Calling all Penedesencas Owners/Breeders

[ronott1]

remember Ron though.
This is from the guy that emailed me 2 weeks ago asking how many hatched lol. so I dont know when they where actually shipped

Any action on the hatch yet? I have Wheatens hatching next Friday.

Tonight I had a scare. I let the pullets in the pen with two Creles in it free range in the back yard for the first time this Afternoon. When I went out to close up the coops, one of the Crele was missing. I searched the entire back yard and finally found her in the layer yard! She had gotten over the fence and was on top of a chicken hutch. I guess she wants to go stay with the Big girls....

 

[Hangtown Farms]

lol..
Well nothing hear. I will give them 1 more day. Bummer

 

[DB_Tex]

Hmm, I like the Creles. Heat hardiness and egg color would be a big deal among chicken fanciers in my neck of the saguaros. I just mentioned on a local farm board I was looking into the breed and suffice it to say, if I was taking a waiting list for chicks (with parent stock that hasn't even been laid yet, mind you) my waiting list would be full O_O
People *are* losing their barred rocks, their orpingtons, their leghorns etc. to the heat.

 

[DB_Tex]

A breed question--- are any colors more advantageous than another? As in like marans does one color strain lay darker shells? Does a particular color line tend to have better temperaments? I'm not quite sure where to begin-- I just know I want to start with a bird that the local community will appreciate.

 

[ronott1]

A breed question--- are any colors more advantageous than another? As in like marans does one color strain lay darker shells? Does a particular color line tend to have better temperaments? I'm not quite sure where to begin-- I just know I want to start with a bird that the local community will appreciate.

It depends on the breeder you get them from and if they have been selecting for egg color.

Generally Partridge is darker but they are all Dark eggs.

I got my first Crele Pene egg yesterday from the first ones I hatched. It was a nice egg with a lot of bloom. I will post pictures when they lay more.

 

[DB_Tex]

So overall-- not a huge disparity in color like in marans? (Where if you want darkest you HAVE to go with the black/blue coppers) That is really good to know! Hopefully I can get eggs from someone who selects for temperament.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

my empordanesa eggs are generally much darker than my creel. my black should be laying soon and i cant wait

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hmm, I like the Creles. Heat hardiness and egg color would be a big deal among chicken fanciers in my neck of the saguaros. I just mentioned on a local farm board I was looking into the breed and suffice it to say, if I was taking a waiting list for chicks (with parent stock that hasn't even been laid yet, mind you) my waiting list would be full O_O
People *are* losing their barred rocks, their orpingtons, their leghorns etc. to the heat.

No matter how many people I talk to, no one has ever heard of Penedesenca or Empordanesa.

I would think Fayoumi would do well there too but with a light tinted egg. They are known for wildness, like the penes.

A breed question--- are any colors more advantageous than another? As in like marans does one color strain lay darker shells? Does a particular color line tend to have better temperaments? I'm not quite sure where to begin-- I just know I want to start with a bird that the local community will appreciate.

When I started, I heard the egg varieties laid darker eggs than the blacks but I don't know for sure.

It depends on the breeder you get them from and if they have been selecting for egg color.

Generally Partridge is darker but they are all Dark eggs.

I got my first Crele Pene egg yesterday from the first ones I hatched. It was a nice egg with a lot of bloom. I will post pictures when they lay more.

I think the breeder is very important. I bought 2 varieties of Marans eggs from someone that had gotten their birds from great lines. I was so disappointed, the eggs weren't dark at all. After a few generations of poor selection the egg color can go away.

The dark color seems to come and go throughout the season. I haven't been able to figure out why yet. Some times my eggs are super dark and then there will be a spell of fairly light eggs. I may not be able to get a handle on it until I start trap nesting.

I've only been actively breeding and incubating this year since I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep them. Prior to this year I've only used broodies to hatch.
So I'm sure I still have a couple years to go before I can hopefully get some real consistency in the quality of the birds and eggs.
I only have the space to do justice to one variety so I'm sticking with blacks so I can put extras in the freezer.

