True Blue Whiting info please?

[shortgrass]

I agree... The picture could be a better one

I'm surprised they're single comb too; a few in the picture looked like Ameracauna and some looked mediterranean... They need a better picture!


They don't really give much detail as to what breeds actually went into them; like its a "secret" ingredient lol

 

[MeepBeep]

They don't really give much detail as to what breeds actually went into them; like its a "secret" ingredient lol

There are a few other threads on the forum about them, it appears they are a branch off of the blue egg layers from the University of Arkansas aka Arkansas Blues...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/624359/blue-egg-layers-from-university-of-arkansas

Something to note is that Whiting has actually been selling these for years, but only for local pickup at his place...

BTW the curiosity got to me and I tossed 6 of them in on my order for April...

 

[KHoward]

I read somewhere that it was a Leghorn cross, so the egg production is expected to be higher than the other standard blue egg layers. The lack of production is why I only keep a few Ameraucana's around.

~K

 

[bowmanpoultry]

recently ordered 25 whiting true blue chicks to receive feb 3. I was worried about how blue the eggs would really be and how well the chickens would produce. I call one of Tom Whiting's companies and reached his receptionist. I told him I was interested in speaking with Dr Whiting and he said he woul put a note on his desk. Around 8:00pm Mr Whiting called me and we discussed the chickens he developed to lay blue eggs. He assured me of egg color and production. I asked him if they would make a good addition to my free range flock and he said no. Apparently the birds are a crossbreed of some leghorn and something else I wish we could have went into more detail but he surely wouldn't have said. He said the birds are really flightly and would not do well to be free range.

 

[keesmom]

I asked him if they would make a good addition to my free range flock and he said no. Apparently the birds are a crossbreed of some leghorn and something else I wish we could have went into more detail but he surely wouldn't have said. He said the birds are really flightly and would not do well to be free range.

That doesn't make any sense. The flighty Mediterranean breeds, Leghorns included, don't like confinement at all. They are very active and make excellent free rangers.

 

[shortgrass]

That doesn't make any sense. The flighty Mediterranean breeds, Leghorns included, don't like confinement at all. They are very active and make excellent free rangers.

Actually, it makes perfect sense, and is a great little tidbit to know... I don't want birds that dint know how to go coop up to lay or roost, and I don't like when they are dumb to predators.

I was looking at thses because I'm breeding Andalusian, Ancona, Hamburg, and Buttercup in an attempt to increase egg size from my free rangers. These gals looked like they would fit the bill, but after the experience of Anconas versus the Hamburgs and Buttercups, I don't want any more Anconas but I would take 1000 more Hamburgs

Now I'm not so sure I want these if they are an "in the middle" free range. That pretty much means I'll be hunting for hidden eggs, not be able to keep them in if I want, or missing birds because of lack of predatory elusion.

Hmmm, maybe just 4 lol

 

[enola]

If they used the Cream legbar, that could explain the single comb.

 

[MeepBeep]

If they used the Cream legbar, that could explain the single comb.

I personally doubt they used Cream Legbars as the US Cream Legbar stock has a very pale blue/green egg color and if the goal was a true blue egg color that would be the wrong direction...

Not saying Whiting couldn't have crossed some CL into the mix recently but that would have diluted the egg color so I doubt it...

The Arkansas Blues apparently got the blue egg gene from Araucana and the egg production from a commercial line of leghorns...

It appears that there were/are Arkansas Blues with single combs already, so culling alone could produce a single combed fork line, but the picture on McMurray's site sort of lend to possible pea combs anyway regardless of the fact they said they were single comb...

Just a wild guess but Whiting might have crossed back in some more leghorn or possibly another more upright standing breed, and possibly more Araucana to get a more blue egg if it was diluted... Of course that is all speculation... One thing to note it appears from the Arkansas Blue thread that some of Whiting's birds hatch with the 'wild pattern' aka chipmunk pattern while the Arkansas blued don't, so this would suggest he added something that produced that pattern, not that, that is much of a clue...

 

[enola]

You are correct when you say Cream Legbars lay a green tinted egg. I have three of them and their eggs are definitely green with a tint of blue.

I ordered a dozen Arkansas Blue eggs and was extremely disappointed in their shell color. Their shells were also definitely more green than blue.

 

[bowmanpoultry]

if they are flighty and like to range do yall think a 10 x 5 coop and a 20 x 20 run will be big enough for 20 hens?