Iowa Blue Chickens!

[draye]

I know where there are some 1/2 Iowa Blue hens and they inheireted the birchen neck, I believe they are out of Black Minorca hens.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

I'm not a genetics expert, but that may be a great cross to try to get some size into the breed. I do have a young cockerel that is purebred that has great size right now. I'm pretty excited about him, his color is only birchen though. He's a keeper! He's almost twice the size of the roosters I have!

 

[LiLRedCV]

Here's one of my more penciled Iowa Blue hens that I'm planning to breed. (photo taken 10/13/2011)

... and here's my Iowa Blue roo (photo taken 10/13/2011)

 

[FlashPointFarm]

Nice!

 

[draye]

Quote:
My Iowa Blue rooster looks like yours, but his half breed daughters wo not have that much birchen in their necks.
IB is going to go in the stew pot though, his girls are laid out and I have nothing to put him with.

 

[LiLRedCV]

Stopped by the feed store today to pick up some more organic chicken feed for my flock. Asked them if they knew where they ordered the Iowa Blues from this past spring/summer. Apparently it was Privett Hatchery (http://www.privetthatchery.com/Home/prdDetails.aspx?id=IBS). I'd never heard of this hatchery before and whenever I've done a Google search of IB's to buy, it's never popped up on the list, but their site indicates they do sell them.

Will contact Privett to see if they'll tell me exactly where they acquire them from. Will keep you posted! Anyway, it'll be nice to know that if I order from some more from another source, I should be ok with genetics... at least I'm hoping so!

 

[Jake Levi]

So how did the season end up numbers wise ?

How many purebreds and how many project birds?

I was going to get some this spring but then began to plan to movfe to E Wa, which I have done, and hoping to get a few IBs in the spring, possibly from Sand Hill.

 

[Jake Levi]

A follow up: no one has any ideas on numbers going into fall for the for the IB?

How many purebreds is my main question. If there really are this many crossing I am very concerned for the future of the breed other then as mutts.

 

[mrheinz77]

The reason for the crossing is that a preservationist crossed their Iowa Blues in the not so distant past to increase vigor resulting in mossiness. This color leakage is not that easy to get out of a line. Since (as I understand it) this preservationist had the main lines and most everybody (I don't know if it is everybody or not so I am stating most) has Iowa Blues from this line. The Iowa Blue should have a nice crisp silver color penciling and for the cock bird, hackles and saddles. Most of what we see are brassy colors. Some are looking at crossing these birds with others that have the Silver gene (Silver Penciled Rocks, Silver Sussex, ...)to try and get the color and size back to what it should be. By careful culling, within 5-10 years of selective line breeding, one should be able to produce an Iowa Blue that is correct in color and size.

I got one pullet from a set of ebay eggs that has nice silver coloring. She is about 16 weeks old as are two other pullets that I have but they have the mossiness.

So, Iowa Blue breeding stock that I have include:
1 Iowa Blue Cock
6 Iowa Blue Hens
3 14-16 week old Iowa Blue Pullets (1 of which is not related to my other Iowa Blue birds for at least 2 generations)
3 Iowa Blue chicks hatched 10/15/2011
More eggs in the incubator due to hatch anywhere from today through November 6, 2011. I have been swapping and selling my Iowa Blue eggs trying to increase interest in them and when I do not have orders, I set what I have left. I am hoping for at least one cockerel from these recent chicks that will be able to go in with his mother and aunts and I would like to put my cock bird in with my pullets. My hens and 2 of my pullets have a lot more mossiness than my cock bird. and the one pullet. I am planning to use an A-E pen type of line breeding on all of my birds. With my Iowa Blue I may alter this some as to work on the color. The chicks that hatched Oct 15 are the first Iowa Blue chicks that I know are pure from my flock. I may have some others, but they were running in my laying flock while I constructed their breeding pen and I hatched these eggs to try and build a larger laying clock as well as take the chance that I would get some pure Iowa Blues.

The following is a quote from Sandhill

The breed was in desperate need of new blood and I have been working for the past few years to introduce new blood. There is still a slight possibility of an off-type bird.​

 

[FlashPointFarm]

I have some from Privett. Personally, I like Sand Hill's stock better.


Quote: