#Egyptian Fayoumis

[homeofhousechickens]

What is pigeon keeping like in comparison to chickens? I've learned my fair bit about chicken keeping but I don't know much the other way.

Your pigeons are gorgeous and you seem to take excellent care of them as you do your chickens. I hope you're having a lovely day ^^

They are grainivores so they need a quality seed and legume based pigeon feed, access to water, pigeon diapers (though pigeon poop is easier to clean then chicken poop) and a cage. I usually use puppy pads for bedding in their cage. They are dusty so you need an air purifier as well. My 4 pigeons produce way more dust then all my chickens combined which should say something since I have a lot of chickens.

Unlike chickens, most pigeons, especially boys, really don't want to be petted and cuddled like a chicken does unless they are bonded to you. They have a completely different social structure than pigeons do. They also don't really need as much entertainment. You should still offer them enrichment, but they just don't get bored like chickens can if there are other pigeons around.

In a loft setting it seems like with pigeons if you give them good food and keep there loft clean they will thrive as long as they are not over stocked and you practice biosecurity. Chickens have a bit more nuance in my experience.

Pigeons overall deal with confinement much better regardless of breed while it really does depend on the breed with chickens. Loki is a feral, Mj is a racing homer,Fluffernutter is a mutt, and Emillio is a portuguese tumbler. That is 2 performance breeds out 4 and I have never felt like my birds were not getting enough exercise. If I had a more energetic chicken breed like an Egyptian Fayoumi I don't think I could provide them with the same level of care.

I'd say in a way pigeons are easier due to being smaller, easier to feed, less maintenance, and are easy to clean up after. I prefer chickens though I have had parrot people tell me my pigeons feel more like pet birds than my house chickens do because they kind of interact with you the same way a cat would.

[despazito]

Egyptian Fayoumi are so neat they look like little gyrfalcons

[hathorneheiress]

Hawthorne Chickens. the rarest ones.

So this is a continuation of the first head cannon, but it is the rarest breeds that they own.

Nash: As I said, he doesn't care for chickens, and he only likes the normal kinds, but there is one breed which he does like. The Campine is a small breed. Dating back to the 1400s it is Europe's oldest chicken breed. Nash favors the beautiful plumage and non-broody temperament of the breed. Because they like to take to the air, he has to keep them in a confided space which the chickens don't really like.

Grayson: Just like his love for the small breeds like the silkies, Grayson also owns and is very proud of his little flock of Egyptian Fayoumis. The small breed is very active and rather lovely in appearances. Having been raised by the Nile for centuries, the breed is very scarce anywhere else. When Tobias knew of his grandson's love for the chicken, he surprised him for his 14th birthday with a breeding pair and several chicks. Grayson was overjoyed, and he has been expanding his flock ever since.

Jameson: Of course he would go for something out of the ordinary. Though not the oldest, the Ayam Cermani is one of the rarest chicken breeds. Originating from Indonesia, the breed is known for it's all black body: Including feather, beak, and organs! Known for their cock fighting abilities, Jameson owns several prized roosters. He doesn't make them fight, but he loves showing them off for anyone who will see.

Xander: Just like the Polish, Xander finds a fascination with the Sultan breed. An ornamental breed originating from Turkey, these beautiful chickens are a sight to behold! With soft white plumage and a V comb, it's no wonder Xander fell in love with them. He has his own personal flock and enjoys giving them a bath and then fluffing out there feathers. His favorite chicken is a hen named snow flake. (Don't ask me why!)

Some other rare breeds that grace the Hawthorne estate are Modern Game: A breed that haled from Britian between the 1850 and 1900s. The Hedermora breed with Swedish decent of over 500 years. West Indies Erminette with their gentle and docile nature and white and black speckled plumage.

There are so many more that they own, but those are a few.

This was another collaboration with the lovely @riddles-n-games. She will be doing her own head cannon later on rarer species of poultry the Hawthornes would own. So please go read it when it does come out!!

[allosaurusrock]

This is a super cool addition, but to be completely honest a lot of this is not super accurate! Chicken breed history is super interesting but just because something is heritage does not mean it is period appropriate. That also depends a lot on where the time is set!

