Blue Andalusian chickens: Beautiful birds for a big backyard
Blue Andalusian chickens are unique in three main ways. First, the obvious, they’re blue (which is really more like a pretty gray).
Second, they have “hybrid characteristics,” which means that Blue Andalusian chickens hatch not just Blue Andalusian chicks, but also Black and Splash Andalusian chicks. But somehow Black and Splash Andalusian chickens aren’t “officially” Andalusian. The American Poultry Association doesn’t recognize them as breeds or a variety of breed. Only Blue Andalusians count. Makes no sense, right?
But this is important to you because when you order Blue Andalusian chicks, you may end up with some Black and Splash Andalusian chicks instead, which are so cute and wonderful too (you can see photos and videos of them in this article). They are exactly the same as Blue Andalusians, except their plumage pattern and colors are different.
And third, and most importantly, Blue Andalusians need space. They don’t just want space like so many other breeds. They need space. And they can get aggressive without it. So, make sure you have free-range conditions or a very large backyard before you order these delightful birds.
But there’s a lot more you should know about Blue Andalusian chickens before committing to them. In this article, you’ll learn if these chickens are right for you. This article covers:
What Blue Andalusian chickens look like (as well as their not-so-blue siblings)
Everything you ever wanted to know about Blue Andalusian egg laying
Broodiness: Blue Andalusians as mother hen material (or not, it turns out)
Climate considerations for Blue Andalusian chickens (are they a good fit for your region?)
Blue Andalusian temperament (are they right for you and your family?)
Other breeds you may want instead of Blue Andalusian chickens
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Have Andalusian chickens?
Andalusian Chicken Facts
Category: Pet & eggs
Origin: Spain
Egg-laying ability: Moderate-good
Broodiness: Low
Meat production: Moderate
Cold tolerance: Poor to moderate
Heat tolerance: Exceptional
Predator evasion: Exceptional
Foraging ability: Exceptional
Toleration for confinement: Low
Temperament: Flighty, active
Aggression toward flock members: Low-moderate
Noise level: High
Origin of Andalusian Chickens
Blue Andalusians are named after a province in Spain where they were once prolific. Spanish breeders developed the Blue Andalusian by crossing black chickens with white chickens from the same breed. These chickens were white due to naturally occurring genetic mutations.
Blue Andalusian chickens were imported into England in 1846 where they became very popular, and then were imported to America in the 1850s.
The birds had lost their popularity by the middle of the 20th century and became exceedingly rare. But in recent years, the Blue Andalusian has gained popularity as a show bird. The Livestock Conservancy has given the chicken a conservation status of “Watch.”
What do Blue Andalusian chickens look like?
Blue Andalusian feather colors and patterns
Blue Andalusian chickens are a beautiful bluish-gray color. Even their underlying down fluff is blue. The feather pattern isn’t a solid color, but is blue laced, meaning the feathers are outlined by a darker shade of blue.
When Blue Andalusians breed, 50% of their offspring are blue, 25% are black, and 25% are white or splash. The Splash chickens are mostly white in color with blue or black splotches. Many hatcheries sell the Black and Splash Andalusians as “Blue Andalusians,” so you may end up with these other varieties.
What else is notable about the Blue Andalusian appearance?
Blue Andalusian chickens have medium-sized single combs with five points. The combs are upright and well serrated in roosters. In hens, only the first (i.e., front) point is upright, and the other four flop over to the side. However, some hens may also have upright combs.
Blue Andalusians have white, medium-sized earlobes and large wattles.
How big do Blue Andalusian chickens get?
Roosters: 7 lbs
Hens: 5 lbs
Bantam roosters: 28 oz
Bantam hens: 24 oz
Blue Andalusian chickens are a mid-size Mediterranean breed. They’re larger than Leghorns and smaller than Minorcas. They come in both standard and bantam varieties.
What do Blue Andalusian chicks look like?
Below is a video that shows you Blue Andalusian chicks together with their black, white, and splash siblings. Remember, half of every Blue Andalusian brood will not be blue in color.
Blue Andalusian Chicken Growth
Blue Andalusian chickens mature quickly. Chicks are fast to feather. Males may start crowing as early as 7 weeks of age.
Are you getting Andalusian chicks?
Share your photos, week by week!
Blue Andalusian Chickens and Egg Laying
Egg color: White
Egg size: Medium
Age of lay: 5-6 months
Eggs/week: 3
Eggs/year: 150
Blue Andalusian chickens are overall good layers of white eggs. Unlike many breeds, they tend to continue laying throughout the winter.
Want to see a Blue Andalusian lay egg? Check out the video below. Fast forward to 2:55 if you just want to see the egg drop!
Broodiness: Do Blue Andalusian hens want to hatch their eggs?
Blue Andalusian hens tend not to have any interest in sitting on and hatching eggs. Originally bred for egg production, the broodiness trait is mostly eliminated.
Meat Production of Blue Andalusian Chickens
You don’t hear much about Blue Andalusian meat. As a bird bred for egg laying, Andalusian carcasses have much less meat on them than meat breeds. However, the birds are said to taste good with lots of white meat and a decent amount of breast meat.
Blue Andalusians market weight clocks in at 5.5-7 lbs.
Blue Andalusian Chickens: Incredibly hardy except in low temperatures
In Storey’s Guide to Poultry Breeds, the author describes Blue Andalusians as “very rugged, robust, and healthy.”
How do Blue Andalusian chickens do in the heat?
Like other Mediterranean breeds, Blue Andalusians thrive in the heat. They will still always need access to shade and cold, fresh water.
How do Blue Andalusian chickens do in the cold?
Unfortunately, Blue Andalusian chickens have combs and wattles that are very sensitive to frostbite.
You will find many sources that say that Andalusians are very hardy in cold climates. But the truth is this: they can survive cold climates, but they will suffer. Frostbite is an incredibly painful affliction, no less so for your birds than it is for you.
Roosters are most prone to frostbite with their much larger comb and wattles. Hens are also prone, but to a lesser degree.
Check out the video below of Blue Andalusian breeder roosters—you can see frostbite on many combs.
If you live in a cold climate and you feel like you must have Blue Andalusians, at least consider hanging Sweeter Heaters over your roosting bars. These radiant heaters are designed to keep chickens’ combs warm in cold winters, particularly during the night.
You can find small Sweeter Heaters here on Amazon, medium Sweeter Heaters here, and large Sweeter Heaters here. I hang Sweeter Heaters in all my coops, and I can’t recommend them enough.
Blue Andalusian chickens vs. predators
As flighty and attentive birds, Blue Andalusians fare well against predators. Not only are they always on alert, but, unlike most other breeds, they are excellent fliers.
Blue Andalusians are also very vocal birds, and will sound the alarm for their flockmates at any hint of a potential threat.
Blue Andalusian chickens: Exceptional foragers
“Andalusian chickens are wonderfully designed for foraging on range.”
Blue Andalusian chickens were born to forage. If they have the opportunity to forage, they will eat most of their food from foraging, rather than commercial feed. For this reason, they are a very economical choice for the homesteader. Lots of eggs, lower feed bill.
Blue Andalusian chickens: Can they handle confinement?
These birds absolutely do not handle confinement well. They are meant for open spaces. Chicken keepers who have ignored this truth have found their Andalusians feather picking and cannibalizing other birds.
Confinement causes major stress in these chickens. Make sure you have a large backyard or a free range setup for these birds.
Check out the video below to see how active Blue Andalusian hens and roosters are, and why they need a large yard like the one shown:
Some Andalusian keepers have said their Blue Andalusians want to roost in the trees. Most say that they are the last chickens back in the coop at night.
Blue Andalusian chicken temperament: just what kind of birds are they?
Blue Andalusian chickens, like other Mediterranean breeds, are active, alert, and flighty. Generally, these chickens hate being picked up or even touched. They are prone to fly away if you try to touch them.
