Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[karimw]

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The ones I gave you were from Illinois. They were originally from Ideal and they are the same age as some of our original flock. I think as a group they are better than the ones I started with. Too many black hens in that bunch.

I know the sun will cause white to turn yellow, so it looks like your roo molted and came back nice and clean. That's a good sign! I was watching my flock yesterday and can really tell the difference in the gold/silver pullets. I know I should weed them out, but if I did that I would only have 5 "good" hens

I guess I'll make sure to put only silver roos with them and cull harder on that next time. I'm just greatful the hens have any color at all this time around.

 

[karimw]

Quote:
I got my Icelandic eggs from Priscilla Meinholz in WI. Cute little chicks!

 

[Jake Levi]

Good morning Kari

Where did Priscilla get hers from?

I am debating on getting an order of chicks from Sandhill and Ideal, or Privett, not sure between the last two yet, plenty of time to decide.

 

[karimw]

Quote:
I believe she said from Lyle Behl. Seems like a lot of folks got their starts from there.
http://www.woolfarm.com/icelandicchickenspage.htm

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Just an FYI...
Last year when I was searching sources for Iowa Blues, another breeder/hatchery did return my call however she was out of them at the time.
Sarah Hayes at xtreme gamebirds in Texas. I believe thats correct. She was very pleasent to talk with. If you are considering injecting some new blood into the project you might want to give her a call and ask her if she will tell you if she supplies stock for other hatcheries, and which ones.

 

[Jake Levi]

I'll see if I can google them,

Lyle has nice birds, mine trace back to Sigrids, those are the two importers, Sigrid got hers several years before Lyle. Beautiful birds from both, and both have theirs from the Ag School that basically saved the breed.

I am hoping that this coming year is a major boost for the Iowa Blue.

 

[Jake Levi]

There is a very interesting discussion going on with the Buckeye thread concerning setting type and color, with two of the best show winners advocating the roo to set color and the hen to set type, this is what I learned with my RC RIDs, it works,

thats why I said not to fret a hen being off color, concentrate on her type, and let the roo set the colors, it works. Check the thread out.

 

[karimw]

Quote:
I did look her up, there aren't any on her web page at least

 

[karimw]

There was a bit of a mishap yesterday. The wind was so bad it pulled the hook out of the barn wall and blew the pop door closed locking 5 IaB pullets out in the rain. When I got home they were huddled up against the leeward side of a board I was using to block a corner in the chainlink fence. The poor girls were soggy and cold and very happy to get in, but none the worse for it. Tough little freeranges they are!

 

[Jake Levi]

I am glad that they are alright, every IB is precious right now.

There was a cross messaging earlier, when I mentioned that I was considering buying chicks this spring I meant Iowa Blues, I wont buy any Icelandics from a hatchery and pray none will be selling them, I am getting 3 more Icelandics in several weeks from Mary O'Brian in California, they have the feathered legs and shanks I have been looking for. I want to find out if it is a survival trait for up here or not. Ironically they will be too young to be outside this winter so I am going to have 3 'house chickens' in a cage next to the puter table to watch .