Basque Hens originate in the Basque region of Spain; their Spanish name is Euskal Oiloa. In Spain, EOs were officially recognized in five different varieties in 2001. These are:
- Red (Gorria)
- Red Cuckoo (Marraduna)
- Black (Beltza)
- White Columbian (Zilarra)
- Red Naked Neck (Lepasoila)
In North America, we have successfully managed to standardize two of the Spanish colour patterns – the most common is the Red Cuckoo (Marraduna) followed by the Red (Gorria). If you are looking to increase (or start!) your Basque flock, it will be fairly easy to find both of these colour varieties if you ask the members of NABHA!
Some of our breeders are diligently working on developing the other Spanish colour patterns; it seems likely that the White Columbian will be next.
In addition to the Spanish varieties, a few other colour patterns have been observed in the North American birds. The most common is the spotted variety, sometimes referred to as the mille fleur pattern.
Less frequently, North American breeders have observed Basques that are grey or recessive white. While some breeders are working with the whites, the greys have generally been removed from the breeding lineup and moved to the layer pens. Regardless of the colour, all of the Basques seem to carry the same characteristics of friendly, regular egg-layers.