Arkansas Blue egg layers

[1muttsfan]

Nice looking pullet. My hatch was split between blue and splash, hope soon I will be able to start sorting out boys and girls. I REALLY hope to get one nice cockerel out of the eggs from Metella, but will likely keep 3 or 4 roos until they are fully grown, and maybe for the winter. It makes me nervous to have only one rooster, and since the extra would have to be separated into the little coop, keeping several gives me options in the spring, and allows them to have company and extra birds for warmth.

 

[Manningjw]

Nice looking pullet. My hatch was split between blue and splash, hope soon I will be able to start sorting out boys and girls. I REALLY hope to get one nice cockerel out of the eggs from Metella, but will likely keep 3 or 4 roos until they are fully grown, and maybe for the winter. It makes me nervous to have only one rooster, and since the extra would have to be separated into the little coop, keeping several gives me options in the spring, and allows them to have company and extra birds for warmth.

Unfortunately, the 1 rooster alone is enough to worry me with regard to being reported

. I'd keep another if I could but they changed the chicken/rooster laws in my city a couple of months after I bought my home and there is no reference to being grandfathered into the old ordinance.

One unhappy neighbor I fear is enough to end my ability to continue my hobby.

 

[ronott1]

My first test hatch I got 5 black pullets, 2 blue cockerels (one being blue barred from my project hen).

This hatch I think it was a pretty even split between black and blues but I deliberately only kept the blues. The blacks are absolutely beautiful birds though. The 5 pullets from my first test hatch have the perfect coloration for me. Black without leakage and great sheen in the sun, pure black shanks and contrast with the white earlobes. I love the look.

They are hard to photograph! Always blurry because of how fast and skittish they are .

To keep the blue looking good, you need to breed to black every couple of generations. The blue will fade if you do not.

Unfortunately, the 1 rooster alone is enough to worry me with regard to being reported

. I'd keep another if I could but they changed the chicken/rooster laws in my city a couple of months after I bought my home and there is no reference to being grandfathered into the old ordinance.

One unhappy neighbor I fear is enough to end my ability to continue my hobby.

I am with you!

I had to get rid of all of my roosters last year.

 

[Metella]

At least in my State - being grandfathered in doesn't have to be stated - it just IS unless a STATE level law for public safety rules on an issue ....

Both my grey/splash roos didn't show their full coloring until well into their 1st full year - just so you know if you are looking to keep due to color - you just may have to keep them through the winter to decide which you like best ....

Ah, so I really do need a black hen and roo to add to my breeding rotation soon ... GREAT ! it just never ends ... ha ha I guess I'll just have to take a trip to FL and MI to make sure I get some very diverse genes in my blacks ... he he

 

[1muttsfan]

To keep the blue looking good, you need to breed to black every couple of generations. The blue will fade if you do not.

Same with splash, crossing them together fades the color out.

 

[Metella]

Same with splash, crossing them together fades the color out.

The grey or the flecks of splash in the white or grey base ?

 

[1muttsfan]

Fewer splahes and those faded in color

 

[Metella]

Gottcha as far as that goes - so -

Say I want to infuse more splashes into my birds - will a black help that ?

 

[Manningjw]

To keep the blue looking good, you need to breed to black every couple of generations. The blue will fade if you do not.

I am with you!

I had to get rid of all of my roosters last year.

I never understood this. Is it because you cannot select for the best black birds because you cannot see what the black looks like? The gene itself is just a diluting gene and it should change genetically by breeding them together other than it would mask the underlying quality/color of the black it is diluting.

 

[1muttsfan]

That is a good question. But I know that people who have bred blue birds for a long time say that the lighter colors fade if you don't breed back to a darker colored bird