The White-Face Black Spanish chicken goes by various names, such as Cara Blanca, and is actually one of the oldest chicken breeds available. They were once bred for their hardiness, but have since become more of a show bird and less of a livestock breed. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t raise them in your backyard flock.
Raising White-Faced Black Spanish chickens requires access to clean water, a diet rich in nutrients, and spacious, secure housing to roam. Known for their hardiness and longevity, they thrive with regular health monitoring and a stimulating environment to prevent boredom.
These chickens are akin to the refined aristocrats of the poultry world, demanding respect and a bit of extra care to maintain their distinct appearance and well-being. Their large white earlobes and faces, contrasting with deep black feathers, make them susceptible to sunburn in harsh climates, requiring shaded areas in their enclosures to protect their delicate skin.
Moreover, their active and inquisitive nature means they benefit greatly from space to explore and forage, which not only keeps them physically healthy but also mentally stimulated.
White-Faced Black Spanish chickens have a temperament that can be described as both aloof and engaging, often showing curiosity towards their human caretakers while maintaining a dignified distance.
Their social hierarchy can be quite pronounced, necessitating careful integration with other breeds to avoid conflicts. It’s essential to monitor their interactions in mixed flocks, providing escape routes and separate feeding areas to ensure all birds can eat in peace.
Like a seasoned diplomat navigating a complex social landscape, a keeper must manage the coop’s dynamics to maintain harmony among the various personalities.
How Big Does White-Face Black Spanish Chickens Grow?
When deciding which breed of chicken to raise, how big the breed gets is not often considered. This is a real shame, since their size may impact whether or not the breed is the right fit for your flock.
White-Face Black Spanish chickens are medium-sized birds that can grow 20 to 25 inches tall. These chickens have glossy black feathers with white ear lobes and faces, and bright red combs. All of this gives these birds a striking appearance.
What Is The Average Weight Of A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken?
The White-Face Black Spanish chicken isn’t an extremely large breed, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need plenty of space. If you find that the traditional White-Face Black Spanish chicken is too large for you, consider opting for their bantam variety, which is much smaller in size.
Male White-Face Black Spanish chickens weigh between 8 and 10 pounds, while the females weight 6 to 8 pounds. The bantams of this breed are much smaller, with the males weighing around 30 ounces and the females weighing about 26 ounces.
When Will A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken Start Laying Eggs?
When a chicken breed starts laying eggs is important info that you may want to know. This is especially true if your main reason for raising chickens is for their eggs.
White-Face Black Spanish chickens typically start laying eggs at about 20 weeks old. However, they may start laying a bit earlier, as young as 16 weeks old, but don’t expect eggs at this time. If your hen hasn’t started to lay at 20 to 22 weeks old, there may be an issue with the bird.
Will A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken Lay White Or Brown Eggs?
While the color of the shell doesn’t really have any effect on the taste or healthiness of the egg, most people are still concerned with what color egg a breed lays.
The White-Face Black Spanish hen will lay large white eggs. These eggs look similar to the eggs typically purchased in the grocery store and have a similar taste as well. On average, they lay about 3 to 4 eggs a week.
Do You Need A Same Breed Rooster To Get A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken To Lay Eggs?
Roosters provide a slew of benefits, including protecting the flock and keeping the hens from picking on one another. Unfortunately, roosters also have a few drawbacks, such as their potential for being aggressive and noisy. Because of this, you may wonder if you really need to have a rooster, especially if you just want to get some eggs from your White-Face Black Spanish chickens.
Like other hens, the White-Face Black Spanish chicken will lay eggs even without the help of a rooster. In fact, a rooster is only required if you want those eggs to be fertilized, which means they will hatch into a baby chick.
Even if you want to hatch your own eggs, you still are not required to have the same breed of rooster. Roosters will mate with any breed, and the resulting baby will be a mixture of the hen’s and the rooster’s breed. For those that want chicks that are White-Face Black Spanish, you will need both the rooster and the hen to share that same breed.
What Is The Lifespan Of A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken?
Chickens typically live less than 10 years, though the exact lifespan will vary from one breed to the next.
The White-Face Black Spanish chicken has an average lifespan of 5 to 8 years old, when they are raised in a safe and secure location. Not providing the birds with a safe coop and run, and not maintaining their health and wellness is one of the quickest ways to reduce their lifespan.
Are White-Face Black Spanish Chickens Friendly?
The temperament of any chicken breed must be considered before adding them to your flock. This is especially important if your chicken coop is close to your house or if you have children who may encounter the birds.
White-Face Black Spanish chickens are not a very friendly breed, and are more inclined to stick with their flock instead of sitting on your lap. While they are not an aggressive breed, they are also not child-friendly birds and you should keep this in mind when deciding which chicken to get.
How Many Eggs Can A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken Lay A Day?
