Do n’t be surprised if you ’ve never heard of this breed , Andalusian Chickens are sure enough a lesser - know chicken . However , this is a beautiful and fertile Gallus gallus breed .
For those in warmer climates , Andalusians are a perfect tantrum for squatter after a heating system - tolerant eggs level . The deep and vivacious blue feather that Andalusians proudly sportswoman makes them stand out in a crowd .
About Andalusian Chickens
Andalusians are a Mediterranean breed , belike originating from Castilian chickens , although their origin are not crystal clear . As many Mediterranean chickens do , Andalusians originally came from Spain .
In the other 1850s , Andalusians total to America from England . Andalusians were distinguish by the American Poultry Association in 1874 .
Andalusian Characteristics
1. Size and Weight
Andalusians are littler than many Mediterranean chicken . Andalusian roosters matter about 7 Ezra Pound when amply grown . hen are naturally a number minuscule , weighing around 5.5 pound at full - grown weight .
2. Temperament
The Andalusian is a very active strain with very little involvement in sitting still for any amount of time . As far as interacting with their caretakers go , this strain is odd , but not too friendly with people . You ’ll always see these birds on the move , but they might go out of their way to say hello to you if you ’ve get atreatfor them .
Due to their love for always being on the move , Andalusians are very rarely inclined to go broody and hatch their own chicks . Anincubatorwill definitely be in order if you ’re interested in breeding your own Andalusians .
3. Egg Production
One thing that citizenry bed Andalusians for is their wintertime production . you may rely on Andalusian for mediocre production of medium - sized , chalk - white eggs yr - round ! On average , a single hen can produce 165 eggs in one yr .
4. Meat Production
Now , if you ’re await for a essence Bronx cheer , the Andalusian is n’t going to fit the bill . Andalusians are small and wiry , which makes them very unsuitable for any eccentric of meat yield .
Taking Care of Andalusians
1. Feeding and Nutrition
For those starting out put up Andalusians with doll , you ’ll need to issue them with a unspoilt quality chick fledgeling for the first several weeks . Your growing birds will be ready to be switch to laying feed to prepare for egg - laying around 10 - 12 weeks old . Once you ’ve switched to laying feed , your chickens will be capable to stay on this feed year - round .
Sometimes laying provender wo n’t supply quite enough calcium and your hens may end up withsoft - beat eggs . Oftentimes , a calcium supplement such as crushed huitre shell or eggshell can be feed in a freestanding dish to solve this problem .
2. Housing and Fencing
Andalusians will do best in an environment where they have plenteousness of room to range . If you do n’t have a decent bit of space , this might not be the ideal chicken for you . Inside thechicken coop , you ’ll want to provide a lower limit of 3 - 4 square feet per chicken .
3. Health Issues and Care
This strain will thrive in lovesome climate , making them an excellent picking for those living with yr - round warmth or just exceptionally hot summers . Due to their large comb , Andalusians can be affected by frostbite if you do have dusty winter .
Read our post on how toprepare your volaille coop for the winter .
As always , keep an attentive eye on your raft as an imperative to catch any potential health issues . Runny centre or nose , slackness , and deficiency of appetency are all signs that something large could be hold out on .
We also have an interesting post onchicken noises , and cease it off with the sound of a wimp in distraint .
Mites , lice , and worms are all frustrating parasite that also need to be handled like a shot upon find . drunkenness water treatments can generally be used for handle internal parasite .
External parasite often need to be treated with dust or spray , which can be far more labor - intensive when dealing with enceinte flocks .
4. Breeding
put to work with the blue cistron in poultry is always fun and interesting . The blue gene in chickens is unstable , which means that many different colouring material variation can be give rise depending on the parent conjugation . Blue , splash , and black volaille can all be bring out with variations of breeding blue wench , as shown below .
Knowing the potential outcome when breeding aristocratic chickens is imperative to making sure you incubate the coloration you are after . Andalusians can have the tendency of ending up with a slow down in the mouth color after a few generation if the vibrant blue coloration is n’t uphold during breeding .
breed with black offspring occasionally will help to keep the blue an ideal color .
Breed Alternatives
1. Ancona
TheAncona chickenmakes an first-class alternative to Andalusians if you ’re after a Mediterranean chicken with a dissimilar dash . Anconas have significantly better egg output than Andalusians , produce over 200 ball in a twelvemonth . This wimp is also a major head - turner , lark gorgeous speckles all over their plume .
Did You Know?
Due to extremely fast adulthood in this stock , you may find your cockerels crow as early as 7 weeks of age . Listening to novel birds study how to crow has to be one of the most comical sound in the barnyard !
We have a delightful example in ourchicken noisesand sound clause !
Andalusians are brilliant alternative for chicken keeper that live in hotter climates and want a dependable snort even in the summer . You ’ll definitely require to look at this chicken if you ’re one of these James Leonard Farmer !
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