Andalusian Chicken

     The Andalusian is a breed of Chickens which originated and took its name from the Spanish province of Andalusia. They are very pretty birds indeed, of a Mediterranean type, and they have an upright, elegant and graceful appearance.

     The Andalusian is famous for its blue color, in which the hackle and saddle feathers are dark blue. While the breast is a lighter shade of blue. The Andalusian’s blue color comes from a hybrid cross between the black and the white varieties. When two blue birds are mated, 50% of hatchlings will be blue while the remaining chicks will be black or white. To be absolutely certain of getting blue Andalusian offspring, you need to cross a white cock with a black hen.

     Andalusians have red faces and wattles, white earlobes and slate-blue legs. They are fair layers of large white eggs (around 160 – 200 eggs per year), continuing to lay during the winter months, but hens rarely go broody. A bantam version is also available for this breed.