Blue Egg Layers from University of Arkansas

[Penny Hen]

Absolutely

I am in denial because I really want to get chickens form him!

He has many great breeds, is an amazing breeder of poultry--to get the feathers for his fly tying business. Paul has connections with most of the Major Poultry programs in the US. He has visited with the poultry folks here and UC Davis too.

If I was closer to him I would be getting his Green layers too.

Ron I have a daughter who lives in Denver and another who lives in LA. Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to make a Chicken Run for you!

 

[ronott1]

Ron I have a daughter who lives in Denver and another who lives in LA. Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to make a Chicken Run for you!

That would be great!

 

[Penny Hen]

Clearly I didn't read far enough to find that info.... I just read the part about BREEDING TRUE.... then someone CLARIFIED that to be TRUE like a reg BLUE.

They may have been referencing the Dark Blue discussion going on the Sumatra thread right now. There seems to be a non-standard blue effect happening in some lines that have been bred Blue to Blue for a long while. The result is a Navy colored bird with irridecent lacing. You think you are looking at black until the sun hits them or they stand next to a true black. Now they are still working out what is going on but these don't look like the normal blues or blacks that I have seen other breeds have. Maybe it is some Bekisar genes since the Sumatras are so much closer to them than most other breeds.

And I don't mean that these Blue to Blue matings of these birds don't throw Splashes it is just that the blue has darkened to nearly black and stays there even though no black birds are being bred into the line.



Here is one of the pictures of these dark blues Sumatras.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Jahdan's incubator went out. Its a Genesis and it spiked at 107 full of Arkansas Blue eggs. We now have 18 in a friends incubator and Jahdan is buying a new incubator next month. So we have been "sharing" a few more eggs.

Ours laid right thru the winter. X-large light blue eggs. Ours nearly eat out of our hands. Though more flighty than our Orpingtons, they are still rather gentle. That may be because Jahdan (12) was their sole caretaker for nearly a year while I recovered from the Renal Cell cancer surgery. Jahdan would sleep with the chickens if we let him!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

He has a website--but he only sells local pickup.

Colorado is too far away.

Absolutely

I am in denial because I really want to get chickens form him!

He has many great breeds, is an amazing breeder of poultry--to get the feathers for his fly tying business. Paul has connections with most of the Major Poultry programs in the US. He has visited with the poultry folks here and UC Davis too.

If I was closer to him I would be getting his Green layers too.

I talked to Paul Whiting on the phone and he had his blue egg layers at the UofA and worked with them there. They may not be the same as ours but they may have been used to make them.

The point is kind of moot since Whiting is a fly tying company not a poultry business. You have to go to his place and pick them up. It is too far for me to drive there.

 

[ronott1]

Are you heading that way!

That would be amazing!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Are you heading that way!

That would be amazing!

I wish. I lived in Colorado a year wish I still did lol

 

[johnderosa1]

Are you heading that way!

That would be amazing!

Where is he located in Colorado? If he is close to Denver and he sells hatching eggs i could ask a business colleague that lives in that area to bring some next time she travels to the home office.... Its a long shot but possible . Just a thought.

 

[DCchicken]

Where is he located in Colorado? If he is close to Denver and he sells hatching eggs i could ask a business colleague that lives in that area to bring some next time she travels to the home office.... Its a long shot but possible . Just a thought.

He is on the Western slope, south of Grand Junction. So it is a long trip through the mountains that could take 5-8 hours depending upon snow and road conditions. I lived in Colorado for 15 years and traveled that way to my parents house in Durango. It is a full day trip, and that is if the passes are open. Several times I would get half-way there and the passes would be closed.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

It should be noted that the UofA strain of Blue egg layers we have are not the same as what Whiting is now selling. Whiting's site states some of his chicks hatch with the chipmunk color pattern. None of the offspring from the UofA flock hatches with this pattern. They hatch with the standard blue/black/splash coloring.

So we will continue to call ours Arkansas Blues and to work on improving their color while keeping their egg production a priority.

We are seeing something unusual - mottling. We have a black hen that hatched from UofA eggs. When she molted last fall she came back in as a mottled. I am wondering if anyone else has seen this in their UofA Blues?

On another note.... the egg color is still a lovely shade of light blue and these are our best layers!