Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[karimw]

I'm planning to donate chicks to a motivated 4-H group in Illinois who want to raise them as a project.

 

[karimw]

I dropped a note into this thread a few weeks ago trying to find a home for three IB chicks that were included with my order from Sand Hill. I never found a taker and now I'm quite taken with them for their personality. I've decided to grow them out, and see what happens. I think all three are female. These girls are always underfoot and run to the fence when I pass by. I've never made any attempt to tame them down but yesterday I offered some scratch in my hand, and they didn't hesitate. Is this typical? I keep reading how the breed is a little flighty but these are some of the most confident chicks I've owned. I tried to take a picture, but of course they wanted to stand between my feet.
Birchen?

Charcoal or Silver?

Can click on photos to enlarge.

The one on the left is a Dorking.
These chicks are 10 weeks old now.
Happy New Year.

I can't tell too much from these picks because you really need a side view to get the best idea of color pattern. They are definitely all based on birchen, but you may have a couple with the charcoal pattern, especially the middle one.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

I can't tell too much from these picks because you really need a side view to get the best idea of color pattern. They are definitely all based on birchen, but you may have a couple with the charcoal pattern, especially the middle one.

I'll enlist my wife's help later today and get some good photos. I'm just curious. Thanks.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

These are a little washed out due to bright sun.


Chicken #1 My favorite and the friendliest; cocoa with slight mottling around the face as a chick. Smaller than the other two.





Chicken #2 A cocoa colored chick without much mottling as a chick, like chicken #1, but darker now.



Chicken #3 Black with yellow/white belly as a chick. Sometimes I think this one could be a male; hard to say on breeds with which one is not familiar. Has some of the blue iridescence at times.

 

[Sclark73]

I just acquired a small breeding flock of Iowa Blues and wanted to learn more about them. After research I believe mine are Birchen? Any info, suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated. TYIA

 

[karimw]

I just acquired a small breeding flock of Iowa Blues and wanted to learn more about them. After research I believe mine are Birchen? Any info, suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated. TYIA

Hi, SClark, They do appear to be similar to my foundation flock from Ideal and Privett hatcheries. Chicks are born black with or without white/yellow markings on the throat and wing tips. Genetically they are Birchen(ER) based with black modifiers. It looks like you have some gold to breed out, but I don't see any Autosomal Red in the pictures. For Iowa Blues this is an unfortunate side effect of an early attempt to save the breed. I was able to pull the genes out of my hatchery birds in subsequent generations and get closer to the color they are supposed to be. Later I obtained birds from Sandhill's line to improve my line.
There is some argument that birchens are now a part of the Iowa Blue Heritage, which in some ways I support. I will argue their personality is what makes them special and the birchens are what grabbed me in the first place! Still, if you breed to the traditional type that was described in the research, the color of the hen appears blue from a distance.

Here is an early example of what I got when I crossed my birchens.
Now I'm here:



It will be fun to see what you get when you hatch some eggs!

 

[karimw]

These are a little washed out due to bright sun.


Chicken #1 My favorite and the friendliest; cocoa with slight mottling around the face as a chick. Smaller than the other two.





Chicken #2 A cocoa colored chick without much mottling as a chick, like chicken #1, but darker now.



Chicken #3 Black with yellow/white belly as a chick. Sometimes I think this one could be a male; hard to say on breeds with which one is not familiar. Has some of the blue iridescence at times.

#1, Charcoal pullet
#2, Charcoal cockerel
#3, black cockerel. Not sure what else to call this one, I have hatched a couple like this myself. He will end up looking like a hen feathered birchen; black with a silver or gold around his neck and on his saddle and wings. Likely birchen without the pattern gene or autosomal barring?

 

[Sclark73]

Hi, SClark, They do appear to be similar to my foundation flock from Ideal and Privett hatcheries. Chicks are born black with or without white/yellow markings on the throat and wing tips. Genetically they are Birchen(ER) based with black modifiers. It looks like you have some gold to breed out, but I don't see any Autosomal Red in the pictures. For Iowa Blues this is an unfortunate side effect of an early attempt to save the breed. I was able to pull the genes out of my hatchery birds in subsequent generations and get closer to the color they are supposed to be. Later I obtained birds from Sandhill's line to improve my line.
There is some argument that birchens are now a part of the Iowa Blue Heritage, which in some ways I support. I will argue their personality is what makes them special and the birchens are what grabbed me in the first place! Still, if you breed to the traditional type that was described in the research, the color of the hen appears blue from a distance.

Here is an early example of what I got when I crossed my birchens.
Now I'm here:



It will be fun to see what you get when you hatch some eggs!

Thanks for taking the time to reply. The person I bought them from ordered them from Welp Hatchery, I had never heard of them until now. I know they aren't great, but it's what I have to work with at the moment. They've been laying since I got them here which is more than I can say for my other breeds right now. I currently have 4 eggs, fertile in the bator so will wait and see what happens. I'll surely post photos when the times comes and throughout their growth. Yours are beautiful!

 

[Dirt Farmer]

#1, Charcoal pullet
#2, Charcoal cockerel
#3, black cockerel. Not sure what else to call this one, I have hatched a couple like this myself. He will end up looking like a hen feathered birchen; black with a silver or gold around his neck and on his saddle and wings. Likely birchen without the pattern gene or autosomal barring?

Thank you for taking a look. If #2 and #3 are both males that would explain why #1 is noticeably smaller. I'm glad I have a pair. Will be tempted to mate #1 and #2. Thanks again,

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

These are a little washed out due to bright sun.


Chicken #1 My favorite and the friendliest; cocoa with slight mottling around the face as a chick. Smaller than the other two.





Chicken #2 A cocoa colored chick without much mottling as a chick, like chicken #1, but darker now.



Chicken #3 Black with yellow/white belly as a chick. Sometimes I think this one could be a male; hard to say on breeds with which one is not familiar. Has some of the blue iridescence at times.

I agree with Kari, first two are charcoals the last one appears to be a very dark Birchen. I have seen a few birds that I believe are based on E instead of Er and if this were the case, they would come out looking like your #3 bird. This one also appears to be a male from the pics. Personally, I would shy away from using him in your breeding pens. I was out to Glenn's place this past summer and noticed that his breeding pens are currently filled with Charcoal colored hens and cockbirds. He had lost his Silvers, however it may still be lingering around. I did send some silver chicks to Glenn as well as a breeding group of Silvers. He has those separate from his Charcoal pen and currently has three breeding pens of Iowas. The Charcoal pen, the Silver pen, and a pen mixing some of the offspring from both pens. So, I assume in the future others will be getting some of all the pens when they order chicks are are given extras.

I do really like the look of the pullet in pic 1. I hope you stick with them as they are a very fascinating breed with distinctive personalities as you've already noticed.