Minorcas

A very nice family group of Black Minorca bantams
Photo courtesy of Wilbert Hollinger

These birds are the largest and heaviest of the Mediterranean fowl. They are accepted in the APA's Standard in Black, Buff and White, and the Blacks and Whites come in both rose and single comb varieties. The Buff only appears as a single combed bird. The British Standard also recognises a Blue Minorca. The breed was developed in England from imported Spanish Castilian fowl.

Males can reach 9 pounds and the hens 7 1/2. Utility strains of the breed were excellent layers of large white eggs.

Minorcas also exist in bantam form (as you can see above).