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Salmon Faverolles

A bearded, muffed French hen with feathered feet and five toes, laying tinted eggs through winter.

Salmon Faverolles rooster and hen

Photo: stephen jones from uk, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped

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Salmon Faverolles at a glance

Medium, dual-purpose

Status
APA breed, Continental class. Salmon admitted 1914, White 1981.[1][2][3]
Origin
Developed in Faverolles, France, from Houdans, Dorkings and Asiatic fowl; reached the US in the early 1900s.[4][2]
Egg color
Light brown or tinted[4][5][6]
Eggs per year
Up to 150–200[2]
Egg size
Medium[6]
Weight
Standard 8 lb rooster, 6.5 lb hen.[4][2]
Bantam
Yes (30 oz rooster, 26 oz hen).[2][1]
Cold
Abundant feathers protect them in winter, and they keep laying when others stop.[2]
Varieties
Salmon and White[1][4]
How to spot one
Beard and muffs, single comb, red earlobes, tiny or no wattles, lightly feathered legs and feet, five toes, white skin and shanks. Salmon roosters are darker in hackle and tail than hens.[2][4]

Facts no source backs up are left out. Updated October 26, 2026 (how we check).

With a fluffy beard, puffy muffs, feathered feet and five toes on each foot, the Salmon Faverolles looks like no other chicken. It's also a practical bird that keeps laying through the winter.

From the village of Faverolles, France

UW–Madison Extension says the Faverolles was developed in Faverolles, France, as a composite of Houdans, Dorkings and Asiatic fowl. Oklahoma State says it originated around the 1800s and came to the United States in the early 1900s.

The American Poultry Association recognized the Salmon variety in 1914 and the White in 1981 (Oklahoma State). Faverolles are in the Continental class, with bantams in the Feather Leg class.

Eggs

UW–Madison lists the eggshell as light brown, and Illinois Extension says Faverolles lay tinted rather than white eggs. Ohio State rates them medium. Oklahoma State says they lay up to 150 to 200 eggs a year and "continue to lay eggs in the winter where other birds will have stopped."

Log your winter eggs in the Egg Log, and find out when pullets will start with the Laying Calculator.

Winter-ready feathers

Oklahoma State says the Faverolles has "an abundance of feathers, giving the bird winter protection." Combined with winter laying, that makes it a good pick for cold-climate keepers.

Temperament

We couldn't find an extension source that rates the Faverolles' temperament on its own. Purdue Extension describes Continental breeds in general as having "active flighty dispositions," naming the bearded Faverolles in that group, but that's a broad class description, so we don't treat it as a breed rating.

Size

The standard weight is 8 lb for a rooster and 6.5 lb for a hen (UW–Madison, Oklahoma State). Bantam Faverolles weigh about 30 oz for a rooster and 26 oz for a hen (Oklahoma State).

How to recognize a Salmon Faverolles

Oklahoma State lists the giveaways: a beard and muffs on both sexes, a single comb and red earlobes, wattles that are barely visible or missing, light feathering down the legs and feet, white skin and shanks, and five toes. The salmon male is more brilliantly colored than the female, with darker hackles and tail.

Is a Salmon Faverolles right for you?

Choose Faverolles for a one-of-a-kind look and winter eggs. For another feather-footed bird with a famous temperament, see the Cochin; for another crested oddity, meet the Polish.

Compare egg colors on our free Egg Color Chart printable.

Salmon Faverolles questions

What color eggs do Salmon Faverolles lay?

Light brown or tinted. UW–Madison lists the shell as light brown, and Illinois Extension says Faverolles lay tinted rather than white eggs. Ohio State rates them medium.

How many eggs does a Faverolles lay a year?

Up to 150 to 200, according to Oklahoma State, which adds that they keep laying in winter when other birds have stopped.

Do Faverolles really have five toes?

Yes. Oklahoma State and UW–Madison both note the fifth toe, along with lightly feathered legs and feet.

Are Salmon Faverolles friendly with kids?

We found no extension source that describes the Faverolles' temperament directly. Purdue Extension describes Continental breeds in general as active and flighty, but that's a class-wide generalization, not a breed rating.

Are Faverolles cold hardy?

Oklahoma State says their abundance of feathers gives them winter protection, and that they keep laying in winter.

What colors do Faverolles come in?

The American Poultry Association recognizes Salmon and White. Oklahoma State says Salmon was recognized first, in 1914, and White in 1981.

Raising Salmon Faverolless?

When will my Salmon Faverolles pullets start laying? Get their first-egg window from the hatch date, with the medium, dual-purpose setting picked.

Already have Salmon Faverolles hens?

Add them to My flock in our free Egg Log and track what they lay. Everything stays in this browser.

Sources

  1. American Poultry Association: Recognized Breeds and Varieties
  2. Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Faverolles Chickens
  3. University of Illinois Extension: Recognized Breeds and Varieties
  4. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension A2880: Chicken Breeds and Varieties
  5. University of Illinois Extension: History of Breeds
  6. Ohio State University: Chicken Breed Selection
  7. Purdue Extension AS-518