Hi ronott1, welcome![]()
Thanks

I can't wait to get some of the Basque Eggs in March!
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Hi ronott1, welcome![]()
I should probably add that the side of new peeps include three cream legbars (brown chipmunk pattern) and the other side with older chicks include two EE peeps (chipmunk) and five lavender ameraucanas (gray) in addition to the EOs.
Yes, there is some variation in the down color but it is all golden. The same thing can be said of New Hampshire chicks and RIR chicks which also have variation in within the same hatches from purebred flocks. Not every peep hatched is a perfect specimen of its breed, but that doesn't mean it isn't "pure." Keep in mind that this is also a landrace breed.
I'm keeping a journal to try and track variations and resulting adult feathers as they come in. Hopefully this will help in selecting for various traits down the road.
I agree but all info that we currently have is that all EOs in North America came from Eric Bravard "I think that is the correct name"
I'd love to know how they arrived in the US but don't know anything about Eric Brevard. If he imported a few then began outcrossing, is it known what breed(s) he used?
Why don't you look him up and ask him?
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From my VERY limited research outside of Greenfire's information, the Euskal Oiloa was just a landrace breed/assortment of mixed flocks located on various farmsteads in the Basque country until 1975/6 when one or more Spanish poultry fanciers or preservationists decided to start gathering eggs in an attempt to standardize a breed. By 2000 they had standardized the breed to single combs and varieties of black (beltza), brownish-red (lepogorri), arminada white (zilarra) and the marradune, a brown or yellowish cream color with white striping (barring.) No reference was made to black or dark gray stripes though all images show only the roosters having black barring in the tail feathers - hens are golden with light hints of barring. Birds that fit this description are the ones I plan to breed from; the rest will remain part of the layer flock.
The Euskal Oilia were resurrected and preserved by the Spanish Government in a government run program.
Short of importing directly from Spain/France/Basque country in order find one that meets the Spanish SOP, the only thing that can be done is breed with what is currently available in hopes of achieving it.