The white-faced black Spanish is one of our oldest breeds, and was widely kept and admired long before the advent of poultry shows in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Of striking appearance, with its extensive white face, surrounding eyes and ears and extending lower than the wattles, the Spanish was also a good layer of large white eggs. In the last decade, the breed has gained popularity especially with the re-introduction of the bantam form, although bantam White-faced Spanish were popular around the 1900s.
General characteristics: male
Carriage: Upright, with proud action.
Head: Skull long, broad and deep. Beak long and stout. Eyes full and wide open. Comb single, somewhat small, erect and straight, firm at the base, rather thin at the edge, fitting closely on the neck at the back, of very smooth texture, and free from wrinkles, rising well over the eyes but not so as to interfere with the sight, and joining the earlobes and wattles. Earlobes deep and broad, well rounded at the bottom, extending well below the wattles, meeting in front and going well back on each side of the neck, of fine texture and free from folds or creases. Wattles very long, thin, and pendulous.
Neck: Long and fine, with abundant hackle flowing well over the shoulders.
Body: Rather long, fairly broad in front, and tapering to the rear. Breast full at the neck and gradually decreasing towards the thighs. Back slanting downwards to the tail, short wings carried closely. Full tail, not carried too high, and with the sickles large and well curved.
Legs and feet: Rather long and slim. Shanks free of feathers. Toes, four, slender and straight.
Plumage: Short and close.
Female
With the exception of the comb (which falls gracefully over either side of the face) the general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.
BANTAM
Bantam white-faced Spanish should follow exactly the large fowl standard.
General characteristics: male
Carriage: Upright, with proud action.
Head: Skull long, broad and deep. Beak long and stout. Eyes full and wide open. Comb single, somewhat small, erect and straight, firm at the base, rather thin at the edge, fitting closely on the neck at the back, of very smooth texture, and free from wrinkles, rising well over the eyes but not so as to interfere with the sight, and joining the earlobes and wattles. Earlobes deep and broad, well rounded at the bottom, extending well below the wattles, meeting in front and going well back on each side of the neck, of fine texture and free from folds or creases. Wattles very long, thin, and pendulous.
Neck: Long and fine, with abundant hackle flowing well over the shoulders.
Body: Rather long, fairly broad in front, and tapering to the rear. Breast full at the neck and gradually decreasing towards the thighs. Back slanting downwards to the tail, short wings carried closely. Full tail, not carried too high, and with the sickles large and well curved.
Legs and feet: Rather long and slim. Shanks free of feathers. Toes, four, slender and straight.
Plumage: Short and close.
Female
With the exception of the comb (which falls gracefully over either side of the face) the general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.
BANTAM
Bantam white-faced Spanish should follow exactly the large fowl standard.
Please contact the breed registrar for more information - Spanish@rarepoultrysociety.org.uk