Penedesenca

The Penedesenca or Gall del Penedès is a Spanish breed of chicken originating in the autonomous community of Catalonia, in the area around Vilafranca del Penedès, the principal town of the historical Penedès region.

History

It is not known for how long country people in Catalonia have raised chickens that laid dark brown eggs. The first documentation of them is from 1928, when attempts were made to avert the extinction of the type. In 1932 selection of a black type was begun by a group of breeders in a town near Vilafranca del Penedès. A breed standard for this black Penedesenca was approved in 1946, with the name "Villafranquina Negra", or black Vilafranca chicken.

Use

Hens lay about 160 dark brown eggs per year, with an average weight of approximately. They are among the darkest-coloured eggs laid by hens of any breed.