White Face Spanish Black chickens are a breed with ancient origins. It seems certain that they date back to at least the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula (218BC-19BC), but likely much earlier. They became an important foundational breed to the Mediterranean class of fowl and through the mists of time continue to capture us with their striking appearance and generous egg production.
As a breed of Mediterranean origin, the White Face Spanish are heat tolerant and not particularly cold hardy. Like other Mediterranean breeds such as the Minorca and Leghorn, the White Face Spanish is not a sitter. As a result of strict selective breeding for productivity, they have had the instinct to brood a clutch of eggs bred out of them. The result is that you will require an incubator or another broody hen to hatch out chicks of this rare breed.
Once one of the most prolific egg layers of Europe, they now are not regarded as impressive egg layers – which has further contributed to their decline in popularity. However, conservation efforts and show poultry enthusiasts have stalled the breed’s decline. Livingseeds Hatchery is proud to be taking strides in making this wonderful breed available to the public, to keep and breed out new generations without inbreeding.
The White-Faced Black Spanish chicken is a sight to behold – tall, dark, sophisticated, regal. This is a truly stunning bird with plumage that is a lustrous greenish-black with tight-fitting feathers and moderately flowing tails. This chicken is instantly recognizable by its droopy white facial skin set against bright red wattles and combs. They have dark brown eyes, dark slate shanks and toes, and, of course, their large white earlobes and faces. Males have large, upright combs while the females’ combs are large but flop over.
The White Face Spanish is quick to mature with the hens usually starting to lay beautiful large white eggs at around 20 weeks of age. They lay 160-180 eggs per year and can be noisy, but make up for their lower egg count with their unique appearance and history, their exceptional foraging abilities, their docile and agreeable natures as well as their excellent environment awareness (they are predator savvy).
White Face Spanish chickens are now found in black and blue coloured plumage, however only the Black is an accepted colour in poultry shows worldwide.
For collectors of unusual and rare breeds of poultry, for those interested in conservation, and those who enjoy chickens that simply have a different look about them – The White Faced Spanish Black is definitely worth considering!
Livingseeds Hatchery is proud to breed the White Face Spanish Black Availability: We plan to release White Face Spanish Black chicks for sale by the end of 2024.