Calling all Penedesencas Owners/Breeders

[CatalanState]

The pics of the partridge's i've promised

Now're about 16 weeks old

I've 4 pullets and one cockerel, but it's impossible take photos of all the flock, this is the flightiest breed i've never raised

 

[trident00]

Wow. That Roo is amazing

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Wow!

Glad to see people raising the breeds of my country at the other side of the sea!

I have a young flock of Partridge Penedesenca, and in the past i've raised the improved version of black penedesenca

Now i'm planing to add a flock of Crele's to my coop

This are pics of the improved variety, some have red ear loves, and have lossed the colour of the egg



Cockerel's weight at 16 weeks old (in kg)


Tomorrow i'll take a pictures of the Partridge's and post here

The Improved are impressive for a meat bird.
I'm still old fashioned and love the Classic.
I'm working on maintaining the European standard for the classic black.
It is hard to beat that white earlobe and dark egg. IMHO, the dark egg is what draws people here to the breed. Most Americans aren't as enamored with the subtly enhanced flavor of an organoleptically unique chicken. I am but it is harder to create a market for that here. I wouldn't mind raising the improved as well but I have limited space for branching out.
I want to import some eggs this year or next and here's hoping there are still farms in Catalonia raising pure strains of the classic.

The pics of the partridge's i've promised

Now're about 16 weeks old

I've 4 pullets and one cockerel, but it's impossible take photos of all the flock, this is the flightiest breed i've never raised

You have some beautiful birds.

 

[karenerwin]

I put 8 Black Penedesenca eggs in the incubator today. Hopefully in 21 days I'll have a bunch of chicks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I put 8 Black Penedesenca eggs in the incubator today. Hopefully in 21 days I'll have a bunch of chicks

That's great.
I have 2 cockerels that hatched January 2. 10 other chicks that hatched about 3 weeks ago and all have been out in the coop for well over a week during that cold snap with a small Premier heat plate brooder for them. The chicks rarely use the heat plate and have chosen to sleep between their 2 big brothers that are embracing their job as surrogate moms.
I have 8 mature cockerels and roosters and want to get that number down to 4 or 5 to make room for some younger boys.
I have 34 eggs due to hatch Tuesday and a bunch of eggs waiting to go in this week. I seriously need to get my cabinet incubators up and running.
All my birds that hatched prior to September last year are laying. The birds that hatched in October have yet to start laying. Once they get started, I should be loaded up with eggs.
After a couple years of some devastating predator issues, I hatched as much as I could. But now that my numbers are up I have to start culling those not laying good dark eggs.
It is a challenge to determine who is laying what. I occasionally rotate hens to smaller housing units but really need to build some trap nests.

 

[cooliechick]

Hi to all that are still here. I've not been here in quite a while.

Off to the Seattle side of the pond to get some Partridge Pene's (chicks) this afternoon/evening. They have been extremely hard to find anywhere even close to me. A feed store has these. I have a small flock of 7, but need some outside DNA as I am loosing egg size and chicken size.

I also have a flock of 4 hens that are PP/Copper Maran... lovely layers but no chicks raised from them, though I want to give it a try. Maybe this year I can get it done.

Not much time right now as DIL will be here any minute to make the trip across the pond. I'll post when I know more.

Now, where to put the little guys to keep my Parson Russell pup from getting them. Sounds like a baby gate set up again. Yikes... that is a pain in the tush.

Still need to build a new chicken house after the storm and falling tree crushed the one I had. Hubby's health has gone down hill. Darn diseases................

 

[cooliechick]

It was a very successful shopping trip. We had to drop everything and go, as the chicks were in earlier than expected. I have added 11more Partridge Penedesenca chicks to my flock, three cockerels (I think) and 8 pullets.. I was shocked when I looked into the water tank to see mostly nice darkly marked hens. The ones i picked as cockerels were the lightest of the bunch. The price was right at what is normal for all chicks so that was good too. A few weeks will tell if I picked the right ones as I need a couple fresh roosters. I am hoping for all three but two is better than none.. For now, they are all snuggled up in a dog crate by the wood stove. I'll go looking for a big box in the morning for a temporary home until they grow large enough to move into my vintage brooder in the garage.

