Salmon Faverolles are a beautiful and unique chicken breed known for their fun personalities, fluffy feathers, and the distinctive salmon-colored plumage of the hens But one of the most common questions about them is – what color eggs do Salmon Faverolles lay?
In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Salmon Faverolles egg color, production, and more.
An Overview of Salmon Faverolles Chickens
The Salmon Faverolles originates from a small village in France called Faverolles They were first bred in the 19th century by crossing breeds like Brahmas, Dorkings, Houdans, and more
These chickens have a few distinctive features:
- Fluffy plumage that makes them look plumper than they are
- Muffs, beards, and feathered legs
- Five toes on each foot
- The hens have a light salmon color on their feathers
Salmon Faverolles are known as a friendly docile breed that enjoy human interaction. The roosters in particular are quite calm compared to other breeds.
They are also good layers, especially in the colder months. And they have decent meat production for a medium-sized bird.
Overall, Salmon Faverolles are a good dual-purpose breed for small homesteads and backyard flocks. Their gentle personality makes them a joy to have around.
What Color Eggs Do Salmon Faverolles Lay?
Now let’s get to the pressing question – what color are their eggs?
Salmon Faverolles typically lay light brown or tan eggs. The exact shade can vary from a very light tan or pinkish cream color to a warmer light brown.
Some individual hens may lay more pinkish or off-white eggs. But in general, a soft light brown is the most common egg color for the breed.
Here are some of the typical egg shades you can expect:
- Very light tan/pinkish
- Warm light brown
- Off-white or cream colored
- Light pink
Their egg color results from the pigments their bodies produce. Different breeds produce different pigments, leading to the varied egg colors we see.
The light brown shades of Salmon Faverolle eggs make them easy to distinguish from other egg layers like Americunas or Easter Eggers that lay blue and green eggs.
Their egg color is somewhat similar to production breeds like Rhode Island Reds that also lay brown eggs. But Salmon Faverolles’ eggs are a lighter, softer brown overall.
Salmon Faverolles Egg Production and Size
Salmon Faverolles are considered good egg layers. On average, you can expect around 180-200 eggs per year from a Salmon Faverolles hen. That’s about 4 eggs per week.
Some hens may lay a bit less around 150 eggs annually, while others can lay up to 240 eggs in very productive years.
These chickens continue laying well through the winter months, unlike some breeds that slow down in cold weather. Their winter hardiness helps maintain good egg production all year round.
As far as egg size goes, Salmon Faverolles lay medium to large sized eggs. Their eggs are often described as a medium to large size, averaging around 55-60 grams.
For comparison, that’s a similar egg size as popular production breeds like Rhode Island Reds that also lay medium to large brown eggs.
When Do Salmon Faverolles Start Laying Eggs?
Salmon Faverolles pullets typically start laying eggs around 5 months old. Some may start a few weeks earlier or later, but 5 months is a good average.
Here is the general timeline of when you can expect them to reach laying maturity:
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4-5 months – Most pullets will begin laying their first light brown eggs around this age.
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6 months – Egg production increases to several eggs per week.
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9-12 months – Peak production is reached with 4+ eggs per week being common.
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2+ years – Egg laying slowly declines as hens get older.
As long as you provide proper feed and care, Salmon Faverolles pullets mature reliably and start laying nice brown eggs by 5 months at the latest.
Salmon Faverolles Egg Laying Tips
Here are a few tips to help your Salmon Faverolles hens lay their best:
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Provide a complete layer feed: A 16-18% protein feed with added calcium supports good egg production.
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Supplement with calcium: Offer oyster shell or a similar calcium supplement free choice.
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Comfortable nest boxes: Provide clean, dry nest boxes to encourage laying.
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Reduce stress: Limit loud noises, harassment from roosters, and other stressors.
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Give light in winter: Adding light to the coop during short winter days encourages laying.
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Collect eggs frequently: Collect eggs 1-2 times per day so they don’t pile up in nests.
Follow these tips to help your beautiful Salmon Faverolles hens reach their full egg laying potential!
Do Salmon Faverolles Go Broody?
Salmon Faverolles hens have a moderate tendency to go broody. Some hens have very strong broody instincts, while others may rarely or never exhibit broodiness.
Individual variation in broodiness is common in this breed. But overall, they are considered moderately broody on average.
When a Salmon Faverolles hen does go broody, she will stop laying eggs and dedicate herself to incubating a clutch. She’ll stay on the nest for extended periods only leaving briefly to eat and drink.
A broody Salmon Faverolles can be a determined sitter. But most individuals are not too difficult to break of their broodiness if you want them laying eggs again.
