Minorca thread!

[ca]

My 12 week old buff cockerels started crowing!

That is hilarious! Good thing that practice makes perfect. I can't roll on the floor for the rest of my life everyime I go to the coop...
I have 4 cockerels and 4 pullets from Sandhill. So far they look nice. I guess I have to post some pics here soon

if I keep talking about them.

My adult black Minorca roo is very good! He is nice to the little ones (I moved them in with the adults after a month in neighboring runs). He also comes running everytime there is a squabble somewhere, calls the girls when he finds food, never attacks any humans... Unfortunately he is far from standard (way too small, hatchery).

 

[WyandotteTX]

Update on my young Black Minorcas. I have one RC Cockerel, 1 RC pullet and 2 SC pullets. Hopefully can get them to adulthood to raise some of both. They are growing slow but eating alot, being 105 outside in the shade every day probably isnt helping that much.

I was wondering if anyone knows an answer to this question. Dan might know if anyone does.....Is there or has there ever been a Minorca Breed Club? I am guessing that there must have been one in the past at some point but it has gone by the wayside.

My next question is: Who has any LF White Minorcas RC or SC in the US? I had some years ago and would like to have some again. I am sure there will be some at the Crossroads show but its not like I can ever go to that.

Last question is for Tom(Cochinman2005), how are your Buffs coming along this season?

 

[danhonour]

Hi,Minorcas are noted as slow growers and get better in many respects up to 2 years.They need time to build and fill out the frames.

Yes all the Minorcas had clubs,I have several copies of Black Minorca club yearbooks and even a Buff Minorca yearbook.Like many breed clubs they have fizzled.I did get a newsletter from the UK Minorca club last year.

I got a large White cockerel out this year with White legs,looks good .No pullets.

Glad your Minorcas are doing good with all this heat and dry weather.

 

[WyandotteTX]

Somehow I knew you would be the man with the right answers Dan. Thanks for the info. I was just thinking as I was driving today for 4 hours how it would be nice to have a breed club for this majestic variety. Maybe someday in the future we can all put our stuff together and get a club together again. Interesting that each variety had its own Breed club.
How long ago has it been since they were around Dan? Would love to read some of those old club journals one of these days.

You have one White Minorca? Hmm, can you use him with your Blacks? I am under the assumption that you can or will that ruin the leg color?

I kind of had a feeling these Minorcas will take some time to grow out, just hope they can make it thru this last month or so of super hot weather down here. My next thing on the agenda is to build a substantial enough pen to allow these Minorcas plenty of room to grow out and look good.

 

[danhonour]

The International Black Minorca club was around until recent years,but has been inactive some time now. I will wait and see what this White male looks like,he is big,but the comb and earlobe are to early yet to tell much.I could take him back to Blacks,but the leg color might give me some issues as well as color?Last I heard from Tom,he had out a nice bunch of Buff Minorca chicks,but they were too young to tell much.He is making progress,but slow like most projects.Stick with projects and in time you will see big changes.

 

[WyandotteTX]

So far from what I can tell my three pullets have very nice ear lobes, the cockerel doesnt have as distinct of a white ear lobe yet but I hope he will grow into it.
I am going to be changing careers in the next year and will have alot more time when I do so. Hopefully then I will be able to dedicate alot more time to my birds and thusly I have the thought of trying to start up the Minorca Club again at that point. I am sure it will be a large undertaking but would really like to see this majestic breed back in the place of prominence it should be.....in my opinion of course. I have my SP Wyandotte bantams that I will always love but I am thinking more of my emphasis in going to be on the Minorcas.
Thats great that Tom has some Buffs hatched out, hopefully they will be an improvement and yes projects always do take time, you just have to stay the course. Where did you get your White Minorca this year?


By the way Dan, how are your White Leghorns this year? Do you hatch many each year? My dad talks about the flock of 400 purebred White Leghorns they had when he was a boy and how he always had to wash all of the eggs by hand each day and store them in the cellar until they took them to market to sell three times a week. My dad might like to have some Leghorns again but it might bring back too many bad memories haha!

 

[danhonour]

I hatched out nearly 300 chicks,mostly Buff Leghorns,but some White Leghorns,some Black Minorcas,and my Lavender Project .At first I thought the white was a White Leghorn,but it is much bigger and has white legs,at this point it appears to be getting a lopped comb,so it might be poor in comb.Time will tell.

All of the best pictures and articles on Minorcas,I have put into my Spanish breeds booklet and I am not finding much more as of late.I continue to look and keep thinking some more material might show up on Minorcas,like old club yearbooks,breeder catalogs,magazine articles.

I did see an old Poultry Tribune cover in the 1930,s of some Single Comb Black Minorcas done by A.O.Schilling,I think they were a trio - head shots.I would love a copy,but was outbided and have not seen another.Would not mind framing it for my wall .

 

[WyandotteTX]

Wow, Dan, that is alot of Buff Leghorns! But awesome too. How do your Buffs compare to your Whites? Smaller/larger....better layers or no? Just curious.

I will try and look myself for anything Minorca, you never know what you might find I suppose. I used to do alot of antique shopping and you would find alot of old books at those places.

 

[Theeggboxtoo]

This is Blackfoot, does anyone know if she is Show Quality? She came from Mcmurray hatchery

And also, do chickens get sick from bringing them to shows?

 

[Justuschicks]

She seems to love the camera.

I don't show my birds because I am afraid of what they will bring home.