Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[Gray Farms]

Iowa Blue Club member here as well. I have a couple silver pullets I'd like to sell if your still looking.

 

[Candy442]

Iowa Blue Club member here as well. I have a couple silver pullets I'd like to sell if your still looking.

Hello there!
How many Iowa Blues do you have at your farm? Are they all silver variety? Nice to know there is another breeder out there to refer to buyers in your area.

Candy

 

[Gray Farms]

Hello there!
How many Iowa Blues do you have at your farm? Are they all silver variety? Nice to know there is another breeder out there to refer to buyers in your area.

Candy

I have one rooster and seven hens/pullets currently. I breed primarily for Silvers but I do also get Charcoals here and there. I think two of my females are Charcoal if I remember right.

 

[Candy442]

Here is Fivewire Farm Iowa first hatch of the season. Most of these are for a customer order and heading to Iowa, but we are happy with the predominance of chestnut color chick down as that is what we are personally breeding for. Chestnut color chick down is representative of the Charcoal color variety of Iowa Blue. We still get a couple of silvers here and there plus some oddball colors as well

 

[Gray Farms]

Congrats!!! My first batch of Iowa Blue chicks are due next week. I candled them and 17 out of 17 were fertile. And I set another 27 this last Thursday. This makes me much less nervous due to having just the one rooster.

 

[Candy442]

Congrats!!! My first batch of Iowa Blue chicks are due next week. I candled them and 17 out of 17 were fertile. And I set another 27 this last Thursday. This makes me much less nervous due to having just the one rooster.

I hope you can post a photo when they hatch. All of the 25 sold made it to their destination safe and sound. I am a nervous "mom" when shipping anything..eggs included . I am so glad to hear your fertility rate is good. We started with 60 eggs, 35 were developing and 30 actually hatched so we were happy with that. We have some old hens, but the boys are young. So, I put an order in with Sandhill to get Iowas from them to introduce new genetic material. I will raise those and do a third pen with our roosters over the Sandhill hens. Hopefully we will get those Iowas this year

 

[Gray Farms]

I hope you can post a photo when they hatch. All of the 25 sold made it to their destination safe and sound. I am a nervous "mom" when shipping anything..eggs included . I am so glad to hear your fertility rate is good. We started with 60 eggs, 35 were developing and 30 actually hatched so we were happy with that. We have some old hens, but the boys are young. So, I put an order in with Sandhill to get Iowas from them to introduce new genetic material. I will raise those and do a third pen with our roosters over the Sandhill hens. Hopefully we will get those Iowas this year

Does Sandhill breed for a certain pattern?

 

[Candy442]

Does Sandhill breed for a certain pattern?

I believe they also breed for the chestnut down color primarily. They have been breeding Iowas for years and had original bloodline genetic material. It's time I add some of their stock into mine. I do get silvers at times though, but I have no silver boys they are all charcoal.

 

[Gray Farms]

Not the best picture. They wouldn't hold still for nothing lol.

 

[Candy442]

Not the best picture. They wouldn't hold still for nothing lol.View attachment 1752719

They sure don't! active from the minute they pop out of their shells Very nice !