Whiting True Blue Breeding - What to look for?

[rmanney]

Hi friends!

I am new to WTBs and I'd love to offer hatching eggs as well as chicks from my flock. I'm wondering what to look for in my birds/eggs/roosters to produce the best offspring. I have two roosters (one gray, and one multicolored) and 6 hens. Since they are all so very colorful, I don't know what is most desirable in this breed. Do I choose egg color over physical traits?

I also have other hens (cuckoo Marans, Australorps, Whiting True Greens, Leg Bars, and a random Buttercup). My thought is I will put the best rooster with the WTBs, and the other with these hens to produce various blue and olive eggs.

I also have a silver laced wyandotte rooster that is currently penned away from the hens. He's a beautiful big roo, but I was thinking about getting rid of him since we do free range some and he's aggressive towards my kids. Would he be better to put with my assorted hens?

Thank you guys so much for your help! I'll post some pictures this afternoon of my birds.

 

[Iluveggers]

Hi friends!

I am new to WTBs and I'd love to offer hatching eggs as well as chicks from my flock. I'm wondering what to look for in my birds/eggs/roosters to produce the best offspring. I have two roosters (one gray, and one multicolored) and 6 hens. Since they are all so very colorful, I don't know what is most desirable in this breed. Do I choose egg color over physical traits?

I also have other hens (cuckoo Marans, Australorps, Whiting True Greens, Leg Bars, and a random Buttercup). My thought is I will put the best rooster with the WTBs, and the other with these hens to produce various blue and olive eggs.

I also have a silver laced wyandotte rooster that is currently penned away from the hens. He's a beautiful big roo, but I was thinking about getting rid of him since we do free range some and he's aggressive towards my kids. Would he be better to put with my assorted hens?

Thank you guys so much for your help! I'll post some pictures this afternoon of my birds.

I would breed for egg color with the WTB. Coloring will be a variety and I think people would want the brightest blues anyways.

Personally I would get rid of the Wyandotte roo, mainly because of the agression, but also egg genetics. If you put the other WTB rooster with the mixed group, those would all be considered Easter Eggers. Adding the Wyandotte in there would give you some brown eggs and you would have to call them Barnyard Mix since the chance of colored eggs would go down with him.

 

[PeepingK]

Hi friends!

I am new to WTBs and I'd love to offer hatching eggs as well as chicks from my flock. I'm wondering what to look for in my birds/eggs/roosters to produce the best offspring. I have two roosters (one gray, and one multicolored) and 6 hens. Since they are all so very colorful, I don't know what is most desirable in this breed. Do I choose egg color over physical traits?

I also have other hens (cuckoo Marans, Australorps, Whiting True Greens, Leg Bars, and a random Buttercup). My thought is I will put the best rooster with the WTBs, and the other with these hens to produce various blue and olive eggs.

I also have a silver laced wyandotte rooster that is currently penned away from the hens. He's a beautiful big roo, but I was thinking about getting rid of him since we do free range some and he's aggressive towards my kids. Would he be better to put with my assorted hens?

Thank you guys so much for your help! I'll post some pictures this afternoon of my birds.

Egg colour for sure! The deeper the blue the better! I personally love the variety of different colours that WTBs come in

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't think that the WTBs have a breed standard, but, IIRC, their defining characteristics are really blue blue eggs of large size and high production capability. So, IMO, judging by the eggs would be best.

(And I'd be interested in some of those hatching eggs when you're ready).

 

[willchickeneat]

WTB are a mix from Ameraucana genetics offered by Murray McMurray Hatchery . Doesn't necessarily breed true regarding plumage color. You technically could pen similar plumage and breed them to a standard color, but it would take time and you have to have the basic understanding of if you breed this color with this color, you get this. To breed true would mean statiscally 50 % is hatching out of what you expect it too. When you just out random colors x color you don't now what you may get = doesn't breed true. In a nutshell, WTB are just Ameraucana (probably easter egger with blue egg genes) crossed with leghorn, then selected overtime for the blue gene. Murray is deceptive at their advertising, calling Araucana - Ameraucanas. Calling Easter Eggers - Ameraucana. etc. At one point they claimed WTB came from Araucana stock. They've changed their description over the years. Their website states they breed true for the blue eggs. Not necessarily for plumage color.

Mypetchicken has a breed they call Super Blue. Same concept.

 

[SourRoses]

It's rather doubtful that Ameracuana were involved, due to a complete absence of dominant traits like beard & muffs.
"Dr." Tom Whiting developed WTB "to show what he could do" (as a breeder).
Same guy who has Whitings Fly Tie company, which bought up almost all the lines of Genetic Hackle fowl over the last 20+ years. To hear his fans tell it, he created Genetic Hackle fowl, but they were developed in the 50's.
Some people get them mixed up all the time, but the blues and GH aren't related. Leghorn was used in WTB though.

At this point the True Blues should absolutely breed true for blue eggs. So that seems like it shouldn't pose any challenge?

In order to breed a better bird without an SOP to guide the decision making... I think the reputable breeders of Mosaics on a FB group I follow set a really good example.

First, they focus on the blue ears which are the hallmark of the breed. (substitute blue eggs)
Next, obvious flaws that would apply to any breed. Pinch tails, squirrel tail, overall size, body balance, etc.

After that comes color. So what do you do when anything goes? In describing the original vision, the creator of the breed said "Anything we thought was beautiful" ... which is like, super helpful for all the breeders who came after.

So, the breeders looked at what the first flocks released to the public had in common, which was the pattern gene, and set out to enhance that trait.