Simply removing the eggs, closing off nest boxes, and restricting access to private nesting areas for a few days is often enough to end their broody spell.
If allowed to hatch a clutch, Salmon Faverolles make attentive, protective mothers. The roosters are also good fathers who will help care for and defend the chicks.
Troubleshooting Salmon Faverolles Egg Problems
Salmon Faverolles are usually dependable layers of light brown eggs. But you may occasionally encounter issues like:
No eggs
- Check for broodiness
- Provide more calcium
- Reduce stressors
- Add light for winter laying
Soft or thin shells
- Increase calcium intake
- Check for illness
- Ensure hens are hydrated
Few or small eggs
- Increase protein feed
- Check for parasites
- May indicate aging hens
Odd colored eggs
- Likely a non-purebred hen
- Can indicate illness
- Normal variations also occur
Dirty eggs
- Keep coop and nests clean
- Collect eggs frequently
Troubleshooting egg problems requires looking at their diet, health, environment, and other factors. But Salmon Faverolles typically lay well if their needs are met.
Is the Salmon Faverolles Right for You?
If you’re looking for a chicken breed that lays beautiful light brown eggs, the Salmon Faverolles is an excellent option. They are dependable layers of nice large brown eggs totaling around 180-200 per year.
Their fun, docile personality also makes them a joy to have as backyard pets. The hens exhibit moderate broodiness, so can raise chicks if desired.
Just be aware that their fluffy plumage requires a bit more maintenance to watch out for pests. And take steps to protect them from bullying if in a mixed flock.
But overall, the Salmon Faverolles is one of the best breeds for both eggs and friendly companionship. Their light brown eggs provide a nice pop of color to your egg basket too.
So if you adore their unique appearance and want a prolific layer of medium brown eggs, the Salmon Faverolles will likely be the perfect addition to your flock!
Top Reasons To Choose The Salmon Faverolles For Your Flock
- Gentle temperament
- Dual-purpose breed useful for both meat and eggs
- Lays up to 240 PINK eggs annually
- A very pretty and fluffy breed with feathered feet!
- Starts laying eggs between 18 and 20 weeks of age
- Hardy and able to endure cold temperatures
- Well suited for free-range and confinement
- An old heritage breed that goes back to 1860s France
This is the breed I’m most considering adding to my current flock of Orpingtons, Bresse, Azure Blues, Red Rangers, and Olive Eggers.
Well, the Salmon Faverolles and the Wyandotte both top of my list of dual-purpose heritage breeds I’m obsessing over.
Both for their beauty and temperament and their reputations as excellent egg layers and meat birds to boot.
As a heritage breed, if you are raising them for meat, it will take longer time (and more money) for them to reach acceptable slaughter weight.
A Salmon Faverolles can take about 24 weeks — or longer — to reach market weight, whereas a breed like the Red Ranger will be ready by 12 weeks, and some like the Cornish X even earlier.
Of course, there are advantages to slow food and heritage, but the cost is not one of them.
It’s why I always look for creative ways to cut down on feed costs (like I talk about in my article 25 REAL Ways To Save Money On Chicken Feed Costs)
While the Faverolles chickens are gentle and friendly, they can be bullied in mixed flocks depending on the breeds.
Many backyard poultry owners will keep them with the same breed or other gentle breeds, like the Plymouth Rock.
The Faverolles chicken is a large bird, so think about how much room it’ll need before introducing one to your flock.
The docile breed is also considered one of the gentlest chickens and is a popular choice to keep as a pet, especially for children.
However, if you’re looking into the Faverolles more for eggs than a pet, you’re in luck: a healthy salmon Faverolles hen will lay about four eggs per week.
And on top of that, you will get an excellent meat bird for your table.
The Faverolles chicken is a French breed developed in 1860 near the villages of Houdan and Faverolles.
They were bred for their meat and eggs and provided most of the eggs for the Paris market during the early 20th century.
When the Faverolles reached the UK in the 1880s, the chicken breed was altered to better fit popular exhibitions.
British Faverolles, as a result, have longer, higher-raised tail feathers than their French and German counterparts.
Today, Faverolles chickens are popular at chicken shows.
Many people also choose to keep them as pets for their children. Their gentleness is one of their strongest traits, and they make good companions and show animals.
The Faverolles is a larger bird, with males weighing, on average, 9 to 11 pounds for the British Faverolles and around 8 pounds for the American.
The American Poultry Association standard for males is roughly 8 pounds and 6 pounds for females.
Other variations in weight have been recorded for the Australian and French counterparts as well.
Faverolles have beards and muffs, as well as feathered legs and feathered feet.
