Matt,
I'm sorry, that's just not correct. The Minorca was added to the American Standard of Excellence in 1888 under the name "Minorca". No red faced black spanish were ever in there.
The Spanish and Minorca were both developed as breeds in England, but have been distinct breeds for as far back as there is any documentation (ie the late 1700s) and had different centers of development. Lewis Wright states that Minorcas appear to have been imported to the West of England, in at least two instances, by around 1830, from the Spanish island possession of Minorca. They were first locally popular there, in the West of England. Wright states that early on, in this local area, many early owners simply called them "Spanish"; however, this was because of their Minorcan origin, and not because they were a variety of the White Faced Black Spanish, and it was only for a brief time in parts of very early 1800s Britain. By the time the breed made it to the American standard it had been called the Minorca for years, and the White Faced Black Spanish was called simply the Spanish or Black Spanish.
WFBS are a distinct breed with quite a different physical type than the Minorca, had been in England since the 1700s at least, exact geographic origin unknown, some were brought from Holland, and they were a popular egg laying breed in the London area. They reached the US well before the Minorca and have been in all the US poultry standards from the very beginning, with a white face.
"Red Faced Black Spanish" have never been in the standard.
While both the Spanish and the Minorca have a mediterranean origin, along with the Leghorn, Andalusian and other kindred breeds, after over 200 years of separate breeding they have very distinct characters from one another.
If you have any sources to cite, I would be most interested to hear the details.
I'm sorry, that's just not correct. The Minorca was added to the American Standard of Excellence in 1888 under the name "Minorca". No red faced black spanish were ever in there.
The Spanish and Minorca were both developed as breeds in England, but have been distinct breeds for as far back as there is any documentation (ie the late 1700s) and had different centers of development. Lewis Wright states that Minorcas appear to have been imported to the West of England, in at least two instances, by around 1830, from the Spanish island possession of Minorca. They were first locally popular there, in the West of England. Wright states that early on, in this local area, many early owners simply called them "Spanish"; however, this was because of their Minorcan origin, and not because they were a variety of the White Faced Black Spanish, and it was only for a brief time in parts of very early 1800s Britain. By the time the breed made it to the American standard it had been called the Minorca for years, and the White Faced Black Spanish was called simply the Spanish or Black Spanish.
WFBS are a distinct breed with quite a different physical type than the Minorca, had been in England since the 1700s at least, exact geographic origin unknown, some were brought from Holland, and they were a popular egg laying breed in the London area. They reached the US well before the Minorca and have been in all the US poultry standards from the very beginning, with a white face.
"Red Faced Black Spanish" have never been in the standard.
While both the Spanish and the Minorca have a mediterranean origin, along with the Leghorn, Andalusian and other kindred breeds, after over 200 years of separate breeding they have very distinct characters from one another.
If you have any sources to cite, I would be most interested to hear the details.
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