Basque Hen: From The Basque Region has a Unique Culture and Language All its Own

Photo of Marraduna Basque Hen and rooster courtesy of Greenfire Farms.    

Check www.greenfirefarms.com for availability.

BREED NAME: BASQUE HEN (a.k.a. - euskal oiloa)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The Basque Region has a unique culture and language all its own; part in France and part in Spain, but not French, and not Spanish.

Somehow wedged between the two cultures in its own mountainous Pyrenees world, is the land of the Basque People. These people and the animals developed there are known for the hardiness necessary to survive their challenging history and environment.

Several breeds of uniquely Basque chickens survive today. This landrace breed: the Basque Hen is a tried and true, beautiful Heritage breed that thrives in many climates.

Basque chickens include: Marraduna – a gently gold and silver barred rooster with a sweetly speckled golden cream hen, Beltza – a deep mahogany, Gorria - a bright red with green iridescent tail, and the Naked Neck: Lepasoila-also a bright red with the naked-neck mutation.

The Facts: Basque Chickens

Class: Large

Size: Standard Male: 8 Ibs. / Standard Female: 6 Ibs.

Comb, Wattles & Earlobes: Red

Color: Various

Place of Origin: the Basque Region of France and Spain

Conservation Status: rare

Special Qualities: The rustic life of the Basque people has braved centuries of threatening influences from all sides. The defiant Basques cling to their pastoral values and way of life.

Long held near, some of the fruits of their labors, such as the Basque chicken, are gracing the world with a rich heritage. The dual purpose Basque chicken hen can lay as many as 220 eggs per year.

The Marraduna is known for the largest and cream color egg, and excels at free range life. Due to its ancient land race history, this is the perfect homestead chicken for many farms. The rooster meat is of high quality.

A true Heritage breed, they reproduce hardy chicks well.

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