Blue chickens thread

[lildinkem]

I like the Blue Cuckoo/barred look too.

 

[DMRippy]

I have missed this blue thread... so let me start it off in the format.

I have a request or question. I have some blue barred rock pullets and they don't have much barring mostly in the hackles. Is that normal with blues? Is there something in the blues that stops the barring? Most roos I have seen only have the barring in the hackles and saddle feathers. I have ONE little roo that has the barring on his breast but it is very faint.

Would love to see some blue barred pullets/hens.... PLEASE??????

 

[Illia]

Go back to the first three pages, I think I posted a blue cuckoo Araucana hen or two. She's light though.

If the barring fades or is pretty poor looking, it isn't the blue to blame, it is the barring quality. Take for example that rooster there shown - He's likely from barred x non-barred x non-barred again, making his breast much less barred than his hackle and saddle. If you get nice crisp slow growth barring like in true heritage Rocks though, you'll see a nice definite blue barred bird instead of a blue cuckoo.

The trick is to continuously breed blues or splashes back to a well barred bird, and avoid any males with breasts that appear to have little or no barring as well as ones that look more laced than barred.

 

[DMRippy]

Go back to the first three pages, I think I posted a blue cuckoo Araucana hen or two. She's light though.

If the barring fades or is pretty poor looking, it isn't the blue to blame, it is the barring quality. Take for example that rooster there shown - He's likely from barred x non-barred x non-barred again, making his breast much less barred than his hackle and saddle. If you get nice crisp slow growth barring like in true heritage Rocks though, you'll see a nice definite blue barred bird instead of a blue cuckoo.

The trick is to continuously breed blues or splashes back to a well barred bird, and avoid any males with breasts that appear to have little or no barring as well as ones that look more laced than barred.

You are the BEST! Thanks. I have the poorly blue barred pullets in with a Nicely barred BR so maybe the next gen will improve.

I don't think I will keep any of the roos for a couple of generations. Till I know the barring looks like barring.

 

[Illia]

Oh yeah, and breeding blue x black will help keep darker shades of blue to avoid too light of blue that causes the barring to not be seen as well. After a while though it's always best to get another blue or splash in there just to lighten it back up, as the further you breed in black the darker the blue gets.

 

[DMRippy]

Oh yeah, and breeding blue x black will help keep darker shades of blue to avoid too light of blue that causes the barring to not be seen as well. After a while though it's always best to get another blue or splash in there just to lighten it back up, as the further you breed in black the darker the blue gets.

 

[tigercreek]

How about this guy?? He is mine, but not my breeding. I have a splash cockerel in the breeding pen now with some Good Shepherd pullets to make blue sex-links. They should be very well marked. ..........stan

 

[DMRippy]

How about this guy?? He is mine, but not my breeding. I have a splash cockerel in the breeding pen now with some Good Shepherd pullets to make blue sex-links. They should be very well marked. ..........stan

He looks like my little blue roo. I think you will get better boys if you use a barred roo with barred pullets. I am thinking it may take a couple of generations to get the barring right. MOST of the barred blue roos I have seen have been the product of sexlink breeding and those roos don't have two copies of the barring like they should for breeding.

I can't wait to get a pretty barred roo that I can use for breeding. They are just so pretty.

 

[yoie]

Here is my blue boy Krull, not bad looking for a packing peanut!

 

[jeremy]

One of my Blue English girls, I think she's lovely.