The Andalusian, a beautiful Mediterranean light breed which has some genetic quirks

This Mediterranean breed was known in the early 1800s, but the colours then were black or white.

- Victoria Roberts BVSc MRCVS

It appears that the blue was a sport from those two colours and then birds were selected to have the black lacing around the edge of each feather. Writers of the time did not realise that the blue does not breed true, as genetics was in its infancy, and so black, splashed (dirty white with random blue or black feathers) or blue were produced from one mating and the birds were pronounced crossbreds by those who had not experienced this odd combination before.Andalusians have always been very good layers of white eggs and classed as a Light breed (lighter weight and more streamlined than a Heavy breed), although sharing with the Minorca (another Mediterranean breed) the adult cocks' weight of 8lb (3.6kg), but having the more streamlined outline of the Spanish, a well known related breed before 1800 and having a white face. The colour of the Andalusian has maintained its popularity despite or because of the difficulty