Whiting True Blues

[Kung_pao]

This spring I finally decided to get chickens again after years of not having any. I researched and the first chickens I decided I wanted unfortunately seem to no longer exist. So the research began again and I finally found whiting true blues! They were were colorful, and prolific and they laid blue eggs! So I set out to find a breeder or hatchery that sold chicks. I lucked out and got an order in early with a small hatchery. Unfortunately they cancelled and Murray McMurray was sold out for the year. Then I received a message on here from a nice woman who put me in touch with a breeder a few hours away! I set up a date to go pick up a dozen eggs, she also threw in two English Orpington eggs. Fast forward three weeks and 11 chicks hatched, ten Whitings and one fat Orpington chick. The color variety is probably my favorite part. Hatching chicks is always fun but not knowing what will pop out just adds to it.
I really want to hear from others who have raised them, tell us your experiences and share your photos.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I've got three Whiting True Blue hens. One I was hoping was a rooster but turned out to be a hen like the other two, except she was maturing faster. My favorite WTB, Sarah, is one of the best yet strangest hens I've ever owned. She'll jump up into my lap and won't move as long as I'm petting her. She'll even fall asleep there if I allow her to stay! It's the strangest thing to me. Chickens typically don't want to be touched, but Sarah acts like she's not getting petted and looks like she enjoys it!

On my other two, there's Marvalo III and Beatrix. Marvalo is so tiny. She's the smallest hen in my flock. She's extremely flighty too. She's been able to fly from the ground to the roof of the coop. For her small size and flightiness, from my experience, chickens of that combination isn't typically skittish and impossible to be near. Marvalo messes up that theory. Though she's not as friendly as Sarah, she'll come right up to me, jump up on my lap or arm, or just scratch me with her beak looking for treats. Again, another friendly hen.

My last WTB is Beatrix. Beatrix was originally Marvalo's twin (by looks, not hatch). As the trio grew, Beatrix grew much bigger than the other two so I thought she was a rooster. Her comb also reddened out, adding to that thought. I renamed her Bobby and shewed her away from me because if she was a rooster, I didn't want her turning mean on me. When she grew past the stage that roosters start growing hackles and all of that, I discovered that she was indeed, a pullet. I switched her name back and spent time with her again. At that age, it was too late to train on friendliness, but to my surprise, she does come around. She's not as friendly as my other two WTBs, but for no time being spent on her for as friendly as she is, I see it as pretty good.

On the WTBs, I refer to them as EEs, but better. When I see people considering EEs, I recommend the WTBs because of them being better. They'll guarantee a blue egg and be so much easier to people train and are almost naturally friendly. EEs, on the other hand, sometimes are still skittish even with working with them since chicks.

My Sarah:

Beatrix:

I don't have a picture of Marvalo on this device. But I did of the other two. Hope you enjoyed!

 

[Kung_pao]

Beautiful birds! Thank you for your reply

 

[Kung_pao]

I will say these are definitely some lively chicks. At only 3-4 days old they are zooming around everywhere, jumping over their feeders and flapping their nubby little wings. Several are getting wing feathers.

 

[ChickNanny13]

WTG are "boring" in coloring but I prefer their laying ability & egg size to the WTB. Disappointed the "blue" egg isn't as blue as I expected, more a baby blue and when the bloom is thick, it gets bluer in shade

 

[Kung_pao]

The whiting true blue eggs I hatched were large-extra large. Hopefully these birds lay similar eggs. Most were long eggs though, you know the ones where the carton won’t close but they still flop around in the carton lol. I was pleased with the color of the eggs. They were a light blue.

 

[Kung_pao]

The blue didn’t photograph very well. Just a light sky blue. Here is one of the better shaped eggs

 

[Kung_pao]

 

[Kung_pao]

I love the colors assortment, I could do with a few less white ones though lol.

 

[ChickNanny13]

They may end up a "splash" coloring