Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[enggass]

Why is there so little info on this breed and so few breeders - it seems this way anyway... Do you think we will see more people begin to breed these beautiful birds?

 

[Hurley]

Well, from what I've been able to find out, the breed was propagated by a few hatcheries in eastern Iowa, but when those hatcheries went under the breed nearly died out. Sandhill preservation managed to obtain some birds and has been keeping the strain alive. There doesn't seem to have been anyone interested in really promoting the breed up until now other than Sandhill, so I think a few were brought in to flocks here and there, but that was about it. Since they aren't APA or ABA recognized and no "official standard", they've kind of flown under the radar for the most part.

However, in this past year several people have been working to obtain flocks of Iowa Blues to help preserve this breed and so it seems the breed is getting somewhat of a new birth. We're in the stages of just finding out what is "typical" of the breed and what we want to breed towards. Just getting photos and information out there is the first step in drumming up interest in the breed (and therefore drumming up diversification in the gene pool and preservation of the breed).

I have been wanting to get into Iowa Blues for quite some time and am personally delighted to have found a handful of others that feel the same way.

 

[Jake Levi]

I also am interested in seeing them get re-established, we need breeders, big time.

THose folks here, are you having any broodies raise any of their own? It would be good if we could locate some folks who have eggs to sell.

I am hoping to see a lot more Iowa Blues get established this year.

 

[Hurley]

I don't have any yet, but am hoping to get a flock established this year and start producing chicks and eggs to distribute next season. I just picked up a cabinet style incubator (especially since I lost a fair number of eggs this last hatch due to temp fluctuation in the *rassa fricka* stryrofoam incubator. That will hopefully allow me to get some decent hatches. I've also started the process of getting the whole flock NPIP certified for shipping. Got the premises and ID number, got certified to do NPIP/AI testing, and am ordering the supplies to test everything on the place out once my chicks from karimw hit 4 months of age.

Got a broodie/brooder hutch build, just need to install the light sockets for heating and the latches and should be good to go. It's got 2 x 4 foot cages, the bottom two for broodies to brood, the top one will be rigged for chick rearing. Since Iowa Blues are supposed to be good mothers, I am looking forward to letting them hatch some clutches.

Hope to see a lot more people getting into the breed as well!



Question for others who have gotten eggs / chicks, are you seeing predominantly the black version of the chicks or are you seeing chipmunks as well? Just curious. The ones from karimw were all black. The ones from Sandhill were of two color sets in the chicks, some black, some cocoa brown/chipmunk patterned.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

I'm hatching some out for myself and they are mostly black, like Kari's. But ours come from the same lines. I'm willing to share. I just sold a dozen eggs to Black Cochin Bantams (Craig) here on BYC yesterday. So I think he's joining in the project. He's very knowledgeable with breeding as he's been raising quality show birds for years. I have eggs to sell for $10 per dozen plus $15 shipping.

 

[Jake Levi]

Flashpoint I may well be interested in a dozen in July, late in the season but am moving shortly and busy and have a couple S&R seminars we are going to in May and June.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

Sounds good, Jake. I can ship or you can pick up here at the farm.

 

[schroeder vanhorner]

Quote:
hurley
it looks like of my 10 .......6 are "chippyish" and 4 are black the chicks
they all looked the same to me when they were just down
now they are starting to get feathers and things are changing except for the one smaller very black one
schroeder

 

[Hurley]

When I received my box of chicks from Sandhill, the chicks already had wing feathers coming in. The chipmunk ones were a deep cocoa brown, the black ones were black with white highlights. The black ones now have just a hint of brown on the black feathers. The chipmunks are quite colorful in the wings thus far. Curious to see what they mature out as.

FlashPoint, I'm looking to try out a new incubator, so may hit you up for a couple dozen eggs. Got Aussie nationals coming up in 3 weeks, so can't do it now, unfortunately.

 

[schroeder vanhorner]

hurley
my chicks hatched 22 april weekend and not all of them have wing feathers yet
i want black chickens not brown
might they evolve to black as they mature ?????
i plan on caponizing the brown roos
with the help of my friend who is also a vet
even though he has never done it before
me either
schroeder