Chicken Breed Focus - Blue Andalusian

[wornoutmomto3]

I had two hens in my original flock, years ago. They were very flighty. One even decided to roost in a neighbors tree two nights in a row without coming home, but I loved their personalities. Absolutely friendly, when they wanted to be. Terrified of their own shadow any given moment, or not, depending on their mood. The first to the food bowl and the last to leave, but always looking fit and trim. If a chicken could strut like a supermodel these girls would rule the runway, or just poop on it and walk away. (lol!) One of my hens was a total diva. Her comb grew quite large and flopped to one side. It only made her look more "hip." lol!

I would love to add this breed back into my flock, but I haven't found any good breeders. There was a gorgeous hen that was for sale locally. However, the seller insisted that the rooster and hen must be sold as a set. There are problems with that arrangement that I cannot see fit to pursue the issue: 1) I have two many roosters already (planning a chicken soup making event soon.) 2) The rooster has an obvious physical deformity (possibly genetic, which is not good for breeding). So, I am still searching for some good birds or hatching eggs. Maybe this spring I will find some.

 

[Champoux]

I have 16 hens, 1 rooster and love them.

 

[Bridebeliever]

I was SO excited to see this on the home page! I love, love LOVE

my Andalusians! I have three, all females, a Splash and two Blue. I am so happy with this happy go lucky breed. My girls are in a mixed flock with Wyandottes, Production Reds, a Chocolate Orpington and an Australorp. The 10 of them live in a large coop (8x17) and they free range during the day. They always return back to the coop at dusk and are great at watching for overhead danger. I haven't found them to be overly flighty. We've raised them from chicks and they are super friendly. My Splash who I call "Duck" flies up to my arm to roost on command. I tap my arm and say "Duck, Duck, Duck" and up she flies! They are currently 12 weeks old so I'm excited to see how they do at laying. I could really enjoy a whole flock of these girls! I was going to post tons of pictures here but I thought I would just add the link to my thread here. I would love it if other Andalusian owners would post pics there too! One thing I found lacking were pictures of Andalusians to compare my girls to! (When I was trying to figure out if they were girls or not.)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1047549/the-andalusian-picture-thread

Oh yes, they are great foragers...the one thing that cracks me up is to see them taking off to chase squirrels that show up in the yard! They do NOT tolerate squirrels which makes me think they may turn out to be good mousers too!

 

[N F C]

@Bridebeliever thanks for the link to your thread charting the growth of your girls. They are lovely!

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

They are beautiful! They won't last a day in my backyard though, if they are that nervous.

I'm not sure they are so much nervous as just really high strung. They don't want to be held. If you open the nest lid while one is laying, they are going to BAGAWK about it for 5 minutes even though you closed the lid right up. Mine wanted to roost in the Camellia tree in their run rather than inside their house. And they love to peck at one another. For no reason at all. The three of them would be standing together and one would lean over and BAM peck another one right in the face.

They are just a bit more wild than some other breeds such as the Buff Orpington. I'm not at all knocking them. They are BEAUTIFUL birds. But if you are only getting a few birds for a small back yard set up, I would not recommend them for that environment. Stick to the Barred Rocks, Buff Orpington and Easter Eggers.

But they are excellent layers and make the most porcelain perfect white eggs. And quite large eggs for being such a small bird.

 

[BorealisChick71]

Had two of these, an absolutely gorgeous cockerel, and a hen. The cockerel was actually our "free rare chick" from Murray McMurray hatchery when we ordered our meat bird/layer combo. He developed quickly, feathered out just as fast as the hen did. The roo was head of the flock, and sadly, one day, while doing his duty of protecting the flock, was taken by a young Goshawk. Still have the hen, the coloration is lovely, and I REALLY REALLY want another roo
This was my cockerel, Hanz.


and below, my hen Franz, she was still a pullet at the time of the pic.

 

[PDPercherons]

The majority of my flock within the coop this evening. I'm incubating eggs right now hoping to improve size, lacing, and get a better combed rooster to head my flock. We will see.

 

[gimmie birdies]

no,

 

[Cluck2013]

My first andalusian chicks! Love the light gray one. Just hatched these last 2 days.

 

[Ljc01]

How long does it take for the eggs to get bigger. My birds have been laying for 2 months and they are barely making medium size eggs.
I am getting an egg a day from all of them. Don't think anyone has missed a day yet. But the eggs are smaller then I hoped for