Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Iowa blues are really hard to find round' here. Do some hatcheries have them?

 

[karimw]

I recommend Sandhill Preservation if you are going the hatchery route. Ideal, Privett and Welp sell chicks, but those birds won't be anything like the pictures you see on here. You can also check out the Iowa Blue Chicken Club website in my signature and contact the breeders listed.

 

[karimw]

Quote:
Sweet! Already? It seems like just last week you picked them up.

 

[Hurley]

Work is killing me, haven't been around much.

Just wanted to report 2 more silvers and 4 more birchens from Kari's eggs plus a bunch of my own birchens to raise up and select. I've got a trio of birchens from NYD of mine that are much prettier than my parent stock, so delighted to see that improvement. These will be moving forward, for sure, for the birchen line. I want to cross them on Kari's to diversify some genetics and keep selecting from there.

Kari, I owe you eggs, but the ones you wanted have stopped the second I said I'd send you some, so waiting for them to resume or else I'll send you cash or eggs of your choice.

My trio of Silvers are getting closer, looking more and more like big birds. Can't wait!


Have also got some Silver Sussex chicks growing up, can't wait to see how they mature.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I recommend Sandhill Preservation if you are going the hatchery route. Ideal, Privett and Welp sell chicks, but those birds won't be anything like the pictures you see on here. You can also check out the Iowa Blue Chicken Club website in my signature and contact the breeders listed.

Okay thanks

 

[mrheinz77]

Mr. Heinz,
are you experimenting with any outcrosses at this time?  I'm always curious to see what different crosses are being made and how it will benefit the breed.  I've read on this thread of several different combinations being tried.

I have not crossed. I was thinking about using a Silver Sussex if I Haddon one that looked correct. I don't have one so I will not be crossing anytime soon.

To WWDan and Mr. Heinz:  This breed was almost lost.  It's just recovering.  I hope everyone will let them repopulate from the existing individuals without trying to rush the process by crossing with other breeds.  Just my opinion of course.  Do what anyone wants with their own stock..Good luck and best wishes either way.

If I did cross, it would be for one generation. It would be carefully calculated as well. One of the problems we are facing is because of an incorrect cross by a huge hatchery. This is simply my opinion and not that of IBCC.

 

[mrheinz77]

I just noticed two or three of my birchen hens have a few SP marked feathers. One has a few in her tail and another has some in the saddle area. Anybody have thoughts on this?

 

[Jake Levi]

It would be interesting to see a flock of Birchens beside a flock of SPs, and watch them develop.

But, I cant this year. I am looking forward to eggs from Kari of the SPs and will go from them. Its a given for me that I will give preference to the SPs, and use only an SP rooster.

Maybe next year I will be able to keep a small number of Birchens, separate , from the SPs.

Just reading the thread here for the past months I believe that we now know a LOT more of the inheritance factors of the IBs then we did even a year ago.

The breed is in much better shape now then ever before. Thanks to all of you.

 

[karimw]

Quote:
Birchen birds are not necesarily black. If they don't have sufficient melanizer genes to make the bird solid black the brown will show through. You will see this in other breeds as well.

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Would a single dose of the eb cause this lack of melanization? Could it be that hens exhibiting silver feathers, or a brown leakage have a single dose of the Pg gene as well?

It would be interesting to put those hens on a silver male and see if you hatch out some silver penciled offspring. Maybe they are indicators of a hen hidding the genes for the silver penciled pattern...........