But this doesn’t mean they can’t be friendly. If you spend time with your Blue Andalusians, you may find they love to be in your vicinity and will even follow you around.
Chicken keepers often describe Blue Andalusian chickens as having big personalities and being full of life. In the video below, a woman describes her Blue Andalusian hen as entertaining and comical:
How are Blue Andalusian chickens around children?
As hens are flighty and don’t like to be touched, they likely won’t let your children anywhere near them. They are not a good breed for kids who want to hold chickens, but hens also won’t be aggressive to small children (unless, perhaps, they are completely cornered with no route of escape).
Roosters may be aggressive with children (see more below).
How well do Blue Andalusian chickens get along with other chickens?
Hens tend to get along very well with other chickens. Roosters are a mixed bag. Many chicken keepers have said their roosters are more aggressive towards their hens than their other breeds. But others have described their roosters as good guardians and sweet.
Are Blue Andalusian roosters aggressive to people?
Blue Andalusian roosters are a mixed bag here too. Some roosters may be very flighty and/or sweet. Other roosters may be aggressive. Of course, confinement will make this breed aggressive. And don’t forget that roosters do typically get less aggressive as they age.
However, if rooster aggression is absolutely not something you can deal with, then you may not want to take a chance with this breed.
Blue Andalusian chickens: Are they noisy?
Blue Andalusians are one of the noisier chicken breeds. They are very social and talkative. This quality has helped them survive well in free-range environments.
Chatty chickens are my favorites—the super chatty birds are usually the hilarious birds. But if you don’t want chicken chatter in your backyard—or maybe your neighbors don’t—then this may not be the best breed for you.
Want to hear a Blue Andalusian rooster crow? Check out the video below of beautiful rooster, Stanley, and his lovely singing voice:
Blue Andalusian chicken health problems and life expectancy
Blue Andalusians may live 5-8 years or longer if well taken care of. There are no known health afflictions particular to this breed.
Breeds you may want instead of Blue Andalusians
If you like Mediterranean breeds, but you need chickens that do better cold weather, consider Ancona chickens. Check out my article, Ancona chickens: The homesteader’s best kept secret.
If you like blue chickens, consider also the Blue Wyandotte. These chickens are decent layers of brown eggs, docile, and cold hardy.
Blue Andalusian crosses: Amazing hybrid breeds made for the backyard
If you want a chicken that’s the beautiful blue of the Andalusian, but you also want a chicken that’s more cold hardy, more docile, and needs less space, you may want to consider Andalusian hybrids, such as the Blue Croad Langshan, the Blue Plymouth Rock, or the Sapphire Gem.
Blue Croad Langshans were developed by crossing Croad Langshans with Blue Andalusians and then crossing their offspring back to Croad Langshans for a number of generations.
Blue Plymouth Rocks are a cross between a Blue Andalusian rooster and a Barred Plymouth Rock hen. Sapphire Gems cross the Blue Plymouth Rocks back to the Barred Plymouth Rocks. These birds are sweet, docile, good foragers, cold hardy, and excellent brown egg layers. Sapphire Gems lay almost 300 eggs a year, twice as many as a Blue Andalusian!
The other thing that I love about both Blue Plymouth Rocks and Sapphire Gems is that they are sex-linked chickens. This means that the chicks can be correctly sexed at hatching because males and females look different. So, if you only want hens, you can be much more confident you’ll only get hens!
Many first-time chicken owners don’t realize that vent chicken sexing is only about 90% accurate at best, so many times, you end up with roosters you don’t want. Buy sex link chickens, and you don’t have to worry!
Order your Andalusian chickens now
The map below shows breeders and hatcheries that sell Andalusian chickens. Click on your breeder or hatchery of interest for more information.
UPDATE: This hatchery database is no longer current. The database was last updated in 2020.
Disclaimer: I am providing information about these hatcheries, but I am not endorsing them. Be sure to do your own due diligence before purchase. For more information on due diligence, check out the article, NPIP certification: How to know if your breeder or hatchery is safe to buy from.