So overall-- not a huge disparity in color like in marans? (Where if you want darkest you HAVE to go with the black/blue coppers) That is really good to know! Hopefully I can get eggs from someone who selects for temperament.

I'm not sure what you mean by temperament. What temperament are you looking for?
Penedesencas are very unique. They are known for wildness. In fact, that is a standard characteristic they are supposed to have. I really like their temperament for several reasons.
They may be tamed if one were to handle them daily from the time they're chicks. I don't handle my birds so it isn't like that here.
I've had lots of roosters of various breeds - some have been human aggressive. I just can't imagine a Penedesenca rooster attacking me, they just aren't interested in having anything to do with people.
They run like the wind so flying isn't on their mind. For that reason I can confine them in a 2 foot high fence.
They're great foragers and IMO the people that have a problem with their flightiness have them too closely confined.
Actually it's the chicks that are the most skittish. The older the birds the calmer they are around me. Other people and animals are a different story. If they don't know you, they're off to the races.
Their speed and alertness puts me at ease when they're free ranging. With lots of hawks, dogs and foxes in the area as daytime predators and several flocks free roaming and no fences I've only lost one bird during the day in almost 4 years. It was a rooster that I'm sure gave himself up to save the flock. Night is a different story.

my empordanesa eggs are generally much darker than my creel. my black should be laying soon and i cant wait

I read that Sandhill has been selecting for egg color so you might be good.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

No matter how many people I talk to, no one has ever heard of Penedesenca or Empordanesa.

I would think Fayoumi would do well there too but with a light tinted egg. They are known for wildness, like the penes.
When I started, I heard the egg varieties laid darker eggs than the blacks but I don't know for sure.
I think the breeder is very important. I bought 2 varieties of Marans eggs from someone that had gotten their birds from great lines. I was so disappointed, the eggs weren't dark at all. After a few generations of poor selection the egg color can go away.

The dark color seems to come and go throughout the season. I haven't been able to figure out why yet. Some times my eggs are super dark and then there will be a spell of fairly light eggs. I may not be able to get a handle on it until I start trap nesting.

I've only been actively breeding and incubating this year since I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep them. Prior to this year I've only used broodies to hatch.
So I'm sure I still have a couple years to go before I can hopefully get some real consistency in the quality of the birds and eggs.
I only have the space to do justice to one variety so I'm sticking with blacks so I can put extras in the freezer.
I'm not sure what you mean by temperament. What temperament are you looking for?
Penedesencas are very unique. They are known for wildness. In fact, that is a standard characteristic they are supposed to have. I really like their temperament for several reasons.
They may be tamed if one were to handle them daily from the time they're chicks. I don't handle my birds so it isn't like that here.
I've had lots of roosters of various breeds - some have been human aggressive. I just can't imagine a Penedesenca rooster attacking me, they just aren't interested in having anything to do with people.
They run like the wind so flying isn't on their mind. For that reason I can confine them in a 2 foot high fence.
They're great foragers and IMO the people that have a problem with their flightiness have them too closely confined.
Actually it's the chicks that are the most skittish. The older the birds the calmer they are around me. Other people and animals are a different story. If they don't know you, they're off to the races.
Their speed and alertness puts me at ease when they're free ranging. With lots of hawks, dogs and foxes in the area as daytime predators and several flocks free roaming and no fences I've only lost one bird during the day in almost 4 years. It was a rooster that I'm sure gave himself up to save the flock. Night is a different story.
I read that Sandhill has been selecting for egg color so you might be good.

My Black rooster from Ron looks pretty good, The sand hill rooster is real poor.
My Sand hill hens look ok. we shall see.

My Crele look great but need to work on the egg color sadly none of the dark eggs hatched

 

[ronott1]

I found the second Crele Penedesenca egg today. It had a lot of bloom on it so I took the picture of it while it was wet. It is not a bad size for a second egg laid by a pullet.