-Cochins and Brahmas are considered asiatic breeds, but they’re actually British breeds bred from Chinese birds. They are an amalgamation of many different round Chinese chickens. These breeds were favorites of Queen Victoria’s and didn’t arrive until her reign. Orpingtons and other larger “dual-purpose” heritage breeds were derived from Chinese birds. The American dual-purpose heritage breeds were derived from them. During the Victorian era and before, the average person would not have these fat round chickens. They would have smaller, gamier looking birds, as most European breeds are. Brahmas and Cochins have only gotten as big as they are in recent years.

Common European and Mediterranean chicken breeds generally would have had had skinnier bodies, like this golden Campine. Again, a lot of the color pattern and designation into separate breeds is more recent. It wasn’t until the Victorian era that Campiness were considered a separate breed from the Braekel. Most people would not have specific breeds like this, he is just representative of general body shape from the time. Photo is from the Livestock Conservancy. The Minorcas mentioned are also a good example. :)

- Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks (proper breed name, barred is just a color. Whites are common in showing) are both American breeds that occurred after colonization. It’s important to think about location and time. These birds would not have been in Victorian England. Also- that blue laced red color of Wyandotte is a recent addition to the breed and is not even APA recognized yet.

-Egyptian Fayoumis are super cool and super old. Just keep them in Egypt.

-I’m not super familiar with the native history of Cemanis. They’re cool but prone to cancer due to excess melanin. Again, unless you are writing a very specific type of story, you wouldn’t see them running around a farmyard.

-It should be noted that chickens were domesticated for cockfighting. It was an extremely common sport for both working class people and British nobility. Period accurate works should include cockfighting birds more. Not condoning blood sports, but they are an important part of chicken history.

Sorry I just really really really like chickens.

This is.....niche. Do period-appropriate chickens even still exist? Idk anything about chickens. I like the fancy ones.

[backyardchickennews]

Is There An Egyptian Fayoumi Chicken Breed? Are Fayoumi Chickens the Ultimate Foragers? Are Egyptian Fayoumi Chickens Immune to Disease? What Makes Egyptian Fayoumi Chickens So Energetic? Are Egyptian Fayoumi Chickens Really Not Aggressive? Fayoumi chickens come from the governorate of Fayoum, south-west of Cairo and west of the Nile. They are hardy foragers that are resistant to both viral and bacterial diseases. They are lively and flighty, but are not aggressive. https://backyardchickennews.com/is-there-an-egyptian-fayoumi-chicken-breed/?feed_id=3555&_unique_id=65b8e65cbcee4

[acatandamouse]

Eating in the Bath, @acatandamouse 2023. Mixed media: Egyptian Fayoumi, Andalusian, Cream Legbar, grass, phone camera.

[silver-grove-homesteading]

My baby chicks when they arrived. I had to order 25, and the hatchery threw in a freebie. Sadly 4 of the chicks passed away, so I still have 22 chicks. I am not entirely sure which babies I still have left. I will post more as they age.

[ziggystarling]

Idk she's just chill

[kedreeva]

Hi! Do you have backyard chicken breed suggestions for places that get hot af?

We moved closer to the desert, and now we have highs over 100°F for a good chunk of the summer (and occasionally over 110°F). Our chickens were Not Pleased. We ended up giving them to my parents, who live somewhere with more reasonable summers

Probably one of the Mediterranean breeds like minorcas (but not leghorns in the US, they ARE very tolerant of heat being white and having a huge comb, but also... we fucked them up something fierce for egg production in the US), or something like an Egyptian fayoumi. Something that was bred in heat. If you're just looking for pets, the bantam breeds keep better in heat usually, but they might not be as cold hardy depending on how hard your winters swing. I don't really deal with the heat-hardy breeds since I'm in cold hell so I don't have a lot of experience.

You know who handles the heat well? peafowl. they're out fuckin' sunning themselves on scorched earth when it gets above 100F. Luxuriating. They're from the fucking sun.

[the-kingshound]

White Leghorn, Andalusian, Polish, Ancona, Egyptian Fayoumis, Hamburg and California White Chickens actually lay pure white eggs!

Araucana Chickens for example lay blue eggs due to genome modification

Rhode Island Reds lay brown eggs for example

I bow in front of your knowledge, anon! I didn't know about the blue eggs!

