ANDALUSIANS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1651, 21 October 1903, Page 64 (Supplement)

ANDALUSIANS

This breed is a great favourite with many poultry-keepers—not only fanciers, but also with those who keep fowls for their own domestic use. . Their colour is very pretty and uncommou. They are excellent layers but, of course, various strains show very different results in this respect. If kept and bred entirely for laying, they are really good layers of fine eggs. They coane from the right biood to ba good layers, having originated from the Black and White varieties of Minorcas, hence their being called in different) parts of the country “Blue Minorcas” and “Blue Spanish.” They are, of course, better known by their correct name. Soane people call them “smoky” fowls, as they are very much the colour of smoke. They are of a slate colour, but vary very much in shade as some are light colour and others very dark. The sun and air often change their colour to a rusty shade. No other breed fades and alters so much with the sun as the Blue Andalusians. They look beautiful in the winter and spring. There is one disadvantage with this breed —they do not breed truse to colour, not only varying in shades but some come black and others white, and they look a very mixed lot. Nevertheletss this does not make much difference in the laying qualities, only in the appearance of the fowls. Where they are selected from the best stock, year by year, by those who understand, they do not vary so much, and those which come the correct colour are the more valuable as they are nicely laced; but even in the best birds it is very seldom they all come the correct colour. There are black ones come, if not white, and sometimes both. We do not by stating these facts wish to run the breed down, but merely to give our readers a true description of their good qualities and failings. We were breeding them for several years before we sent any of their eggs out, on account of their coming so very different, although we had a good demand for them. Those who purchase eggs and are not acquainted with the breed are invariably disappointed with the appearance of the chickens. Those who u nderstand the breed know what to expect, and yet it is only natural that if the parents are blue the exp tec ted progeny will be that colour also. Still, there is just a likelihood of getting a winner out of a sitting of Andalusians as out of any other breed. Of oouree they do not all Come winners. It is difficult to get a bettor bird than the Andalusians lor laying purposes. We find them about equal with the Minorca for this