True Blue Whiting info please?

[JRNash]

That's the same conclusion I came too

 

[JRNash]

I bet the birds from Dr Whiting have nothing in common with the hatchery stock

 

[exoticpoultry]

I beg to differ on it being a pathetic attempt without investing any money in decent breeding stock, quite the opposite IMO as some very experienced individuals have contributed to the development...

These are a Paul Whiting fork off of the University of Arkansas Blue layer, this is not some all the sudden MMM project... Paul has been selling these locally from his farm for years, MMM is simply a national distributor now... The initial goal with this project was to produce a high laying volume blue egg layer by mixing in commercial leghorns and what Paul has done beyond that with his fork off is anyone's guess... The University of Arkansas is well versed in chicken breeding and genetics and Paul is also well versed in breeding and chicken genetics, after all his company is one of the premier suppliers of feathers to the fly tying industry...

Sure the are not for everyone and many will just dismiss them as just another Easter Egger as you did, but that doesn't mean for one second that I placed my order out of desperation for another blue laying chicken breed as you claim... It's not like they are being sold for some huge premium over everyday generic Easter Eggers, and it's clear they are uniquely different then your run of the mill hatchery Easter Egger... For me personally I'm intrigued by the fact that have commercial leghorn mixed in and that should provide a high volume and decent sized blue egg, something that can't be said for many hatchery Easter Eggers or other blue layers...

As I stated earlier I to don't like the body shape and stance but if they have good egg genetics to build upon I will enjoy using them in my own blue and olive egg breeding projects based on those egg genetics...

let me clarify something his name is Tom Whiting of Whiting farms and he created the strain whiting blue. Now mcmurry has had his permission to sell his line and the also call it whiting blues. And Dr Kieth Bramwell of UA is a close friend of mr whiting so he shared breeding stock for the university. Dr Bramwell crossed the strain up more and he calls his line the Arkansas blue so not to be confused with its original strain the whiting blue. Mr whiting is a close friend of mine and I have this strain and he has bred for egg pigmentation not so much feather color so you don't know what you will get color wise. I stand by mr Whiting as well as Whiting farms and highly recommend all of his colored egg layers. Sorry I just want to make the facts known so we can all go to bed tonight with at least one new thing learned.

 

[AmandaMBG]

I have not seen a single person on this thread that had purchased WTB from McMurray that has had consistent blue (instead almost white blue with some green) layers. I'm pretty sure that this thread has been consistently about the Whiting True Blue from MM. I at least comprehend that the Arkansas Blues are an altogether different bird as they even breed true to blue, black and splash from what I've seen. I was unaware that Dr. Whiting was still involved at all in the breeding project of WTB as I thought he sold his flock to MM.

let me clarify something his name is Tom Whiting of Whiting farms and he created the strain whiting blue. Now mcmurry has had his permission to sell his line and the also call it whiting blues. And Dr Kieth Bramwell of UA is a close friend of mr whiting so he shared breeding stock for the university. Dr Bramwell crossed the strain up more and he calls his line the Arkansas blue so not to be confused with its original strain the whiting blue. Mr whiting is a close friend of mine and I have this strain and he has bred for egg pigmentation not so much feather color so you don't know what you will get color wise. I stand by mr Whiting as well as Whiting farms and highly recommend all of his colored egg layers. Sorry I just want to make the facts known so we can all go to bed tonight with at least one new thing learned.

 

[JRNash]

I have not seen a single person on this thread that had purchased WTB from McMurray that has had consistent blue (instead almost white blue with some green) layers. I'm pretty sure that this thread has been consistently about the Whiting True Blue from MM. I at least comprehend that the Arkansas Blues are an altogether different bird as they even breed true to blue, black and splash from what I've seen. I was unaware that Dr. Whiting was still involved at all in the breeding project of WTB as I thought he sold his flock to MM.

I believe he still sells local.

 

[exoticpoultry]

I do not believe he sold his entire flock as I just received breeding stock a month ago. I do believe he sold a large amount but not the whole line to McMurray. And Dr Bramwell also got breeding stock from him as well as I mentioned Mr Whiting bred for egg production and pigment and Dr Bramwell has added new lines and breeds to (the original Tom Whiting line) create his own line and has bred them for a predictable outcome which can be done over time. I just want all to know the true origins of the Arkansas blue so we can then better understand genetics of these lines. And Whiting blue and Arkansas blue are named for egg color not feather color.

 

[JRNash]

I've read that entire thread as well as everything I could find online

 

[JRNash]

It's a very interesting read. When dealing with a hatchery you can't expect to get exactly what you see in the picture.I've had reservations about some of the birds I've bought from MM. I've contacted them a couple times about different issues I've had with their birds. I STILL use MM. I believe their whiting stock has been polluted with brown eggers .

 

[exoticpoultry]

That is most likely true. Maybe the were trying to darken them but actually it would make them green because that calcium of a blue egg is blue but the calcium of a brown egg layer is white coated with the hens brown ink. So the true color of a green egg is blue it just has the brown coating that makes it green.

 

[JRNash]

Standards will always slip when you try to mass produce anything.