Calling all Penedesencas Owners/Breeders

[ronott1]

In an attempt to improve the breed I was going to start trapnesting last summer, build a cabinet incubator with separate hatcher and set eggs like mad. Then last May I got in a battle with my city which lasted 9 months for the ability to keep chickens at all, so putting labor and time into trapnests or anything else chicken related was something I put on hold. I even sold and gave away a lot of my birds. I recently won the battle. Lo and behold the new ordinance allows grandfathering for the number of birds one already had, so reducing my flock size worked against me.
The good news(if needing a permit is good news) I just picked up my permit to keep 85 chickens of which 5 can be roosters so I'm back in business.

I'm fearful that trapnesting will be stressing the birds. It probably wouldn't be a big deal for most people, especially if their birds are pets but as you know one required characteristic of Penedesencas is that they be a wild bird. Their wildness stresses them quite easily with humans or other predators around. I'm afraid that they'll soon associate the trapnest with something dangerous - especially if I can't figure a way to release them and get their legband # without them seeing me.
The purpose of trapnesting, besides selecting for conformation and color, I'm working to determine each hen's production and egg size and working on darker eggs.
I just found the following site concerning stress factors that affect egg color.
http://www.darkbrowneggs.info/#/factors-affecting-shell-color/4542701177
Paragraphs 3 and 4 talk about fearfulness at the end of the laying cycle. If in fact trapnesting would stress them it would work against determining the darkest layers.

I have some small breeding apartment coops and within a couple days of putting a hen in them they quit laying so trapnesting is my best bet other than sitting by the nests all day.

I would not worry to much about the stress. I would be more worried on hot days here, unless you can get them out as soon as they lay.

My PP pullet is not that wild. I think they really mean good foragers. Hendersens says:

well adaptable to free range; active; flighty; avoids human contact.

They are kept in confinement is Spain.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes I agree. I've seen video of them kept in captivity.
The standards I've translated from Spanish and Catalonian specify the characteristics as a "robust bird with restless temperament".

"muy rústica y de temperamento inquieto"

muy rustica can also be translated as "wild".

 

[ronott1]

Yes I agree. I've seen video of them kept in captivity.
The standards I've translated from Spanish and Catalonian specify the characteristics as a "robust bird with restless temperament".

"muy rústica y de temperamento inquieto"

muy rustica can also be translated as "wild".

Yes, that Is how I would describe my PP.

The Cream Legbar x Crele pene are like that too. I have 7of them an they are 5 weeks old.

 

[nukusjeff]

My PP are not wild. The kids go out and handle them a lot. Of course if you put your hand in front of her she will peck it. (more than any other chicken I have). We have one Buff Polish and I think the bird is mentally retarded. It has a hard time figuring out how to get out of the coop when the door is open. Our Iowa Blue is the most difficult to catch.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Chickencanoe. First off I am so glad you won the war. I was so upset for you but this great news.

My Partridge are more flighty than my crele or white emp's. I would not call the crele or emp's wild. They perfer not to have me handling them but my partridge are very flighty or wild.

 

[ronott1]

Chickencanoe. First off I am so glad you won the war. I was so upset for you but this great news.

My Partridge are more flighty than my crele or white emp's. I would not call the crele or emp's wild. They perfer not to have me handling them but my partridge are very flighty or wild.

Jason, how is your new Rooster doing? The one picture of him looked nice.

Hint.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Jason, how is your new Rooster doing? The one picture of him looked nice.

Hint.

he is doing good. still has a bit of a cold and is at the garage at the other house. I put some Vetrex on him yesterday. He is wanting out of his 3x5 run and this weekend he will be. All Birds have to be moved Sunday. I should probably miss the show Saturday but have someone coming from out of town to go.
So will get pic's Sunday afternoon of a finished run and chickens

 

[nukusjeff]

Hey y'all,

I found another breeder in my area. Somehow I missed this website. Have any of you ever done business with Ms. Adams?

http://mothermastiff.com/breeds.htm

Was hoping to pick up some pp pullets and cockerel through Meyer but the local hatchery I was going in on the order said they only had cockerels til the fall. Bother.

 

[ronott1]

Hey y'all,

I found another breeder in my area. Somehow I missed this website. Have any of you ever done business with Ms. Adams?

http://mothermastiff.com/breeds.htm

Was hoping to pick up some pp pullets and cockerel through Meyer but the local hatchery I was going in on the order said they only had cockerels til the fall. Bother.

The website says:
Our Reds are in development and may not be available till 2006.

I ran into an abandoned site a couple of weeks ago. This looks like one too.

Please let us know if they really do have Penes.

 

[nukusjeff]

The website says:
Our Reds are in development and may not be available till 2006.

I ran into an abandoned site a couple of weeks ago. This looks like one too.

Please let us know if they really do have Penes.

I got a bounce on the two Email addresses she provided. Guess it is time to make a call. I hate calling people...