Calling all Penedesencas Owners/Breeders

[lakones]

Having When researching Penedesencas and discovering there is only one DP variety, BLACK.  And since I eat extra boys, that was my choice.

Canoe,
I was reading previous pages to learn more about this breed and found this comment from you. We also eat extras Roo's so this would be a deciding factor for me. Is it based on weight or something else?

 

[karenerwin]

I really want to start a penedesenca flock. My email is [email protected] please please please. Honestly I've been searching so long I don't care what color....

Thank you
Kate Vosler
Scribner NE

@ChickenCanoe

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I really want to start a penedesenca flock. My email is [email protected] please please please. Honestly I've been searching so long I don't care what color....

Thank you
Kate Vosler
Scribner NE

I'll e-mail you but I have nothing available till after the first of the year.

Canoe,
I was reading previous pages to learn more about this breed and found this comment from you. We also eat extras Roo's so this would be a deciding factor for me. Is it based on weight or something else?

In Spain, the meat is considered organileptically unique for its flavor. They do run about a pound heavier than the other varieties but the carcass is still long and thin by US meat standards.
Americans look at food differently than Europeans.

I refer you to a post I wrote about them.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1140342/chicken-breed-focus-penedesenca/10#post_17722157

ETA
Another thing I thought of is that they pluck very cleanly, especially for a black bird.
Perhaps that is something that was selected for way back when.

 

[Pinckney]

Sandhill Preservation in IA sells chicks of this breed for anyone interested. I got some black ones this year and they are not flighty. One Roo is especially handsome.
I'm intrigued that the meat is highly sought after in Spain, and I'm looking for that. Needing some extra time to develop great taste is fine by me. Anyone have any thoughts on your experience?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have bought many breeds from Sandhill and overall I was satisfied.
Glenn, by his own admission does not select Blacks for white earlobes or carnation comb. He selects primarily for the dark egg.
I have a friend that bought Blacks from him and split the order with a friend. Some of the birds ended up with 5 toes. I don't know how that happened but I know he likes to mix up breeds.
I was ready to get blacks from him but I decided not to take the chance on outcrossed birds and that didn't have a white earlobe.

 

[lakones]

I'll e-mail you but I have nothing available till after the first of the year.


In Spain, the meat is considered organileptically unique for its flavor. They do run about a pound heavier than the other varieties but the carcass is still long and thin by US meat standards.
Americans look at food differently than Europeans.

I refer you to a post I wrote about them.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1140342/chicken-breed-focus-penedesenca/10#post_17722157

ETA
Another thing I thought of is that they pluck very cleanly, especially for a black bird.
Perhaps that is something that was selected for way back when.

Thanks for the info. I look forward to adding them to my flock.

 

[dtimoth]

Hi Folks, I've been extremely busy lately and haven't posted anything for months. I am here in Catalonia teaching a two-week course, and my colleagues here in Girona surprised me this morning with an unexpected trip to the Penedesenca Festival in Vilafranca del Penedes! It was a lot of fun, and I took a heap of pictures, some of which I'll post later. The main thing I wanted to convey to all Pene breeders is that the hero of the Penedesenca breed, Amadeu Francesch, passed away in July 2016, just a few months ago at the young age of 61. I was really saddened by this news, but the Catalonian Penedesenca Association will continue on, and the festival this year was done in his memory.
Kind regards to everyone from Spain,
Dallen

PS I apologize if everyone already knew about this and I just missed it on the forum.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hi Dallen. I had learned through e-mail that he passed. That is a real loss. I didn't know he was so young.

Were you able to make any contacts with breeders of Classic Blacks?
I'm curious if the classic has largely been abandoned for the improved. Did you see any dark eggs?

 

[dtimoth]

Hi Canoe, I did make some contacts, and through my interpreters found that most breeders are breeding for higher meat yields nowadays rather than traditional physical characteristics and egg color. In fact, most of the roosters and hens I saw for sale were huge and lacked the carnation combs; I would guess that the majority in fact had single combs. These were massed produced and being sold for slaughter, and were very expensive. As you noted on your elaborated post last month, they are around $100 and are an especially valued part of the Christmas meal. We had some stewed and baked leg and thigh quarters that were very, very delicious! The eggs at the fair were not very dark. I've had Australorp and RIR eggs darker than many I saw at the Pene festival. Even the ones entered into the competition weren't very dark; yours are much darker. Again, though, this could have been a matter of timing in that it's now the end of the laying season for them.

Only specialty breeders apparently breed for SOP, traditional corporeal characteristics and egg color. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet any of those people, but some of their birds were on display in the contest area of the festival. I have contact information for the Pene association there, and they seemed eager to share their information. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time to spend there.

I'll post some pictures shortly.

 

[dtimoth]

Here's the dedication to Amadeu:


Here are eggs from the egg competition:



Here are a couple of pix of other eggs on display or for sale.