The amount of eggs a hen can lay in a day will vary from one breed to the next. Keep reading to learn what the average amount of eggs the White-Face Black Spanish chicken can lay.
The White-Face Black Spanish are not the best layers, but they can still lay 3 to 4 eggs per week, which equals about 180 eggs a year. While this may not seem like a lot, especially if you compare it to other breeds, you can quickly have too many eggs if you have multiple laying hens.
For example, if you have 3 White-Face Black Spanish chickens laying 3 eggs a week, that is 9 eggs a week/468 eggs a year. That’s a lot of eggs, especially when you consider the average person eats around 5 to 7 eggs a week. If you want more than that amount, consider adding more hens to your flock.
When Will A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken Stop Laying Eggs?
White-Face Black Spanish chickens are good layers that can give you a few years of steady egg laying. There will, however, come a time when your hens could stop laying eggs.
White-Face Black Spanish hens usually lay the best when they are within the first 2 to 3 years of their life. As they age, the amount of eggs they lay will start to lower, and you may find that the hens stop laying once they reach 4 or more years old.
Keep in mind that there is no exact timeframe for when a hen will stop laying, and several factors can affect a hens’ ability to lay eggs. While a reduction in egg production is a common and natural occurrence that happens when a hen gets older, there are also several health issues that can negatively impact their ability to lay eggs.
At What Age Is A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken The Most Delicious?
The White-Face Black Spanish chicken breed is not normally raised for their meat, but that doesn’t mean you cannot butcher the bird. The reason for this is not because they don’t taste good, but it is because they take over a year before they mature.
The White-Face Black Spanish chicken is most delicious when it is butchered between 1 1/2 and 2 years old. It is best to wait until the bird has reached maturity, which takes over a year. If you wait until after the bird is over 2 years of age, you may find the meat tough.
If you find yourself harvesting a chicken that is older than the ideal age, you can still have a tasty meal if you cook the meat slowly, such as in a slow cooker or crackpot. You can also use the meat from older birds in soups and stews.
Best Housing Setup For A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken
The housing for chickens, known as a coop, is one of the most important aspects of raising any chicken breed. Coops come in a wide array of sizes, shapes, and materials, and the best housing setup for your flock will depend on the breeds you are raising.
This article was first published on March 31, 2023 by Pentagon-Pets.
The best housing setup for White-Face Black Spanish chickens includes plenty of coop space and free-range if possible. These birds will tolerate confinement, but they do their best when they have plenty of space to move, forage, and stretch their wings.
Inside their coop, they will need about 8 to 10 square feet of floor space per bird. Their coop should also be secure, so the birds are safe from predators on the ground and in the air. The inside of the coop’s floor should be lined with bedding that is changed once a week or once a month, depending on whether or not you are doing the deep litter method. Dust baths should also be provided to help enrich your birds, while also keeping parasites at bay.
As stated above, the White-Face Black Spanish chicken thrives when it is allowed to free-range. If this isn’t an option, you will need to provide a safe and secure run that is large. In a small backyard, the White-Face Black Spanish chicken becomes stressed more easily. That is why this breed isn’t recommended for confined or small areas.
Typical Health Problems Of A White-Face Black Spanish Chicken
While chickens don’t typically have a lot of health problems, there are some issues that can occur. The most common ones being parasitic infections. Let’s take a look at what health problems you may see when raising White-Face Black Spanish chickens.
The White-Face Black Spanish chicken isn’t prone to any specific disease. However, they are more vulnerable to common chicken health problems than other breeds that are harder. This is because their hardiness was lost when they started to be bred for show and not backyard flocks.
Pentagon Pet is the owner of this article that was first published on March 31, 2023.
Typical Problems Raising White-Face Black Spanish Chickens
One of the many things you should learn about a chicken breed before raising them is what, if any, are the typical problems you can expect with the breed.
White-Face Black Spanish chickens don’t have many problems, but they are known to be active and flighty birds that need plenty of space. Additionally, White-Face Black Spanish hens are also non-setters, which means they won’t hatch their own eggs.
This shouldn’t be a problem if you want the eggs to be consumed. If, however, you plan on hatching your own eggs, you will need to find a different breed to raise, or hatch the eggs yourself using an incubator.
What Type Of Food Is Best For White-Face Black Spanish Chickens
Chickens are not a difficult animal to raise, and are, in fact, one of the easier-to-care-for livestock options out there. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can feed them any old thing and expect them to be healthier.
White-Face Black Spanish chickens do not require a specialized diet that is different than other breeds. This is a good thing, since you can add this breed to your flock and feed them all the same food. Just remember that the feed you give them is of high quality and matches their stage of life.
Along with good quality chicken feed, make sure you are providing the White-Face Black Spanish chicken with fresh water daily, along with fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Allowing your flock to free range will also supplement their diet, since they will consume seeds, grubs, and insects they find while foraging.
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This article and its contents are owned by Pentagon Pets and was first published on March 31, 2023.