Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[Candy442]

LOL, I bet they are great tasting. Just like the home grown chickens I have sampled. I have not raised any myself yet. I heard cockerels are not the best tasting, although hatcheries sell the cockerel chicks pretty reasonable and I was thinking of getting some of those for freezer meat?

Can you say if the boys and girls differ taste wise?

 

[karimw]

My Iowa Blues get a lot of exercise and are usually pretty lean. They work best in the crock pot. I don't usually butcher the girls, but I don't recall they taste any different.

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Someday, when I grow up, I want a turkey. Have other friends that just love them as pets, big lap dogs.
Can't believe it's warmer outside this early am, 27F! That's a heat-wave!

 

[karimw]

How about a Sweetgrass? Isn't she pretty?

 

[Hurley]

NPIP inspection today, last check box to complete for reupping the NPIP for the year. Yay, now to kick back and enjoy my birds for another year before it's paperwork time again.

First little batch of eggs hatched, 3 very nice big F1 Iowacanas, a silver IB, and a couple IB/EEs.

Getting a kick out of watching the birds today. It's warm out, so they've been outside all day walking back and forth from the coop to the sheltered area under the upper level porch. Single file, like a bunch of pack mules. Hehehe.

Fresh bedding for everyone, separated out all the birchens, keeping only silvers in the main coop along with a lavender ameracauna hen and a F2 IB/Olive egger hen to set eggs from. From here on out, silvers only to be incubated until it thaws and I can break up some more breeding pens. The juveniles are beginning to lay more regularly, can't wait to move them up.

I plan to take all of my birchen pullets (no more birchen cockerels on the farm) that include my pretty birchen (that doesn't carry the eb gene) and a bunch of her daughters that DO carry the eb gene and put them with one of the silver cockerels. Should given me nearly half silvers, pulling that nice body type into the silver line hopefully!

I've still got some cleaning up of the lines to do, need a bunch of grow outs this year to give me some prime picks for next season.

Can't wait til this weather breaks, will have 3 or 4 breeding pens this year and have my three box brooder to grow out the numbers. Woot!

Now...feet of snow...away!

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Kari, looks like quite a flock of turkeys. I'd like to "wade" through them just before thanksgiving! lol

Connie, my NPIP expires in Aug. wish we could get an AI test here in Iowa, I'd like to be labeled AI clean as well, but no one does it that I am aware of. I need to do a massive garage clean up. Have a couple more weekends of swaps and maybe it will warm up by then??

 

[Hurley]

Yeah, WI doesn't do AI, either. It's not been seen here, apparently since like 1968 or something, so they don't test for it.

I looked into AI testing, but you have to do it every 90 days, there are no incentives here to help fund it, and it's just not feasible for me.
I'll just accept that I can't ship to a couple states and go on with life.

 

[WVDan44]

Greetings and Happy Valentines Day! I thought I'd share a few photos of a cockerel that is just about 5 months old. I'm impressed with the lacing on the breast, his overall carriage, and attitude. I would appreciate some critique on this guy if you please..
full lacing on the breast continues down to the legs

Attitude...schmatitude. He goes to charm school soon. Bit a big hole in my hand a few days ago.

Caught him right in the middle of ruffling his feathers

I think he'll finish at around 8 lbs or so.

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Pic of a package of peeps that arrived at our house yesterday form Kari. Have 8 rehomed already (they will pick up as soon as they can).
Was very impressed with the speed at which they got here, and the price! Beats the tar out of USPS!
I forgot how much they eat and drink! Will be taking the rest to a 4-H event/workshop tomorrow to generate some excitement and discuss the breed with the kids.

 

[karimw]

Pic of a package of peeps that arrived at our house yesterday form Kari. Have 8 rehomed already (they will pick up as soon as they can).
Was very impressed with the speed at which they got here, and the price! Beats the tar out of USPS!
I forgot how much they eat and drink! Will be taking the rest to a 4-H event/workshop tomorrow to generate some excitement and discuss the breed with the kids.

They look pretty good! I'm so glad it went well.

I really think they will be nice birds. Nice crisp pattern showing up, good leg color, eye color and size for 2 & 3 week old chicks. I have another 40 eggs in the incubator to fill my brooders up again. I don't expect a great hatch do to the severe cold, but should fill my brooders back up. SO looking forward to the 40 degree weather we are expecting next week. Should be a sloppy mess though.