Minorca thread!

[danhonour]

CRAJ, I am surprised that the Whites are looking so promising. In my own experience I find I need to keep about three males in each variety>If Ionly keep one something seems to always happen and I am left with none. I like to keep my male line intact and unbroken,so I do not want to use someone else's males to head my matings. If I need new blood I work it in on the female side over two generations.I also find if I keep spare males I can rotate males and that helps avoid getting new blood.Just a few things that might help,I learned the hard way. Dan
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[CRAJ]

t appears to be a Silver Leghorn Cockerel. I received the exact same bird with my shipment of Buff Minorca chicks in June.

 

[CRAJ]

I agree completely. I was hoping to have a couple of cockerels to pick from, but as I have stated previously I received 90% pullets from my order. I have the entire group of whites in an extremely secure setting and hope that an illness doesn't strike my male. I don't really want to have to order another group next year. I have the large black male for backup. I don't have a good space to keep too many males. I too was surprised at how nice the white pullets are. I hope I can get some pictures that will do them justice. I know you will like them.

Craig

 

[CRAJ]

This is a picture of a White Minorca Pullet. She is almost 4 months old. Note my 1 year old Buff Minorca Hen from McMurray Hatchery. The buff hen is 8# and the picture doesn't do justice to her height.




This is a pair of the White Minorca Pullets.



This is a picture of my Black Cockerel. He is almost 4 months old as well. Already quite large.



This is another White Minorca Pullet. The White Cockerel is in the background (camera shy).

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

CRAJ your whites are certainly large!

My Buff Minorcas from McMurray are growing well and thriving, but are smaller than the Buff Orp cockerel that is growing up with them. I do believe they will end up as petite little things (which is fine by me, I knew what I was getting into, since I have already had one in the past who was petite).

We are focused on the egglaying and temperament at our home. Size would be nice but not a necessity. Your whites are really beautiful!

I hope they come back into the mainstream.

Although I have to say, on second thought, that greater size would be soooo nice since it would keep them in the pen better!!! Maybe I will have to look into clipping wings with my flock this go-round!

 

[CRAJ]

It took my Buff hens a good 10 months to really get to the larger size. One hen is larger than the other. Yours should grow in to fine hens.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It took my Buff hens a good 10 months to really get to the larger size. One hen is larger than the other. Yours should grow in to fine hens.

Oh good! The one I used to have, we only kept until she had just started laying...beautiful white eggs, almost daily. It is so nice to know that she would have kept getting bigger.

Thanks for the encouraging words!

 

[CRAJ]

In my experience it has taken my Minorcas longer than some of the other breeds to gain the "adult" size and weight. A good hen should not be petite.

 

[danhonour]

Minorcas reach full maturity at 18-24 months.

 

[SanderB]

Minorcas reach full maturity at 18-24 months.

That´s long, My bantams look like an adult and start laying at 5-6 months of age.