Breed help

[ChickenCanoe]

That seems to be mostly true at present, but there's no genetic reason for it to stay that way. From reading hatchery descriptions, I think there are a few working on it, so we may see some true-breeding olive eggers within the next decade or so.

Originally, the only blue egg gene present in the US or Europe came from Araucanas. That is where the blue gene in Crested Cream Legbars came from. Araucana is also the breed that brought blue shell genes to Ameraucanas and eventually EEs.
There is no other source of the blue shell gene outside of South America.

 

[svh]

It is a long list but I think everyone's list should be long. Starting with birds that fit your climate and then check off all your wants.
You'll only get olive eggs from crossing breeds. A dark brown egg breed with a blue or green egg breed.


My black Penedesencas fit all of those wants except the small comb and waddles.
Is that need due to cold winters?
I've never had frostbitten combs on hens but some years I have had some roosters with frostbitten combs but haven't lost any of them due to that. It has been down to 6F so far this year and no frostbite among the 15 roosters here now.
I've had over 30 breeds. Everything from multiple varieties of Wyandottes, Welsummers, several varieties of Leghorns, Buttercups, Minorcas, Jaerhons, Ameraucanas, Anconas, Australorps, Brahmas, Cochins, Delawares, Jersey Giants, several varieties of Plymouoth rocks, Orpingtons, Sussex and I would have some of them again but through all that, Penedesencas have become my favorite breed of all but I know I only have time and space to do justice to one breed and it is the only breed I've raised for about 6 years or so.
They excel in free range situations, egg production, egg color and meat.


What part of Missouri are you in?
I'll have eggs February and chicks by March. I can ship but for people in outstate Missouri and Illinois, I usually meet them somewhere.
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This is something I posted a couple years ago.


Penedesencas are not yet in the APA.
All four varieties, (Black, Crele, Partridge, Wheaten) as well as White Empordanesa were imported into the US around 2000.
The two breeds, Penedesenca being from Penedes and Empordanesa being from Emporda, are two regions of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain on the French border near Andorra.
Penedesencas and Empordanesas are the only breeds with white earlobes and lay a brown egg. They are also the only breeds with a carnation comb (also called a clavel and kings comb)
They are ancient breeds and were still a hodgepodge of colors as late as 1900 with black and partridge being prominent. The first known documented writing about the breed was in 1920 when efforts were made to conserve and standardize them. There were quite a few farms that raised them but fell out of favor when interest turned to new foreign breeds.
By 1980 they were nearly extinct. At that time, veterinarian Antonio Jordá visiting area farms and farmers' markets, made a collection of fertile eggs and adult specimens until he gathered a population of about 300 hens from which Dr. Amadeus Francesch standardized into the 4 Penedesenca varieties today of Black, Crele, Partridge and Wheaten.
The Black is the DP variety being about a pound or two heavier than the other three, which are egg varieties.
The black was long renown for the flavor of its meat. There is now an annual festival in Villafranca, Catalonia called Fira del Gall (Fair of the Rooster) and the Black Penedesenca is the star of the show. It is a foodie and wine affair. Penedes is the oldest wine region of Europe.
The festival dates back to medieval times but was declining in popularity till 1984 when it was reborn with the reemergence of the Black Penedesenca.
The fair is held the last weekend before Christmas and people come from far and wide to buy the bird for their Christmas dinner - a Black Penedesenca rooster. In 2014 the fair celebrated the 20th anniversary of bringing the bird back from the brink of extinction.
Sadly, Dr. Amadeu Francesch Vidal died last summer. He was very helpful trying to get the birds distributed around the world.
In Spain, the black variety has been toyed with to make it a larger meat bird. In the process, it lost the dark egg and the white lobes. So now there is the 'improved' and the classic black. The classic is the only one in the US and the variety I raise.

@ChickenCanoe, thanks for reply.

Very interesting, and beautiful eggs ..... Exactly what I'm looking for !

I was thinking about the small comb due to winter temps, but I see you are in St. Louis, just a hop, skip and a spear throw from my homestead in Montgomery Co., near Hermann, and have the same weather as I do, with few problems, so that requirement is off the list !

I also read they can be flighty, and aggressive to other birds. Have you noticed this ?

I already have an existing flock of 16 - tan, green, and blue layers, and don't want to upset the balance of them, so I would whip up a new coop/run, and offer many acres of free range space.

What's your opinion of running some Freedom Ranger meat birds with this breed ? Do you think they would accept them without too much trouble if they were introduced while both were chicks ?

Hatching eggs are out of the question at this time, but I would love to purchase some chicks come spring ! I could come to you, or meet anywhere at your discretion.

Please PM me with some info .... straight run, or sexed, and $$ so I can get over the sticker shock for this beautiful rare breed !!!!