Minorca chicken is originally an egg-productive bird. As its origin in Spain, it is named after the island of Minorca and is also called Red-Faced Black Chicken. In Mediterranean poultry breeds, Minorca Chicken is considered the largest and heaviest breed. They prefer free-range areas. Minorca chicken lays very large white shelled eggs all year-round. They are good layers that they lay very large white shelled-egg all the year round but not as prolific as another Mediterranean breed like a leghorn.
Minorca chicken is known as very hardy birds that it can bear very hot and dry condition. Mediterranean island Minorca is the source of its name. Origin of the name takes after here but at first Minorca Chicken comes from Africa says the Spanish tradition. Another history says that Italy is the first country from where the Minorca chicken has come with Roman to Spain.

America get Minorca Chicken from England and in 1834, it was imported into England by Sir Thomas Acland. But before this time in Devon and Cornwall it was seen, perhaps nearly 1780.J.J.Fultz of Mount Vernon, OH .imported Minorca Chicken into America in 1884. This is the sort history of Minorca Chicken.
Characteristics of Minorca Chicken
Minorca chickens are long and angular-shaped in structure. It looks cute, lively, graceful and hardy. They have a very nice red face and big red wattles and white combs that are oval-shaped. Earlobes are large and white-colored. The Minorca chicken`s legs are dark-colored. The plumage of the Minorca is absolutely uniformly glossy of greenish-black.
The temperament of this poultry breed is very active I; e restlessness all the time, very friendly, very shy appearing in public. They can live in all types of soil and are well suited to the environment of confinement readily. Varieties of Minorca chicken depend upon the variety of its color black, blue, barred, buff and white. Some varieties are based on combs, singled combed or rose combed. You may also like to read Pekin Chicken.
Food
When Minorca chickens are on outside pasture in a field they generally eat grass, weeds, worms and various types of insects. As all the poultry or other birds eat they also eat the same as growing grass, clover, buckwheat and Kentucky bluegrass. They eat all kinds of broad-leaved weeds and growing tips.
You can always make food for your Minorca chicken and you can use all the grains, seeds, minerals, vitamins and other components. All-time you should provide them with water. Chickens also eat insects, earthworms, and slugs of all kinds.
Diseases
Fowl Pox: Its other name is chickenpox but it is not alike human-pox. It is viral and contagious. It can spread up directly. The basic symptoms are warty bumps near the legs. And also the formation of wounds in the mouth area are may be occurred. This disease is not treatable but prevention and vaccination is the main prevention. You may also like to read Sumatra Chicken.
Infectious Bronchitis: Generally in winter their respiratory organ may have been attacked with coldness and caused the chicken’s painful and dangerous state. It is also spreadable and spread up amongst the healthy fowls. The main symptoms are the loss of appétit and egg production get lesser than normal and they lay abnormal eggs which may be dry, rough and whites may be watery.
This disease is also viral. Unfortunately, there is no such effective treatment that can recover the chicken. There are some other diseases that can be great crucial for the Minorca chicken. These are marked disease, frostbite, exotic disease, etc. Parasites can hazard the chicken. External parasites such as Tics, Lice, Mites, etc are not severer than internal parasites but to avoid chickens ailments you should treat these properly with medication.
But internal parasites such as worms are more dangerous. It affects the newly born chickens and causes loss of appetite, weight or diarrhea. If you want to prevent your Minorca chickens from these hazards you should keep the backyard and chicken coop clean and dry. Proper vaccines should be given in time. Never mix infected chicken with healthy ones. You may also like to read Speckled Sussex Chicken.
Breed Profile
Breed NameMinorcaOther NameRed Faced Black Chicken or Red-Faced Black SpanishBreed PurposeEgg, Show, and OrnamentalBreed TemperamentFriendly, Flighty, Very Active, Shy, DocileBreed SizeLargeBroodinessSeldomCombSingle & RoseClimate ToleranceHeatEgg ColorWhiteEgg SizeLargeEgg ProductivityHighRarityBlack Variety is CommonVarietiesSingle Comb and Rose Comb. Color Varieties: Black, Blue, Barred, Buff and WhiteOrigin of countrySpain
Conclusion
Minorca chicken is an egg-productive bird. It’s origin in Spain and it is also called Red-Faced Black Chicken. In Mediterranean poultry breeds, Minorca Chicken is considered the largest and heaviest breed. They prefer free-range areas but not as prolific as another Mediterranean breed like leghorn which lays bigger eggs than them because they lay very large white shelled eggs all year round but not as much as other people think that can do a better job laying more eggs for you to produce from your farm or industry with a lot of profit!