Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[IowaBlueCurt]

Or maybe that kind of picture and discussion would be better suited for the "breeding" tab on the website? Instead of up front. That could be distracting upon entering the website........

 

[Jake Levi]

!!!!Breaking News !!!! New Treasure Chest Arrives in MI from Iowa !!!!!

Karis' eggs are here, safe in the incubator !!

The mail lady had to blast her horn several times, I was drilling on the new pen to the accompaniement of Isi, Magnus and Del chiming in every time the drill started. Funny.

Anyhow, it looks like a great summer is shaping up.

Curt you have really taken the research to heart ! Go for it.

I am always interested in the weights of your birds.

This fall once the cockerals have some size I am going to weigh all of them and the flock meisters too. And make a record of them. I amnot really all that interested in 8-10 week weights, I am not raising cornish rock, or feeding them, and I think around six mos is about when most homestead flocks are thinned out. So about then, and mature weights are what I want. I will mount a small dog crate on a scale, maybe with towels inside, not sure yet on the configuration, but want to be able to weight 20 or so roosters/cockerals at a weighing. And a hen or two just for curiosity.

Weights are important, but, I note that the Icelandics evolved/developed smaller then our other dual purpose breeds here, but smaller size was a survival factor on Icelandic Homesteads where any livestock feed was at a premium. I suspect that here the breed will get larger in our age of enhanced feeds. Anyhow, any ideas as to how you all weigh yours will be interesting. Before, they are processed.

 

[Hurley]

Here are some photos of my birchen holdback. She's got her momma's floppy comb, but her color is much prettier.

 

[Hurley]

My (NOW LAYING

) older silver penciled girl from Kari's NYD hatch.

She got in a bit of a sparring match and dinged up her comb and tail, but she's still beautiful.

 

[Hurley]

Here's the weird mosaic/calico silver penciled pullet now with comparisons to the birchen and SPs and photos as a chick. Weird little gal, splotches of SP patterning over head/neck, irregular margins. Curious to see what she looks like at maturity.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

My (NOW LAYING

) older silver penciled girl from Kari's NYD hatch. She got in a bit of a sparring match and dinged up her comb and tail, but she's still beautiful.

a>

I LOVE this hen! I would love to have one like her.

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Connie- What AMAZING photos you have of your birds!!! Truely amazing. It gets me all amped up for my birds to mature! Thanks for sharing. Definately post those pics on the website!!!!

 

[Hurley]

And to end the forum photo flooding, lol, here are pics of the younger SP pullets...








And the flock shots. That 2nd one reminds me of Mount Cluckmore.

 

[Hurley]

OK, that's it, I swear, but I had fun snapping photos.

The natives are getting restless, gotta head out, but hope to put in some hours this evening on the website.

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Thank you Connie! You can photo dump on this thread anytime you want too!