Current Status: Complete, In Final Revisions with IBCC Standards Committee
Iowa Blue Standard
The Iowa Blue was developed in the early 1900's near Decorah, Iowa. Little is known about its origins, but a folk legend tells the story of a white Plymouth Rock hen emerging from under a building with a clutch of chicks colored solid chestnut to striped. Old-timers tell the tale that the chicks were sired by a pheasant. The breed was carried by several Iowa hatcheries through the 1960s, but was nearly lost when the hatcheries went out of business. The breed was rescued from a few remaining flocks and has been bred and preserved through the efforts of a few breeders since the late 1980s. The Iowa Blue grew in popularity in 2011 with a group of dedicated breeders working to preserve and return the breed to its original type and purpose.
With its plucky attitude and proud carriage, the Iowa Blue is a dual-purpose homesteader chicken, known to be an excellent forager. Hens will go broody, exhibiting good maternal characteristics. Males are noted to be excellent flock guardians and are talented hawk fighters. They are vigorous breeders and are early to mature. Though very aware of their surroundings in a free-range situation, the breed is fairly docile and not particularly flighty. ECONOMIC QUALITIES
A dual purpose fowl and active free range forager. Color of skin, yellow; color of egg shells, lightly tinted brown.
STANDARD WEIGHTS
Cock – 7 Pounds Hen –6 Pounds
Cockerel – 6 Pounds Pullet – 5 Pounds
DISQUALIFICATIONS
(See General Disqualifications and Cutting for Defects in SOP)
Shape MALES COMB: Single; bright red, medium to large, tight to the head, thick at base, with six well defined, evenly spaced points, those in the front and rear slightly shorter than those in the middle, blade not conforming too closely to the shape of the head. BEAK: Dark horn shading to yellow at point, moderate in length, slightly curved FACE: Bright red, clean-cut, skin fine and soft in texture, clean face around eyes and cheeks EYES: Large, round, and prominent; dark brown WATTLES: Bright red, medium to moderately large. EAR LOBES: Bright red, medium. HEAD: Medium in size, rather deep, neatly curved. NECK: Moderately long, mild arch, forward and erect carriage Hackle – Abundant, flowing well over shoulders BACK: Medium length, strong, broad, and level, blending well into the tail. TAIL: Medium length, full, carried at an angle of eighty degrees (80˚) above horizontal. Main Tail – moderately long, broad and overlapping Sickles – moderate in length Lesser Sickles and Coverts – moderate, abundant, extending onto main tail WINGS: Medium in length, folded loosely with primaries overlapped but visible, carried close to the body under the saddle. BREAST: Strong, moderately deep, and well-rounded. BODY AND FLUFF: Body – full, rectangular in shape, moderately deep. Fluff – moderately full. LEGS AND TOES: Legs set well apart, straight when viewed from the front. Lower Thighs – large, medium length, well feathered, smooth. Shanks –medium in length, smooth. Toes – four on each foot, medium length, straight, well-spread. | Shape FEMALES COMB: Single; bright red, medium to large, tight to the head, thick at base, with six well defined, evenly spaced points, those in the front and rear slightly shorter than those in the middle, blade not conforming too closely to the shape of the head. BEAK: Dark horn shading to yellow at point, moderate in length, slightly curved FACE: Bright red, clean-cut, skin fine and soft in texture, clean face around eyes and cheeks EYES: Large, round, and prominent; dark brown WATTLES: Bright red, medium. EAR LOBES: Bright red, medium. HEAD: Medium in size. NECK: Moderately long, mild arch, forward and erect carriage, blending well into shoulder BACK: Medium length, strong, broad, and level, blending well into the tail. TAIL: Moderately long, dense, carried high at an angle of 80* above horizontal. WINGS: Medium in length, folded loosely with primaries overlapped but visible, carried close to the body. BREAST: Strong, moderately deep, and well-rounded. BODY AND FLUFF: Body – full, rectangular in shape, moderately deep. Fluff – moderately full. LEGS AND TOES: Legs set well apart, straight when viewed from the front. Lower Thighs – large, medium length, well feathered, smooth. Shanks –medium in length, smooth. Toes – four on each foot, medium length, straight, well-spread. | |
