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Minorca Chicken Breed Info

Modified: Feb 7, 2023 by Phil · This post may contain affiliate links ·

The Minorca is the biggest, heaviest breed of Mediterranean chickens. They are primarily used for egg laying as their meat is dry and of poor quality. These hens produce the largest white eggs of any white egg-laying breed around.

A big Minorca rooster on a green grass on a sunny day.

Minorcas do well in confinement but thrive when allowed to roam free range. The hens rarely set, which is good news if you plan on collecting eggs rather than hatching chicks.

Jump to:
  • Minorca Chicken Breed Quick Info
  • Origins of the Minorca Chicken
  • Some Things to Know About the Minorca Chicken
  • How Easy is it to Keep Minorca Chickens?
  • Special Care and Considerations for Minorca Chickens
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Minorca Chicken Breed Quick Info

Minorca Chicken Description

Minorca Type/Size:Standard
Feather Color:Black
Leg Type:Clean
Leg Color:Slate
Skin Color:White
Minorca Ease of Raising/Keeping:Medium
Minorca Special Care Needs:Yes
Is the Minorca breed a common, rare, or protected breed of chicken?Rare, “threatened” status

Minorca Use

MeatYes
EggsYes
Dual PurposeNo
Minorca Temperament:Active, feisty
Minorca Ability/Likelihood to Free Range:Yes

Minorca Egg Production

Egg ColorWhite
Egg SizeX-Large
Estimated Number of Eggs Per Year140-220
Likeliness to Brood Eggs/Raise ChicksLow

Minorca Meat Production

Dressed Weight MaleN/A
Dressed Weight FemaleN/A

Minorca Climate Tolerance

HeatExcellent
ColdModerate

Minorca Age to Maturity

Number of Months to Reach Full Size20 Weeks
Number of Months to Start Egg Laying20 Weeks
Number of Weeks/Months to Reach Meat Harvest SizeN/A

Minorca Size at Maturity

Male9 lbs.
Female7 ½ lbs.

Origins of the Minorca Chicken

A close-up of a Minorca hen in a chicken flock.

The origin of this breed is unknown, although there are a few guesses as to where they originated from. They may have been exported from Africa to Spain by the Moors. Another theory is that they were brought from Italy to Spain by the Romans.

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Either way, they ended up on the small island of Minorca off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea, which they are named after. From there, they were exported to England in 1834 and later to the United States in 1884.

Some Things to Know About the Minorca Chicken

A Minorca hen in a backyard pasture.
Image source: The Livestock Conservancy

This Mediterranean breed is characterized by a long, broad, heavily-muscled frame. Despite their large size and strong thighs, they do not excel as meat birds due to the poor quality of their meat.

Minorcas have large red single combs, though there are rose comb varieties available too. Their broad frame, long wattles, and oversized combs give them an imposing appearance.

Their plumage is black, but they boast large white earlobes. Their legs are a slate color, and their skin is white. Their feathering is tight-knit and ends in a long, full tail.

How Easy is it to Keep Minorca Chickens?

A close-up of a Minorca rooster in a cage.
Erik Fitzpatrick, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Minorca is generally easy to care for but is best for those with previous experience caring for chickens. While they are not aggressive, they are also not known to be particularly cuddly or friendly when it comes to being around people. Owners have described their personalities as feisty.

They can be flighty and may fly if they feel the need to. However, they do prefer to be in the open foraging, so a free-range setup is best for them. Just make sure that your fences and boundaries are tall enough so they won’t be able to fly over them.

Special Care and Considerations for Minorca Chickens

In general, the Minorca chicken is hardy and has no major health concerns. They are skilled at evading predators, which makes them ideal for free-ranging operations.

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Because of their Mediterranean heritage, these birds do best in warmer climates. Their compact feathering and large combs make them prone to frostbite. If you live in an area where temperatures drop in the winter, this may not be the breed for you.

Minorca Chicken Breed Info pinterset image.

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