Chicken Breed Focus - Catalana

[N F C]

@gjensen thanks for the write up, always good to hear direct from someone raising them. Good luck with your type and color project, apparently these birds are few and far between.

 

[gjensen]

Typical egg color and size. Only a couple in this batch is smaller than extra large. None are smaller than large. Many are difficult to place. The tray size openings could be a little larger.

 

[pginsber]

Mine are not shy. In fact, they are as confident as any strain/breed that I have been around. They are far from flighty. They are active though, and this is a strength of theirs. They are not roost potatoes. Their activity level coupled with their confidence makes for a pretty sharp bird. Some chickens are just more chicken than others.

I did try some hatchery commercial buff Minorca crosses that were nervous and flighty. They were not Catalanas as advertised.

It is not true that they are not cold hardy. They would be as cold hardy as any other breed with a single comb. The males could possibly use some protection on the coldest winter nights. Most of their history in the States has been with breeders in the north.
These misconceptions are rampant on the internet. We discuss Mediterranean breeds as if coming from the region made them heat tolerant. The region has very mild summers.
The adaptation to climatic conditions is more about individuals and individual strains than it is breeds. Consider how long the breeder or breeders has been breeding them where they are.
Chickens have proven to be very adaptable being kept wherever people have lived. Where the difficulty can come is with a strain that has been exclusively bred in the tropics, and then to expect them to survive Michigan winters in a single generation without any extra consideration. But this is an extreme example, and few thoughtful keepers would try this without a little added care and caution.

Mine lay large to extra large eggs. Most of them are extra large, and some are jumbo. There are as many jumbo sized eggs as large. They are very productive layers. They have laid in the range of 220-240 eggs through their pullet year. The egg quality has been good. The egg color ranges from white, off white, to pink.
I did pick up a few birds from another strain. Their eggs has been large, but not over. Some a little under. The egg color is white with one female laying a cream/tan colored egg. They are productive. These birds have not been incorporated into my own flock yet. Their influence would be minimal initially.

Where they are native, their eggs tend to be extra large and white to light shades. They have a reputation for being productive, and they have been popular in Latin American countries. In Spain they were popular as capons. The Spanish Bresse, so to speak.

Some will go broody. My experience is in the range of 10%-20%. I like this range. Not excessively broody, but this still allows for a few setting hens. Those that have went broody have set well, and have been committed mothers. I have enjoyed allowing these to raise their own brood. I get to enjoy the best of both worlds.

I do not know if there is anyone seriously breeding them in the States or not. I am trying to get some information about a supposed flock in the NW. There is a small flock in California. There is someone in Pa that has a flock. The other breeder that I knew of has gotten out of them, and I was gifted some of those birds.

I am running about 24 breeding females, and four males. This varies a little.

I have been working on improving type and color while not loosing what caused me to fall in love with them to begin with. I like their productivity and their character. I have made progress with type and color. They are still productive. They are still sharp and active birds.

Hi, George.
Are you selling Catalan hatching eggs?

 

[gjensen]

Hi, George.
Are you selling Catalan hatching eggs?

I would consider it for someone sincerely interested in the breed.

 

[3coolchicks]

wow she is very nice ….we have a small flock in northern Pa they do very well in the winter and my daughter has done very well showing them at poultry shows

 

[gjensen]

wow she is very nice ….we have a small flock in northern Pa they do very well in the winter and my daughter has done very well showing them at poultry shows

Thank you. They are great birds. I have enjoyed working with them. My originals came from Pa.

 

[ColtHandorf]

They really are gorgeous looking birds.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm not sure what those are above.
The breed is called Catalana del Prat. They come from the region El Prat.
The true Catalana del Prat, according to the Catalans, does not have those dark tail feathers.
They are not suitable for confinement.
They do go broody and make excellent mothers.
They are not in general people friendly and the roosters tend to be aggressive.
They are good foragers, but not as good as the Black Minorcans.
They will prefer a tree to a coop at roost time.
This is what they should look like according to the old time chicken keepers here.
This is Rosehip.

 

[Shadrach]

Catalana del Pratt.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Sumi, Shadrach, thanks for the info in this breed...