At a glance the quick version
Livestock Conservancy: males 7 to 8 lb, females 5.5 to 6.5 lb. APA standard: cock 8 lb, hen 6 lb. Wikipedia gives heavier British figures of about 5 kg (cock) and 4.3 kg (hen).
Looks how to spot one
Soft, full feathering with beard, muffs and feathered legs
A deep, compact bird with a fluffy beard and muffs framing the face, feathered shanks and toes, and five toes on each foot instead of the usual four. It has a single comb and reddish-bay eyes. Hens lay tinted to light brown eggs, sometimes with a pinkish tone.21
Personality what they are like
Active but very gentle and easy-going. Faverolles are known as one of the quietest, most placid breeds, which makes them lovely family birds; because they are so mild, they are happiest alongside other calm chickens.21
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Moderately active, enjoying time to forage and scratch in a run each day.24
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Chickens keep their own feathers in order by preening and dust bathing, so the main jobs are a dry dust-bath area, clean dry bedding, daily flock checks and regular egg collection. Keep the ground and bedding dry so the feathered feet and beard stay clean. Hens lay about 150 to 200 or more eggs a year.24
Home where they are happiest
A secure, dry, well-ventilated but draught-free coop with perches and nest boxes, plus a fenced run with a patch of dry soil for dust bathing. The RSPCA suggests about 1 m² of indoor space per bird where possible.45
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A complete commercial poultry ration is the base: chick starter, then grower, then layer feed once hens begin laying. Provide insoluble grit, oyster shell as extra calcium for laying hens, and constant clean water.45
Company who they like around
Chickens are flock animals that forage, roost and dust bathe together, so keep at least three birds that get along.4
The story where it all began
Faverolles were bred in 19th-century France as a practical table and egg bird for the Paris markets, drawing on Houdan, Dorking, Brahma, Cochin and Flemish cuckoo fowl. A consistent type had emerged by about 1886, the breed reached England in the mid-1890s and America in 1901 to 1902. British breeders developed their own heavier exhibition style.123
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Faverolles have five toes on each foot rather than the usual four.2
- 2
The salmon colour pattern is found only in the Faverolles breed.2
- 3
The name is both singular and plural: one bird is a Faverolles, not a Faverolle.1
- 4
In the early 1900s Faverolles became a major supplier of eggs to the Paris market.1
Recognised by the official bits
- The Poultry Club of Great Britain
- Standardised breed, classed as soft feather heavy.3
- American Poultry Association
- Salmon admitted in 1914 and White in 1981; placed in the Continental class.2
- The Livestock Conservancy
- Listed on the Conservation Priority List in the Watch category.2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Faverolles. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh food and waterevery day
- Egg collectevery day
- Coop spot cleanevery day
- Coop full cleanFresh bedding and nest boxesevery month
- Mite checkLook under the wings and around the ventevery 2 weeks
- Dust bath checkKeep a dry dust bath spotevery week
- Free rangeDaily time outside in a safe runevery day
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees poultryevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Faverolles chicken - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for origin, colours, weights, temperament, name, history
- Faverolles Chicken - The Livestock Conservancy livestockconservancy.orgused for conservation status, APA years, weights, eggs, temperament, features, history
- Faverolles - The Poultry Club of Great Britain poultryclub.orgused for classification, ancestry, UK import
- Keeping chickens as pets - RSPCA rspca.org.ukused for general chicken housing, social needs, feeding
- Care of the Backyard Chicken - Lafeber Vet lafeber.comused for general chicken space, perches, diet stages
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.