Arkansas Blue egg layers

[Metella]

ha ha can't believe I am actually for a roo ... but does anyone have an AK Blue roo of any coloring ? I am in the Northeast area ....

I guess I can wait for spring hatches to see ...

 

[caj1985]

Metella, I wish I was closer. I have several cockerels that would be perfect for breeding. I have splash and blue. These are great roosters. They are very good with the hens (no bare backs or heads even in pens with only 2 to 1 ratio) and none of mine have been the slightest people aggressive. They are however very bird aggressive and will not tolerate other males. They will even spar through a fence.

 

[johnderosa1]

ha ha  can't believe I am actually for a roo ... but does anyone have an AK Blue roo of any coloring ?   I am in the Northeast area ....

I guess I can wait for spring hatches to see ...   

Not sure where you are but I am in NJ and could be willing to part with one of mine...

 

[Metella]

I'm in Vermont so wayyyy far ...

I do get to the Boston area once in a while ....

We need an underground Roo Railroad ! ha ha

I was standing next to a produce dump a friend brought to my place ... mixed flock getting into it ... when AK hen stood and pecked at seeds on my muckers ... it was very nice - as my AK hens walk along with me sometimes but never just stand so I can really get a good look at them ! What a treat for me while the flock was getting its own treat.

Fly ? Yes, my AK hens just fly over the electro-netting !

So I can never keep them safe if I know I am away unless I keep them cooped up! Usually I end up sending a roo out to help them alert ... and often I turn out the whole flock earlier than I would like .. just so the birds I want most don't get eaten ! Sheesh.

 

[johnderosa1]

Metella, I wish I was closer.  I have several cockerels that would be perfect for breeding.  I have splash and blue.  These are great roosters.  They are very good with the hens (no bare backs or heads even in pens with only 2 to 1 ratio) and none of mine have been the slightest people aggressive.  They are however very bird aggressive and will not tolerate other males.  They will even spar through a fence. 

Interesting... My rooster is not only great with me( no aggression what so ever) but i needed to make some room in my breeding pen earlier this summer and put him in with 3 lavender ameraucana cockerels and 1 BCM cockerel all 4-5 months old... The BCM challenged him and lost a rather mild skirmish and other that a few squabbles everyone once in a while they seem to get along just fine . I was really surprised but it sure made my life easier having them together

 

[caj1985]

Interesting... My rooster is not only great with me( no aggression what so ever) but i needed to make some room in my breeding pen earlier this summer and put him in with 3 lavender ameraucana cockerels and 1 BCM cockerel all 4-5 months old... The BCM challenged him and lost a rather mild skirmish and other that a few squabbles everyone once in a while they seem to get along just fine . I was really surprised but it sure made my life easier having them together

They are fine as long as they are in an all male group. They just do not give up if they are in a mixed flock. Mine that are in my cockerel pen just ignore the other breeds when they start chest bumping, but the ones with hens do not give up. Even if they are overpowered by one of my heavier males, the next time out it is game on again.

 

[1muttsfan]

ha ha  can't believe I am actually for a roo ...

That brought a smile to my face!

 

[Metella]

That brought a smile to my face!

yeah - and I was typing so fast with my head shaking I wrote it wrong ...

that should have been looking for a roo - but you all seemed to catch on to THAT ! ha ha

 

[Manningjw]

This sounds like a great idea. It will get the, whatever amount, different blue egg shell gene and the eggs should get bigger. CLs are a bit larger as a breed too.

They would really be super blue egg layers.

They should have the exact same gene that produces the blue egg shell actually. According to genetic testing all chickens with the blue egg shell gene with the exception of a single Chinese breed have the same gene produced by an ERV.

What i do like about a CL cross is more genetic diversity and producing sex linked chicks. A splash Arkansas Blue cockerel over CL hens would produce some nice blue barred roosters and blue non-barred hens. The number of eggs per year from the CL doesn't seem to quite measure up to what people have posted of their Arkansas Blues though.

 

[ronott1]

Great to see the thread re-started here. I currently have 2 pairs... A splash rooster(very tame) blue hen (very flighty) a blue cockerel and a splash pullet. I also have a black pullet cross with an ameraucana (not sure how that happened...had switched them out 2 weeks before collecting eggs). The only issue i have with mine is that they are so small.... Almost bantam size. The hen does lay a large egg though.

I just weighed this one:


She weighs 3.69 pounds. Bantams stop at around 2 pounds and Large fowl are 3 pounds and up. She laid her first egg today! It weighs 48 Grams already. It is a very nice first egg.



She is at Point of Lay, about 20 weeks old. She will continue to grow and will likely be over 4 and a half pounds.

The Arkansas blues have tight feathers that are close to the skin. They are not as small as they look. A lot of other breeds have loose fluffy feathers so they look a lot bigger but are not really.

It is like a cornish. It can seem small but pick it up and it is much heavier than you think.