Iowa Blue

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 leghorn hen emerging from under a building with a clutch of chicks colored solid chestnut to striped. Old-timers would tell the tale that the chicks were sired by a pheasant. The breed was carried by several Iowa hatcheries through the 1960s, but were nearly lost when the hatcheries went out of business. The breed was rescued by Ken Whealy of from a few remaining flocks and has been bred preserved through the efforts of a few breeders since the late 1980s. The Iowa Blue grew in popularity in the 2011 and was preserved in the two recognized colors we observe today.

With its plucky attitude and proud, upright 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, are reported to be 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.

The Iowa Blue is not currently recognized by the Standards of Perfection and is classified as Conservation Status: Study.

ECONOMIC QUALITIES

A dual purpose fowl and active forager. Color of skin, white; color of egg shells, lightly tinted brown.

STANDARD WEIGHTS

Cock – 7 to 7 ½ Pounds Hen – 6 to 6 ½ Pounds
Cockerel – 6 ½ Pounds Pullet – 5 Pounds

DISQUALIFICATIONS

(See General Disqualifications and Cutting for Defects)

Shape – Male

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.

BEAK: Dark horn shading to yellow at point, moderate in length, slightly curved

FACE: Bright red, clean-cut, skin fine and soft in texture, clean face around eyes and cheeks

EYES: Large, round, and prominent; dark brown

WATTLES: Bright red, medium to moderately large.

EAR LOBES: Bright red, medium.

HEAD: Moderately small, strong, medium length.

NECK: Moderately long, mild arch, forward and erect carriage
Hackle – Abundant, flowing well over shoulders

BACK: Medium length, sloping 15 degrees straight to tail, strong, flat

TAIL: Medium length, full, well-spread, feathers of good width, carried at an angle of eighty degrees (80˚) above horizontal.
Main Tail – broad and overlapping, well-spread
Sickles – moderate in length
Lesser Sickles and Coverts – moderate, abundant, extending onto main tail

WINGS: Medium in length, folded loosely with primaries overlapped but visible,
carried close to the body under the saddle, held parallel to the back line.

BREAST: Full, rounded, strong.

BODY AND FLUFF: Body – full, rectangular in shape, moderately deep.
Fluff – moderately full.

LEGS AND TOES: Legs set well apart, straight when viewed from the front.
Lower Thighs – large, medium length, well feathered, smooth.
Shanks –medium in length, smooth.
Toes – four on each foot, medium length, straight, well-spread.

Shape – Female

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.

BEAK: Dark horn shading to yellow at point, moderate in length, slightly curved

FACE: Bright red, clean-cut, skin fine and soft in texture, clean face around eyes and cheeks

EYES: Large, round, and prominent; dark brown

WATTLES: Bright red, medium.

EAR LOBES: Bright red, medium.

HEAD: Moderately small, strong, medium length.

NECK: Moderately long, mild arch, forward and erect carriage, blending well into shoulder

BACK: Medium length, sloping 15 degrees straight to tail, strong, flat

TAIL: Well spread, dense, broad.

WINGS: Medium in length, folded loosely with primaries overlapped but visible,
carried close to the body, held parallel to the back line.

BREAST: Full, rounded, strong.

BODY AND FLUFF: Body – full, rectangular in shape, moderately deep.
Fluff – moderately full.

LEGS AND TOES: Legs set well apart, straight when viewed from the front.
Lower Thighs – large, medium length, well feathered, smooth.
Shanks –medium in length, smooth.
Toes – four on each foot, medium length, straight, well-spread.


SILVER PENCILED IOWA BLUES

COLOR – MALE

HEAD: Silvery White.

NECK: Hackle – web of feather, lustrous, greenish black with narrow lacing of silvery white; shafts black.
Front of neck – black.

BACK: Back including Saddle – web of feather, lustrous, greenish black with narrow lacing of silvery white, a slight shafting of silvery white permissible.
Silvery white predominating on surface of upper back; saddle matching with hackle in color.

TAIL: Main Tail – web, black.
Main and Lesser Sickles – lustrous, greenish black.
Coverts: lustrous, greenish black with narrow lacing of white.

WINGS: Fronts – black Bows – silvery white.
Coverts: lustrous, greenish black, forming a distinct wing bar of this color across entire wing when folded.
Primaries – black with narrow edging of white on lower edge of lower webs.
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, greenish black.

BODY AND FLUFF: Body – black.
Fluff – black, slight tinge of gray permissible.

LEGS AND TOES: Lower thighs – black.
Shanks and Toes – black.

UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate shading lighter towards base of feathers.


COLOR – FEMALE

Note – Pencilings in all Silver Varieties should be distinct in sharp contrast to the ground color, be regular in shape, uniform in width and conform to the contour of the feather.
Each feather in the back, breast, body wing bows and thighs should have three or more pencilings.

HEAD: Silvery gray.

NECK: Hackle – black, slightly penciled with steel gray, and laced with silvery white.
Front of neck – penciled same as breast.

BACK: Steel gray, with distinct black pencilings.

TAIL: Main Tail – black, except two top feathers which have – lower web, black; upper web, gray penciled with black.
Coverts – steel gray with distinct black pencilings.

WINGS: Fronts, Bows, and Coverts – steel gray with distinct black pencilings.
Primaries – black with narrow steel gray diagonal penciling on lower webs.
Secondaries – lower webs, steel gray with black penciling, extending well around tips of feathers; balance of upper webs, black.

BREAST: Steel gray, with distinct black pencilings.

BODY AND FLUFF: Body – steel gray, with distinct black penciling.
Fluff – steel gray, penciled with dull black.

LEGS AND TOES: Lower thighs – steel gray, with distinct black penciling.
Shanks and Toes – black.

UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Medium slate.


BIRCHEN IOWA BLUES

COLOR – MALE

HEAD: White.

NECK: Hackle – white, with narrow, dark stripes through middle of each feather, terminating in a point near its lower extremity.
Front of neck – black with very narrow lacing of white.

BACK: White.
Saddle – white with narrow, black stripe through middle of each feather.

TAIL: Main Tail – web, black.
Main, Lesser Sickles, and Coverts – lustrous, greenish black.

WINGS: Shoulders – black Fronts – black Bows – white.
Coverts – glossy black.
Primaries and Seconaries – black.

BREAST: Upper breast – black with very narrow lacing of white.
Lower breast – black.

BODY AND FLUFF: Body – black.
Fluff – black, slight tinge of gray permissible.

LEGS AND TOES: Lower thighs – black.
Shanks and Toes – black.

UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate.


COLOR – FEMALE

HEAD: White.

NECK: White, with narrow, dark stripe through middle of each feather, terminating in a point near its extremity.
Front of Neck – black with very narrow lacing of white.

BACK: Black.

TAIL: Black.

WINGS: Black.

BREAST: Upper breast – black with very narrow lacing of white.
Lower breast – black.

BODY AND FLUFF: Body – black.
Fluff – black, slight tinge of gray permissible.

LEGS AND TOES: Lower thighs – black.
Shanks and Toes – black.

UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate.
​