@TwistedTayy, something to consider - I raised Silverudd's Blue for a few years and encountered a strange phenomenon where occasionally a chick would hatch, seemingly healthy, then die within a few days. It happened almost exclusively with blue chicks (and once with a splash). In researching it, I discovered threads posted by fellow SB raisers discussing susceptibility to E. Coli infection in the breed, and the possibility that it was a genetic predisposition. I know yours are older, but I still think it's worth putting out there.
After reading about this issue, I treated the last blue chick I hatched that began to seem "off" with some oral antibiotics...that chick survived and grew into a healthy adult. There's also a BYC thread that touches on the topic, see post #544 (but it goes back further). BTW, I ate the flock's eggs with regularity and without any ill effects.
Though I appreciated the beauty of the eggs and the birds, I ultimately decided to focus on other breeds, primarily because there seemed to be numerous issues with the breed, spanning temperament, health, egg color, and recessive feather colors (like white) that kept popping up. Fr. Silverudd didn't get to finish his deveopment of the breed, and, at least to me, it feels unfinished.
After reading about this issue, I treated the last blue chick I hatched that began to seem "off" with some oral antibiotics...that chick survived and grew into a healthy adult. There's also a BYC thread that touches on the topic, see post #544 (but it goes back further). BTW, I ate the flock's eggs with regularity and without any ill effects.
Though I appreciated the beauty of the eggs and the birds, I ultimately decided to focus on other breeds, primarily because there seemed to be numerous issues with the breed, spanning temperament, health, egg color, and recessive feather colors (like white) that kept popping up. Fr. Silverudd didn't get to finish his deveopment of the breed, and, at least to me, it feels unfinished.
