confinement if they have enough space. You should ensure that every bird in your coop has at least 8 square feet of run space.
You can also erect a 3-foot fence to keep your chickens penned if you want to keep them in a run.
These birds are also great foragers. If you have plenty of space in your backyard, you can allow them to free range. They tend to move around in groups.
Allowing them to free range is a great way of supplementing their diet as they will hunt up bugs and seeds.
Conclusion
Salmon Faverolles are hardy and compact chickens that can be a perfect addition to any backyard flock.
They were originally created to be a dual-purpose breed and will ensure that you have a constant supply of fresh eggs throughout the year.
These birds are active and can make great pets. However, they will need good care and maintenance to live a longer and more productive life.