Early color:

Improved color:

So you can see, you don't have to follow a prescribed color to bring out the natural beauty. There's balance in the second bird that isn't there in the first.
I hope this helps somewhat.

 

[willchickeneat]

It's rather doubtful that Ameracuana were involved, due to a complete absence of dominant traits like beard & muffs.
"Dr." Tom Whiting developed WTB "to show what he could do" (as a breeder).
Same guy who has Whitings Fly Tie company, which bought up almost all the lines of Genetic Hackle fowl over the last 20+ years. To hear his fans tell it, he created Genetic Hackle fowl, but they were developed in the 50's.
Some people get them mixed up all the time, but the blues and GH aren't related. Leghorn was used in WTB though.

At this point the True Blues should absolutely breed true for blue eggs. So that seems like it shouldn't pose any challenge?

In order to breed a better bird without an SOP to guide the decision making... I think the reputable breeders of Mosaics on a FB group I follow set a really good example.

First, they focus on the blue ears which are the hallmark of the breed. (substitute blue eggs)
Next, obvious flaws that would apply to any breed. Pinch tails, squirrel tail, overall size, body balance, etc.

After that comes color. So what do you do when anything goes? In describing the original vision, the creator of the breed said "Anything we thought was beautiful" ... which is like, super helpful for all the breeders who came after.

So, the breeders looked at what the first flocks released to the public had in common, which was the pattern gene, and set out to enhance that trait.


Early color:

View attachment 3420236


Improved color:

View attachment 3420239


So you can see, you don't have to follow a prescribed color to bring out the natural beauty. There's balance in the second bird that isn't there in the first.
I hope this helps somewhat.

Have you seen WTB stock lately . Some have muffs and/or beards. Murray McMurray are professionals at walking the gray line. Like their Ameraucanas they sell. They know it's Easter Eggers, but will falsely advertise them.

 

[willchickeneat]

It's rather doubtful that Ameracuana were involved, due to a complete absence of dominant traits like beard & muffs.
"Dr." Tom Whiting developed WTB "to show what he could do" (as a breeder).
Same guy who has Whitings Fly Tie company, which bought up almost all the lines of Genetic Hackle fowl over the last 20+ years. To hear his fans tell it, he created Genetic Hackle fowl, but they were developed in the 50's.
Some people get them mixed up all the time, but the blues and GH aren't related. Leghorn was used in WTB though.

At this point the True Blues should absolutely breed true for blue eggs. So that seems like it shouldn't pose any challenge?

In order to breed a better bird without an SOP to guide the decision making... I think the reputable breeders of Mosaics on a FB group I follow set a really good example.

First, they focus on the blue ears which are the hallmark of the breed. (substitute blue eggs)
Next, obvious flaws that would apply to any breed. Pinch tails, squirrel tail, overall size, body balance, etc.

After that comes color. So what do you do when anything goes? In describing the original vision, the creator of the breed said "Anything we thought was beautiful" ... which is like, super helpful for all the breeders who came after.

So, the breeders looked at what the first flocks released to the public had in common, which was the pattern gene, and set out to enhance that trait.


Early color:

View attachment 3420236


Improved color:

View attachment 3420239


So you can see, you don't have to follow a prescribed color to bring out the natural beauty. There's balance in the second bird that isn't there in the first.
I hope this helps somewhat.

As you can see in my attachments via Google search of WTB, beards...
Local folks in my area have also shared photos of their WTB, and some have some, some doesn't and some have muffs too with bo beard.

 

[willchickeneat]

It's rather doubtful that Ameracuana were involved, due to a complete absence of dominant traits like beard & muffs.
"Dr." Tom Whiting developed WTB "to show what he could do" (as a breeder).
Same guy who has Whitings Fly Tie company, which bought up almost all the lines of Genetic Hackle fowl over the last 20+ years. To hear his fans tell it, he created Genetic Hackle fowl, but they were developed in the 50's.
Some people get them mixed up all the time, but the blues and GH aren't related. Leghorn was used in WTB though.

At this point the True Blues should absolutely breed true for blue eggs. So that seems like it shouldn't pose any challenge?

In order to breed a better bird without an SOP to guide the decision making... I think the reputable breeders of Mosaics on a FB group I follow set a really good example.

First, they focus on the blue ears which are the hallmark of the breed. (substitute blue eggs)
Next, obvious flaws that would apply to any breed. Pinch tails, squirrel tail, overall size, body balance, etc.

After that comes color. So what do you do when anything goes? In describing the original vision, the creator of the breed said "Anything we thought was beautiful" ... which is like, super helpful for all the breeders who came after.

So, the breeders looked at what the first flocks released to the public had in common, which was the pattern gene, and set out to enhance that trait.


Early color:

View attachment 3420236


Improved color:

View attachment 3420239


So you can see, you don't have to follow a prescribed color to bring out the natural beauty. There's balance in the second bird that isn't there in the first.
I hope this helps somewhat.

Round two. Do a search on FB "Whiting true blue". See what images pop up. See attachments.

Beards? Possible.
Muffs? Possible.
No beards or muffs? Possible.
Ameraucana genetics? Highly likely

 

[SourRoses]

Round two. Do a search on FB "Whiting true blue". See what images pop up. See attachments.

Beards? Possible.
Muffs? Possible.
No beards or muffs? Possible.
Ameraucana genetics? Highly likely

I totally understand your confusion!

Do a search for "Minorca" and you will get some results with White Faced Black Spanish. It happens with all the breeds.
It's really dependent on the person to label things.

It doesn't change the breed or variety characteristics. But it does make things confusing sometimes.