Unlike most chickens, they also have five toes on each foot instead of the usual four.
The most common color for this chicken breed is salmon, but there are others, including black, white, mahogany, and blue.
While a salmon Faverolles hen has a plumage of brown and creamy white feathers, a rooster is often darker with black and brown feathers.
Soft and fluffy, the feathers are often what categorizes the Faverolles chicken as a show bird.
The Faverolles chicken is one of the gentlest breeds.
Their friendly, easy-going demeanour makes them the perfect pet for children and adults alike. They don’t mind being held and enjoy human interaction more than other breeds.
The Faverolles chicken breed is also a bit quirky.
They like to run around and run into things. They entertain themselves quite well and will enjoy free-roaming sessions as well as confinement in a chicken coop.
They’ll do well playing with children and spending quiet time on your lap.
Lately, the Faverolles have been enjoying increasing popularity among small home flocks, usually those that favor dual-purpose breeds that can be used for meat and eggs.
That said, they’re still primarily bred for show in the United States although that is changing fast.
The Faverolles is a great, regular egg layer and can lay up to 240 eggs per year.
The eggs are medium-sized and often a light brown-cream color with pinkish hues.
Some are outright PINK and they are incredible to see!
If you’re as obsessed with colored eggs as many other chicken keepers are, seek out the Salmon Faverolles and its pink eggs. But be warned that the color or hue of pink your hen will lay will vary from one chicken to another.
If the color is important, seek out good breeders who focus on this unique trait.
And if you already have olive eggers and blue eggers (like the Ameraucana or Azure Blue breeds), a pink egg is a nice (and rare) addition to your rainbow.
Hens usually start laying eggs between 18 to 20 weeks of age, earlier than most chicken breeds.
As she is a heritage breed of old origins and not a modern industrial strain, you can expect your hens to lay longer on average as well.
Most modern industrial chickens peak at 3 years and then sharply decline, many even reaching the end of their lifespans by 3 – 5 years.
Heritage breeds like this are much longer lived and productive, albeit at a reduced capacity.
As far as broodiness, the Faverolles tend to go back and forth.
While some hens are quite broody, others are not. It tends to be on a case-by-case basis, and while some hens will make great mothers, others will not and should be watched closely.
See Also:
The meat quality of a Salmon Faverolles is very, very good.
They are ready for slaughter at about 24 weeks which is standard for heritage breeds.
This is not a traditional broiler chicken that will be ready for the table in 10 weeks.
Having been bred in the cold temperatures in Northern France, Faverolles are incredibly cold hardy.
They almost seem unaffected by cold temperatures.
Faverolles will also continue to lay eggs throughout the winter months, which can be useful if you’re looking for a year-round supply.
These pinkish egg layers do well in warmer temperatures as long as they have access to shade and fresh water.
See Also:
Unlike many breeds, the Faverolles do well in both free-range and confined spaces.
When battery cages were introduced in the early 20th century, Faverolles tolerated close confinement better than any other breed at the time.
That said, they do well with a mixture of confinement and free-range—and it’s also a case-by-case basis. Some will prefer the safety of confined spaces, while others will thrive in the variety of free-range.
Of course, free ranges come with risks.
You may lose chickens to predators (coyotes, outdoor cats, and stray dogs, to name a few) and environmental factors (loose barbed wire, for example).
It’s important to consider these dangers when planning how to raise your flock.
See Also:
Salmon Faverolles Quick Facts
- Primary use: Dual-Purpose (Meat & Egg-laying)
- Size (Roosters): 8 lbs
- Size (Hens): 6.5 lbs
- Egg production (Annual): 240
- Egg size: Medium
- Egg colour: Pink or Pink-ish Light Cream
- Origin: France
Salmon Faverolle All You Need To Know Personality and Egg Color
FAQ
FAQ
What color are Salmon Faverolles eggs?
| Type: | standard |
|---|---|
| Egg Color: | cream |
| Egg Size: | medium |
| Egg Production: | good |
| Disposition: | better |
Are Salmon Faverolles rare?
Yes, Salmon Faverolles are considered a rare breed of chicken.
Do Faverolles lay pink eggs?
Faverolles hens usually lay tinted eggs (though colors of light brown to pink tint are not unknown) and some lines are excellent sitters and mothers. Hens have been known to lay from 150 to over 200 eggs per year. The breed produces fine broilers and roasters.
What is the rarest chicken egg color?
The rarest chicken egg color is green, particularly a deep moss green. While some breeds like Isbars and crosses between blue and brown egg layers can produce green eggs, green eggs are considered rare because the genetics for green egg production are not as common as those for brown or blue.