Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[WVDan44]

Connie, Curt, et al

this is all good stuff, thanks for the updates. I check the website often and seldom see any activity on their either. looks like that will change with time.

wvdan

 

[Candy442]

In a foretaste of what's to come, the club will be setting up a Promotion Committee that will handle all things related to promoting the breed and organizing club booths at shows. I think merchandising is a great idea! You should consider joining that committee when it is rolled out Candy.

FYI- Anyone interested in getting active with one of the committees will be required to be an active member of the club.

Thanks Curt for the vote of confidence on the promotions committee. That is something Brett and I could possibly look into without being experts on the breed

. Our IaB cockerel is being a yard terror! he actually abandons his coop girls to woo the other coop girls He is particularly enamored with my white Chantecler! He is hounding her relentlessly...sigh. When the treats come out, he makes sure he eats as much as he can get and chases the others away. Not sure this IaB cockerel would be standing up to any threats at this age...he is too much into his own needs and really being a nuisance. We will see what happens in the spring, but if he keeps on going the way he is going, this one will be ready for freezer camp soon.

WVDan, how many IaB's do you have in your flock? Do you have other breeds? Are your IaB cockerels or roosters well mannered? Anyone else care to comment on the behavior of this cockerel we have? Normal? cull out?

 

[karimw]

Hi everyone, it's been a while since I had any time to "play". The past few weeks have been crazy. My classes are coming up on finals, we processed 25 muscovies, 15 turkeys and 20 chickens, hosted 30+ people for Thanksgiving and still managed to bathe birds for the show.

By the time I got to the show I was ready to relax and have a good time. And it WAS a good time! We had a great meeting and saw some beautiful birds. I was just tickled to see the excitement from the little girls that Eric's and Connie's birds in the raffle and we were able to help out a fellow enthusiast who just lost nearly all his Iowa Blues to dogs. Unfortunately I was the only one able to bring IaBs to exhibit, but they were pretty nice representations and I got several positive comments on them.

I now have my breeding pens set up and will start collecting and hatching in the next couple of weeks. My count right now is 32 Silver females from 2 months to 2 years, and I don't know how many males. Enough I'd say

And yes, Candy, they can be pesky when they are young. Don't give up on him yet by any means!

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Ah, Iowa Blue cockerels! They go through this adolescent stage where they think they are the "King of the Mountain". Right now your probably at a disadvantage Candy because you don't have an older Iowa Blue cockbird to keep him in line. My advice, be patient with him, he'll grow out of this "need" for excessive female companionship. Once he's grown, he'll become more gentlemanly with the ladies and next year when you have young cockerels growing up, he'll keep them all in line as he won't tolerate them acting like he did when he was young! hahaha

 

[Candy442]

And yes, Candy, they can be pesky when they are young. Don't give up on him yet by any means!

Sounds like a great time Kari, and thanks for helping me tolerate this young guy. I do have to say when he sees me, he runs for the hills so to speak, but as soon as I am a good amount of distance away he is running after anything that is pecking at the ground

Ah, Iowa Blue cockerels! They go through this adolescent stage where they think they are the "King of the Mountain". Right now your probably at a disadvantage Candy because you don't have an older Iowa Blue cockbird to keep him in line. My advice, be patient with him, he'll grow out of this "need" for excessive female companionship. Once he's grown, he'll become more gentlemanly with the ladies and next year when you have young cockerels growing up, he'll keep them all in line as he won't tolerate them acting like he did when he was young! hahaha

I have a wonderful EE rooster that is very sweet and he only runs after Gandalf when Gandalf starts to hound his two EE girls! otherwise, Twotone doesn't care that Gandalf wants the 3 RSLs, the Ameracauna, or my beautiful (used to be pure white

) Chantecler!
I hope you are right and when he gets old he will show the other young males to behave because I am not sure I will be able to watch the girls get overly abused by more than just one

of him. He will get a chance to prove himself.

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Another thing that is very interesting about Iowa Blues. I have never had an Iowa Blue pullet or hen that has tolerated the behavior of the cockerels. The hens of other breeds, hunker down and allow themselves to be abused, but not the IB hens. No way, they'll chase the cockerels around and let them have it for even thinking of making an attempt on them! haha The IB hens will also keep those cockerels in place.

 

[Candy442]

Another thing that is very interesting about Iowa Blues. I have never had an Iowa Blue pullet or hen that has tolerated the behavior of the cockerels. The hens of other breeds, hunker down and allow themselves to be abused, but not the IB hens. No way, they'll chase the cockerels around and let them have it for even thinking of making an attempt on them! haha The IB hens will also keep those cockerels in place.

LOL...well that is true! that is probably why he seems to care less about the three IaB pullets we have. They give him the business, but he really is rough with the other girls. He has a bad habit of grabbing them by the neck feathers and pulling them around that way. I have two Birchens and one SP Hen. He even gets chased away by the Delaware.

the other coop is used to a very docile, sweet rooster and it is obvious they are not happy. But, as you say they can stand up to him if they want to!

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Connie;
Please let me know how the cockerel does in MI. Hope he's got his winter coat on today. -23 here today with w/c! Brrr!

 

[Candy442]

Connie;
Please let me know how the cockerel does in MI. Hope he's got his winter coat on today. -23 here today with w/c! Brrr!

Well it was in the low to mid 40's in Mid Michigan. I know the central and northern US has a cold area now that will be sitting there for awhile. We will have our share of Canadian Expresses that come swooping down soon but weather in the low to mid twenties is due the end of this week.

Our Michigan cockerel should stay pretty warm as much as he is running after 11 pullets all day while out free ranging...that plus hogging all the grain scratch should add to his warmth...

that is durn cold Eric! yuk...

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Connie;
Please let me know how the cockerel does in MI. Hope he's got his winter coat on today. -23 here today with w/c! Brrr!

Sorry for the error, Connie lives in the Great State of WI not MI. Had a brain fart.
On cold days we plan what breeds we might be interested in the upcoming year. We have a 4-H poultry workshop/sales event coming up February 1st and I will be preparing a couple of hatches. Tuned on the bator again yesterday after a month reprieve. Getting some nice dark eggs from our bantam Maran. Love to see those before they pale down as time goes by.