Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[karimw]

Nice Connie! Love the Iowacanas!

 

[Hurley]

Hatch update, got at least 7 of the little cheepers out in there, 2 SP, 2 birchens, and the rest I can't tell, they're too far back in the rack. The other rack isn't visible to the window, so we wait til tomorrow to see what's hatched! Excited for the (at least) 2 SPs for sure. Looks like the hatcher's maidan voyage is going to be a success.

 

[WVDan44]

Connie, Kari - very very fabulous birds. Can't wait to see them finish out.

Question to all: has anyone taken either birchen or sp IBs to black australorp (the tighter feathered production type) or Langshan to reinforce the leg/shank coloration? Just curious if this would be too far off the mark, and what other ways it would affect the offspring. To what extent would pattern be inhibited in first generation, then subsequent matings back to IB?

 

[karimw]

Quote:
We're not pushing for dark leg color really, willow is OK. I think Langshan would introduce a lot of things we don't want such as body type, big fluffy body, feathered legs and reduced pattern on the birds. I have crossed to black Ameraucanas to Birchen Iowa Blues and the color is pretty much wiped out except on the hackle and saddle in the male. The F2s show a returned pattern when crossed back to Iowa Blues. When an SP rooster is used, the pattern is there, but they definately don't look like Iowa Blues.

 

[Hurley]

I snatched out these chicks from the hatcher, 9 birchen, 8 silver penciled so far from Kari's eggs. 7 eggs still in there, a couple pipped and active, so I quick closed the hatcher to let the rest of them go on to hatch if able. Love that incubator, right back up to humidity and temp almost instantly. If not another one hatches, I'll still be tickled with the hatch. Whoopie! 8 more SPs to grow up and some more birchens with some different genes to cross in to my birchens.

Looks like the new hatcher and incubator are going to be just what I needed.

 

[karimw]

Awesome, Connie! They look great!

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Connie! That is very exciting. Thanks for sharing the pics with us. They look quite good.

 

[Hurley]

2 more out this am.

 

[WVDan44]

My six week old IB chick is trying to crow! Isn't it a bit early to see this behavior? The rest of them are peeping, he's trying to crow. Doesn't make sense.

 

[Hurley]

LOL! I had a literally 1 day old chick crowing in the last batch. Bizarre noise to be sure.

IBs are very early maturing in the cockerels, I've found. Wouldn't surprise me in the least.