Baby Chicks: Partridge Penedesenca

The lovely "partridge" variety of Penedesenca has hens with dark, double-penciled feathers, while the males are showy, dressed in black with a flame-colored head and a red cape like a bullfighter. (You can almost hear the Spanish guitar playing romantically in the background as they strut around the yard.) The hens are good layers of medium to large-sized dark chocolate brown eggs, and this breed is one of the few exceptions to the "rule" that hens with white earlobes lay white eggs. Penedesencas have white earlobes, but lay some of the darkest brown eggs you will see. They also have a unique clavel, or carnation comb. This type of comb starts as a single comb in the front, but parts into several showy lobes at the rear. Hens' combs may lay to one side, like a scarlet rose tucked behind one ear, while the males' comb will stand up like a crown. Their shapely legs are a lovely slate blue, and the overall carriage of this breed is very upright, with the chest thrust forward and the tail fanned out.

These birds are very active, and like most Mediterranean breeds, won't be suited to the coldest weather due to their large combs and smaller body size. However, they do wonderfully in heat. And have we mentioned the dark brown eggs? Oh, the eggs!

Related Baby Chick Articles:

• How to Identify Baby Chicks with Leg Bands
• Baby Chick Identification Photos
• Baby Chicks: Behind the Scenes

What to know about Marek's disease vaccine

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Related articles: Should I get my birds vaccinated? and All about Marek's disease. 

Shipping Information:

• Due to Rhode Island state law, the minimum order of day-old chicks shipped to Rhode Island is 12.