I feel so lucky. I've watched for PP chicks locally for three years. My first were ordered on "My Pet Chicken" and that was a disappointing transaction as two of the 7 I ordered were NOT PP's. One was all white and the other was an olive egger. The closest breeder was too far away to drive to, and shipping is costly.

 

[karenerwin]

That's great.
I have 2 cockerels that hatched January 2. 10 other chicks that hatched about 3 weeks ago and all have been out in the coop for well over a week during that cold snap with a small Premier heat plate brooder for them. The chicks rarely use the heat plate and have chosen to sleep between their 2 big brothers that are embracing their job as surrogate moms.
I have 8 mature cockerels and roosters and want to get that number down to 4 or 5 to make room for some younger boys.
I have 34 eggs due to hatch Tuesday and a bunch of eggs waiting to go in this week. I seriously need to get my cabinet incubators up and running.
All my birds that hatched prior to September last year are laying. The birds that hatched in October have yet to start laying. Once they get started, I should be loaded up with eggs.
After a couple years of some devastating predator issues, I hatched as much as I could. But now that my numbers are up I have to start culling those not laying good dark eggs.
It is a challenge to determine who is laying what. I occasionally rotate hens to smaller housing units but really need to build some trap nests.

Yesterday was day 21 and so far only 1 has hatched. All 8 eggs are from the same hen/rooster combo as I only have 1 Black Penedesenca hen & rooster (my other hen got killed & eaten by a predator). It's head color is more blond than black. I'm hoping at least a couple more will hatch, but I don't see any pips or anything. All 8 eggs were laid in the same 10 day period. I went with a completely "hands off" approach for this hatch. I had an auto turner. So I set them and left them. I checked about once a week to see what the thermometer was reading (without opening the incubator). Then on day 18, I took out the auto turner, and added a small plate with a wet sponge to increase the humidity. The chick that hatched hatched out very cleanly, no gunk or anything left behind in it's shell, so I don't really know what is up with the other 7 eggs. I still have them on lock down in the hopes that more will hatch, but I am losing hope as the day goes by with no signs of activity.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yesterday was day 21 and so far only 1 has hatched. All 8 eggs are from the same hen/rooster combo as I only have 1 Black Penedesenca hen & rooster (my other hen got killed & eaten by a predator). It's head color is more blond than black. I'm hoping at least a couple more will hatch, but I don't see any pips or anything. All 8 eggs were laid in the same 10 day period. I went with a completely "hands off" approach for this hatch. I had an auto turner. So I set them and left them. I checked about once a week to see what the thermometer was reading (without opening the incubator). Then on day 18, I took out the auto turner, and added a small plate with a wet sponge to increase the humidity. The chick that hatched hatched out very cleanly, no gunk or anything left behind in it's shell, so I don't really know what is up with the other 7 eggs. I still have them on lock down in the hopes that more will hatch, but I am losing hope as the day goes by with no signs of activity.

What are your breeding pair eating?
Is the chick vigorous?

 

[ronott1]

Yesterday was day 21 and so far only 1 has hatched. All 8 eggs are from the same hen/rooster combo as I only have 1 Black Penedesenca hen & rooster (my other hen got killed & eaten by a predator). It's head color is more blond than black. I'm hoping at least a couple more will hatch, but I don't see any pips or anything. All 8 eggs were laid in the same 10 day period. I went with a completely "hands off" approach for this hatch. I had an auto turner. So I set them and left them. I checked about once a week to see what the thermometer was reading (without opening the incubator). Then on day 18, I took out the auto turner, and added a small plate with a wet sponge to increase the humidity. The chick that hatched hatched out very cleanly, no gunk or anything left behind in it's shell, so I don't really know what is up with the other 7 eggs. I still have them on lock down in the hopes that more will hatch, but I am losing hope as the day goes by with no signs of activity.

Don't toss the eggs out. Do an eggtopsy on them and let us know what is inside the eggs.