Empordanesa & Penedesenca - Who has them?

[rarebreedeggs4u]

We have Wheatens & Partridge Penedesencas. I have *one* white Empordanesa pullet...from 24 purchased eggs...ugh.

Some of our kids. I'm currently hatching from these young breeding groups.

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

From my understanding, a White Empordanesa is basically a white Penedesenca. Yes, they are flighty, but I bought mine at POL and they were GOOFY. Now, just about 6 weeks later they have settled in and settled DOWN. I can walk within 1-2 feet of the girls while laying and they stay in the box. They only get upset when I'm cleaning and raking and even my silikies get upset sometimes about that

 

[EweSheep]

I used to have them a few years ago from a guy here in Illinois. So flighty but beautiful eggs. They do NOT lay as well as other breeds and super flighty. 92 caddy has them too.

Not everyone likes them but if you can tolerate them, good for you!

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

Quote:
My girls have only been laying about 6 weeks. I have 4 young hens and get 2-3 eggs per day, so I'm fine with that

 

[geebs]

Nice flock... they are hecka hard to hatch... Do you want to do any trading later on.. I have black or something like black... Has some red on them... I ordered them as black... They are not laying yet... but soon I hope... I only have two hens and a couple marans/pene crosses... They should be laying this month though. I would be interested in a hatchy trade later on if you are up for it.

 

[geebs]

I am up for tradies for pene eggs for anyone out there that want to trade... I have marans in almost every color... My penes are not laying yet but black would be the color that I have when they are laying...I have a pene cross that looks just like a pene but he came from a marans breeder... make sense of that!!! I actually ended up with 6 chickens that are pene or pene crosses from it... I will only include those options if you specify you want to try that cross... I can send private pics... my puter doesn't allow for me to post on this forum... (bad little puter) PM or eme if anyone is interested in winter hatchy buddy stuff.

 

[aveca]

What color are the eggs? everyone keeps saying how nice the eggs are. Any pics of the eggs? I am guessing a dark like maran egg.

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

My eggs are ranging from a dark GORGEOUS wet terracotta color to a regular dark brown type egg. I don't even bother trying to catch my girls without a net, but that is the ONLY time they freak. I can walk around in the pen, right next to the nest boxes while they are laying and they are FINE. They just don't like being picked up or held.

I am letting my girls go to a winter rest period right now, but will bring them back under lights in early January. I plan to seperate the girls into individual cages for a bit to see exactly who's laying what, so I can keep records of each hen's individual egg production.

I have also overhatched a bit in the last few weeks, so I cut myself off this week. NO MORE SETTING EGGS...except maybe the Polish & Silkies who just started laying

 

[aveca]

Fantastic birds! I would like to follow your stories about them. I thought they might have been a dark egg layer. are these related to the Poulet de Bresse? Do you know anything about that. Maybe Im wrong... but I saw some pics from canada that were related and they sure looked like these birds right down to the ear lobes and egg color. Would LOVE to learn more about this breed. Your one rooster really beautiful . what a great bird. I could be dead wrong but they look a lot like the birds that are related . I might be able to find the article and pics again

There was a show on PBS with mark bitman, mario and gweneth paltrow traveling and eating their way around europe, they heard about this woman out in the country who made a chicken that was the best ever, she litereally went out in the back yard the day befor they arrived and butchered her own chicken. they said it was one of the best they had ever eaten, and likened it to Poulet de Bresse. She ut it through a very long slow cooking process. it took almost all day. looked exactly like this breed.

There is also an english breed that looks like these that really hate to be held they scream and would rather roost in a tree than come in to roost but they are important heritage breed and starting to make a comeback at shows, sorry the name slips me.

 

[mediazeal]

Who has dark egg Penedesencas? Which ones lay the darker eggs or are they all about the same?
I have 13 Jerry Pool Wheaten Penedesenca eggs in the incubator right now. These have a nice medium warm brown color. Maybe a 3 on the chart below. NOT as dark as Black Copper Maran eggs or even as dark as my Golden Cuckoo Maran eggs.

I had 13 Partridge Penes from Little Gem, none hatched. The egg color was a light terra cotta, maybe a 4 on the chart below.
I had 16 partridge Penes from Gabbard Farms. 2 hatched. Egg color was a light terra cotta, maybe a 4 on the chart below.

Edited to say: These seem to be more sensitive to mailing than most. Is that your experience or just a run of bad luck on my part?

So far I have heard they are the darkest egg layers but I have not see dark eggs in any of the eggs I have actually seen.
I would be interested to hear the egg color you have