[shadowfishtank]

Day 29: fayoumi #40daysofchickens #chickens #chicken #bawkbawk #cluckcluck #art #illustration The Fayoumi or Egyptian Fayoumi is an Egyptian breed of chicken. It originates from – and is named for – the governorate of Fayoum, which lies south-west of Cairo and west of the Nile. It is believed to be an ancient breed. (at South Philadelphia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl1MpzWOGwm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[homeofhousechickens]

Any recommendations for high desert chicken breeds for egg production?

Depends on how fancy you want them. Also keep in mind that people keep every kind of chicken everywhere I'm just going to recommend breeds I know do well in the area so your working with nature and not against it.

Since you're in a high desert climate I would suggest light colored birds of whatever breeds you choose.

I would avoid Icelandic and Asiatic breeds that are heavy as the higher elevation tends to not be great for their thermoregulation and heart health. You want to go for skinny egg layers not chunky dual purpose ladies.

If you want the best egg laying capabilities, you will not go wrong with Leghorns of any color, but white ones will out produce anything else you can get. They do pretty well in higher elevations, and if you get ones bred and hatched in your area they should be able to withstand the heat.

Their other mediterranean relatives would also be good candidates like the Ancona and Andalusian.

Egyptian fayoumi are kind of know as the THE desert chicken but they won't ever outlay a leghorn and their relatives in my opinion. They are extremely beautiful and skittish but hard to source.

If you do want something that doesn't lay like crazy like a leghorn and maybe you do want some meatier transylvania naked necks might be a candidate. They can withstand the heat and the colder tempatures easily.

Let me know if this helps

[zojahschickenarmy]

Oh you have a campine! A Golden campine was one of my first hens. They’ll have a special place in my heart.

They’re such beautiful birds! I was lucky enough to trade some silver campine eggs for some heritage fruit from a mate, and my hens were chuffed to hatch them because I had three broodies at the time (one gave up halfway through though, people say Wyandotte’s make great mothers but mine always quit). Unfortunately due to the questionable bloodlines that exist in Aus, with Campines being closer to endangered here (silver in particular) I ran into a lot of issues as they developed and had to say goodbye to several, I have three at the moment- Lancer, Cassandra and Sardine, I plan to source some other blood in spring to breed from this lot to help their numbers.

They’re always at my feet and following me around, they’re the first to inspect what I’ve got in my hands and they’re always giving me the side-eye to watch what I’m up to. They’re very calm and quiet, don’t mind being handled and will stand still for a pat, and don’t startle easily. There’ve been plenty of times I’ve been trying to put a tree log down and slowly inched it on top of a bird to encourage them to move, and a normal chicken goes “oh that log is pressing on me better leave-“ campines... they just stand there ready to be squished because the ground is interesting and they MUST scratch.

They’re really good at flying though o.o big wings on these babies, I was recently fixing and painting the roof of the coop and Cass and Lancer both flapped up casually to check out what I was doing. Sardine tried, but she’s pretty wonky from paralysis as a chick and she sorta just bounced off the side.

I’m glad to hear that other people have seen them! They’re often mistaken for Hamburghs or occasionally Egyptian Fayoumi, it’s always a delight to learn of people who’ve experienced or kept Campines as their numbers are still struggling in many places. Overseas, the Gold is the rare one!

[wolverinequeen]

Do you have recommendations for hot weather chickens? Like desert southwestern us?

Some breeds that are well known for being heat tolerant are : 

Minorcas, Andalusians, Egyptian Fayoumis, Campines, Turkens, Anconas, Leghorns.  

[leghorn]

Egyptian Fayoumi pullet by Joe Mabel

[silver-grove-homesteading]

Eggs!!! My first 2 eggs! I forgot to check yesterday so I’m sure it’s from the same bird. We currently don’t have nest boxes. Those are now to be built super soon. But I did make a nice, soft, dark place to encourage any girls to go lay. Guess it worked. I’m just so happy right now. Now from what I’ve read the Egyptian Fayoumi lay at to 4 1/2 months old, and they are 4.25 months old. But they are supposed to lay cream/off white eggs. These are clearly brown.