Silver Penciled Coloration MALES | Silver Penciled Coloration FEMALES | |
HEAD: Silvery White. NECK: Hackle – web of feather, lustrous black with wide lacing of silvery white; shafts black. Front of neck – black. BACK: Back including saddle – web of feather, lustrous black with heavy lacing of silvery white, shafting of silvery white permissible. Silvery white predominating on surface of upper back; saddle matching with hackle in color. TAIL: Main Tail – web, black. Main and Lesser Sickles – lustrous black with bluish sheen. Coverts: lustrous black with bluish sheen, laced with white. WINGS: Fronts – black Bows – silvery white. Coverts: lustrous black with bluish sheen, forming a distinct wing bar of this color across entire wing when folded. Silvery white markings permissible. Primaries – black with narrow edging of white on lower edge of lower webs. Secondaries – lower webs, black with lower half white to a point near end of feathers, terminating abruptly leaving ends of feathers black; upper webs, black; the secondaries when folded forming a triangular white wing bay between the wing bar and tips of secondary feathers. BREAST: Lustrous black with bluish sheen, laced with white. White shafting permissible. BODY AND FLUFF: Body – black with white lacing. Fluff – black, slight tinge of gray permissible. LEGS AND TOES: Thighs – black with slight to medium silver lacing. Shanks and Toes – dark willow. UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate shading lighter towards base of feathers. | HEAD: Silvery white. NECK: Hackle – black, slightly penciled with gray, heavily laced in white. Front of neck - penciled blending into breast. BACK: Gray penciling, becoming more stippled toward the tail, giving an overall blue gray appearance. TAIL: Main Tail - top feathering showing penciling to stippling in the upper web, lower web black, remainder of tail black. Coverts - gray with soft penciling to stippling. WINGS: Fronts, Bows, and Coverts – gray with black penciling Primaries – black with soft gray penciling, stippled on lower webs Secondaries – lower webs gray with diagonal black penciling, upper webs black, stippling toward the end. BREAST: Silver gray with distinct black penciling. BODY AND FLUFF: Body – gray with black penciling, becoming stippled toward the tail, giving an overall blue gray appearance. Fluff – blue gray, penciled with dull black fading toward tail. LEGS AND TOES: Thighs – gray with black penciling. Shanks and Toes – dark willow. UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Medium slate. | |
Birchen Coloration MALES | Birchen Coloration FEMALES | |
HEAD: Plumage, White. NECK: Hackle – black with heavy white lacing giving an overall white appearance to the hackle. Front of neck – black with white lacing. BACK: White. Saddle – black with heavy white lacing matching the hackles in pattern. Shafting permitted. TAIL: Main Tail – web, black. Main and Lesser Sickles – Lustrous black with a bluish sheen. Coverts – Black. WINGS: Glossy black with bluish luster. Shoulders and Fronts - black. Bows - white. Coverts, Primaries, and Secondaries - black. BREAST: Upper breast – black with heavy lacing of white. Lower breast – black with white lacing. BODY AND FLUFF: Body – black. Fluff – black, slight tinge of gray permissible. LEGS AND TOES: Lower thighs – black. Shanks and Toes – dark willow. UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate. | HEAD: Plumage, White. NECK: Hackle – black with heavy white lacing. Front of Neck – black with white lacing. BACK: Black. TAIL: Black. WINGS: Black. BREAST: Black with white lacing extending to the lower breast. BODY AND FLUFF: Body – black. Fluff – black, slight tinge of gray permissible. LEGS AND TOES: Lower thighs – black. Shanks and Toes – dark willow. UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate. |
