I think some of these are from me and some from a super nice guy named Kyle. He got birds from me last year and tried a hatch or two, then bought some chicks from me on April 23. I hope you like them!
Iowa Blue Chickens - Understanding The Traditional Type
- Thread starter IowaBlueCurt
- Start date
I love the chicks already! They are starting to get the white manes and penciled feathers, although a friend did comment they look more like cute vultures at this awkward point!
You can kind of start to tell them apart at this age. The cockerels definitely look pretty ragged with a more checkered pattern. The pullets will be neater looking with full wings and a more regular pattern.
Yeah. As soon as they started getting longer tail feathers and wing feathers, I had a pretty good idea of the pullets and cockerels. Also, the suspected pullets are much flightier than the males. The cockerels just sit on my hand and look around. The pullets just start screaming the moment you reach in. Always makes me feel bad when im changing the feed and water, but....
Don't worry, they out grow that. Then you have to worry about stepping on them when you try to walk through the pen.
The Iowa Blue is this weeks featured breed on BYC's new Chicken Breed Focus project, they are interested in hearing from any owners or breeders etc about their experiences with the breed. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/986073/chicken-breed-focus-iowa-blue/0_20
I thought I would share this front photo of JB as an example of how far apart the legs are in this breed 
Fivewire Farm Iowa breeding progess:
Update on our interesting chick down colors and how they are progressing: First, a picture of the four Jamaica line cockerels (Johnston and Burroughs line) and the silver cockerel we hatched a week before the others were born. The white cockerel on right had typical silver chipmunk chick down.
Next we have a picture of the two Iowa chicks hatched end of February
one on left now:
One on the right now:
Both of these chicks appear to be cockerels. I do see some blue hues in the feathers of the brown chick which is nice. The brown chick at birth had chestnut and some slight darker brown markings on it, not super obvious. The lighter chick seems more on the smokey variety.
Any input from the genetics people out there?
Also, I like a lot of things about my overly white silver cockerel EXCEPT the white on the ear lobes. Some people would say not to breed with him, should I not?
@IowaBlueCurt
@Wappoke
Update on our interesting chick down colors and how they are progressing: First, a picture of the four Jamaica line cockerels (Johnston and Burroughs line) and the silver cockerel we hatched a week before the others were born. The white cockerel on right had typical silver chipmunk chick down.
Next we have a picture of the two Iowa chicks hatched end of February
one on left now:
One on the right now:
Both of these chicks appear to be cockerels. I do see some blue hues in the feathers of the brown chick which is nice. The brown chick at birth had chestnut and some slight darker brown markings on it, not super obvious. The lighter chick seems more on the smokey variety.
Any input from the genetics people out there?
Also, I like a lot of things about my overly white silver cockerel EXCEPT the white on the ear lobes. Some people would say not to breed with him, should I not?
@IowaBlueCurt
@Wappoke
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If you have a better choice of course avoid it, but personally I usually have bigger faults to eliminate than bad combs or off color eyes, earlobes or legs. Not my first choice for the show ring of course, but in truth, my highest priority in selection is improved production. I try to do both when I can, but I had yet to be lucky on all counts.Fivewire Farm Iowa breeding progess:
Update on our interesting chick down colors and how they are progressing: First, a picture of the four Jamaica line cockerels (Johnston and Burroughs line) and the silver cockerel we hatched a week before the others were born. The white cockerel on right had typical silver chipmunk chick down.
Next we have a picture of the two Iowa chicks hatched end of February
one on left now:
One on the right now:
Both of these chicks appear to be cockerels. I do see some blue hues in the feathers of the brown chick which is nice. The brown chick at birth had chestnut and some slight darker brown markings on it, not super obvious. The lighter chick seems more on the smokey variety.
Any input from the genetics people out there?
Also, I like a lot of things about my overly white silver cockerel EXCEPT the white on the ear lobes. Some people would say not to breed with him, should I not?
@IowaBlueCurt
@Wappoke
Interesting note on the white rooster. My "ultra white" roosters are Smokey based.
I have hatched some cinnamon colored chicks that grow up with a more columbian look.
My typical smokies look like this, variations of stripes and color shade. These from Cadillac over silver hens.
The silvers from this hatch:
I found another variation crossing Cadi's, son Highlander (Silver) over Smokey hens:
I classify these as Smokey, because of the e+ black stripe through the eye. Honestly now, have you seen anything that looks more like a chipmunk?
Love this breed, despite/because of all the surprises!
Our cinnamon colored chick is feathering out nicely, but I agree it appears more smokey. The brown one is feathering out good so far. It seems most of my chicks start out dark, then get whiter as they feather. My smokies look like your first picture. Very yellow and have black "egyptian" eyelinerI have hatched some cinnamon colored chicks that grow up with a more columbian look.
The silvers from this hatch:
I found another variation crossing Cadi's, son Highlander (Silver) over Smokey hens:
I classify these as Smokey, because of the e+ black stripe through the eye. Honestly now, have you seen anything that looks more like a chipmunk?
Love this breed, despite/because of all the surprises!
. We got another interesting color in the most recent hatch. Chestnut in the body, but more beige solid head. One other we had like that was a pullet and she feathered very much like a charcoal. We, for fun and giggles, have the white silver over our darker (not quite birchen) hens...we will hatch some to see what happens. We have our charcoal guy over the Jamaica silvers, Brownie and our own silver girl right now.
After we hatch a few of both of those pens, then we are going to put the best Jamaica silver boy we have over the silver girls and our beautiful Brownie! She is continuing feathering out light for a charcoal and so pretty! nice large eyes, nicer comb...body style is wonderful. And she is a real sweetheart too!. She LOVES hanging around JB (her daddy). We will definitely hatch some of their eggs to see what happens!
Brownie:
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