Iowa Blue Official Standard
Current Status: Complete, In Final Revisions with IBCC Standards Committee
Iowa Blue Standard
The Iowa Blue was developed in the early 1900's near Decorah, Iowa. Little is known about its origins, but a folk legend tells the story of a white Plymouth Rock hen emerging from under a building with a clutch of chicks colored solid chestnut to striped. Old-timers tell the tale that the chicks were sired by a pheasant. The breed was carried by several Iowa hatcheries through the 1960s, but was nearly lost when the hatcheries went out of business. The breed was rescued from a few remaining flocks and has been bred and preserved through the efforts of a few breeders since the late 1980s. The Iowa Blue grew in popularity in 2011 with a group of dedicated breeders working to preserve and return the breed to its original type and purpose.
With its plucky attitude and proud carriage, the Iowa Blue is a dual-purpose homesteader chicken, known to be an excellent forager. Hens will go broody, exhibiting good maternal characteristics. Males are noted to be excellent flock guardians and are talented hawk fighters. They are vigorous breeders and are early to mature. Though very aware of their surroundings in a free-range situation, the breed is fairly docile and not particularly flighty.
ECONOMIC QUALITIES
A dual purpose fowl and active free range forager. Color of skin, yellow; color of egg shells, lightly tinted brown.
STANDARD WEIGHTS
Cock – 7 Pounds Hen –6 Pounds
Cockerel – 6 Pounds Pullet – 5 Pounds
DISQUALIFICATIONS
(See General Disqualifications and Cutting for Defects in SOP)
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Shape
MALES COMB: Single; bright red, medium to large, tight to the head, thick at base, with six well defined, evenly spaced points, those in the front and rear slightly shorter than those in the middle, blade not conforming too closely to the shape of the head. Sickles – moderate in length
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Shape
FEMALES COMB: Single; bright red, medium to large, tight to the head, thick at base, with six well defined, evenly spaced points, those in the front and rear slightly shorter than those in the middle, blade not conforming too closely to the shape of the head.
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MALES
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Silver Penciled Coloration
FEMALES |
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HEAD: Silvery White. Secondaries – lower webs, black with lower half white to a point near end of feathers, terminating abruptly leaving ends of feathers black; upper webs, black; the secondaries when folded forming a triangular white wing bay between the wing bar and tips of secondary feathers. BREAST: Lustrous black with bluish sheen, laced with white. White shafting permissible. BODY AND FLUFF: Body – black with white lacing. Fluff – black, slight tinge of gray permissible. LEGS AND TOES: Thighs – black with slight to medium silver lacing. Shanks and Toes – dark willow. UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate shading lighter towards base of feathers.
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HEAD: Silvery white. Front of neck - penciled blending into breast.
Secondaries – lower webs gray with diagonal black penciling, upper webs black, stippling toward the end. Shanks and Toes – dark willow.
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Birchen Coloration MALES
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Birchen Coloration FEMALES
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HEAD: Plumage, White. Front of neck – black with white lacing.
Coverts – Black.
Shoulders and Fronts - black. Bows - white. Coverts, Primaries, and Secondaries - black.BREAST: Upper breast – black with heavy lacing of white. Lower breast – black with white lacing. BODY AND FLUFF: Body – black. Fluff – black, slight tinge of gray permissible. LEGS AND TOES: Lower thighs – black. Shanks and Toes – dark willow. UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate.
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HEAD: Plumage, White. Front of Neck – black with white lacing.
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