Age or weight to move Faverolles to freezer

by Carol Bradford
(SW MO, USA)

Our first Faverolles fooled us. Looking at the roos, they were ready. We butchered one and after plucking he was way too small. We waited too long to do his brothers and they were too tough but even then they were not very meaty. Do you feed yours finisher feed? At what age do you introduce finisher? At what age and weight do you process your Faverolles roos? We now have 2 Roo's, 8 hens and 5 chicks. Would we be wise to keep one Roo? They seem to fight a lot and are rough on the hens. What do you do with the old Roos? Ours are over 1 year old.

We want to re-introduce 2 broody hens with their chicks back into the flock - how long should we keep them separate?

Carol Bradford

MEG: YOU MIGHT NEED TO FIND A MEATIER LINE OF FAVS - SOME OF THEM DON'T LIVE UP TO THEIR HISTORICAL PURPOSE AS GOOD TABLE BIRDS. WE KILL OURS AT 16 WEEKS. ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE 2 ROOS IN CASE ONE DIES. SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED SEPARATE PENS. AN UPTURNED MILK CRATE MAKES A GOOD PLACE TO FEED YOUR CHICKS WITHIN THE MAIN FLOCK SO THE OTHERS CAN'T GET TO THEIR FEED.