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 Minorca
Large fowl Origin: Mediterranean Classification: Light, soft feather Egg colour: White Weight: Large fowl; male 3.2 – 3.6kg, female 2.7 – 3.6kg.
The Minorca has developed int his country as our heaviest light breed, and was at one time famous for its extra-large white eggs. Crossing with the Langshan and other heavy breeds did not improve the egg production of the breed, and concentration on exaggerated headgear had a similar effect. Those times are passed and wiser counsels now prevail. The result is that a much better, balanced type is aimed for on the show bench, with moderate size of lobes and comb, and a more prominent front.
Characteristics Male Carriage: Upright and graceful. Type: Body broad at the shoulder, square and compact. Breast full and rounded. Wings moderate in length, neat fitting close to the body. Tail full, sickles long, well-arched and carried well back. Head: Long and broad, so as correctly to carry the comb quite erect. Beak fairly long and stout. Eyes full, bright and expressive. Combs single or rose in large fowl, single only in bantams. The single; large, evenly-serrated (five serrations preferred), perfectly upright, firmly set on the head, straight in front, free from any twist of thumb mark, reaching well to the back of the head, moderately rough in texture and free from any side sprigs. The rose; oblong in shape, broad at the base over the eyes, closely fitting, upright, firmly carried, full in front and tapering gradually to the leader at the back, surface evenly covered with small nodules or points, free from hollowness, the leader to follow the curve of the neck but not to touch the hackle. Face fine in quality, as free from feathers or hairs as possible, and not showing any white. The lobe should not exceed 6.88cm (2 3/7 ”) deep, and 3.75cm (1 ½”) at tis widest point at the top, tapering as the Valencia almond in shape. No definite size for lobes is fixed in bantams. Wattles, long and rounded at the end.
Neck: Long, nicely arched , with flowing hackle. Legs and feet: Legs of medium length and stout thighs. Toes, four.
Female Similar to the male, allowing for normal sexual differences, with the exception of the single comb, which drops well down over the side of the face, so as not to obstruct the sight, and the earlobes with are 4.4cm (1 ¾”) deep and 3.13cm (1 ¼”) wide.
Colours Black, white, blue. In both sexes: black; beak dark horn, eyes dark. Comb, face and wattles blood-red. Earlobes pure white. Legs black or very dark slate, the latter in adults only. White; beak white, eyes red. Comb, face and wattles blood red. Legs pinky white. Blue; beak, comb, earlobes and wattles as for the black. Eyes dark brown (the darker the better). Legs blue to slate.
Defects White or blue in face. Feathers on legs. Other than four toes. Wry tail, plumage other than black, blur or white. Legs other than black or slate in the black, blue or slate-blue in the blue, or white in the white. Side sprigs in comb. |