Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

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Very nice website started, very nice !!

I am looking forward to seeing it develop.

When are the shows next year? The Iowa one for the meeting and the Wis one?

I am hoping to have some yearlings to exhibit at the MI shows, a couple anyhow, both the Iowa Blues and some Icelandics.

Right now I still have four colors in my youngsters, four Birchens, one that started as a SP but now is a Partridge with a red head. The pair of dilute Partidges, and a couple that started off as Birchens but now are penciled/barred over the body. The Birchens are the most forward, including the two 'off color' Birchens, the Partridges are the most wary. And smaller compared to hatchmates of the Birchen, maybe because of the Birchen dominence.

Also, the Birchen show the best conformation. Much more meaty.

Fascinating to see them all develop ! Three of the Birchen will have SP heads and necks and darker bodies with two showing some light feathering on the bodies.
 
It is fascinating to see them develop as there are changes daily.

The two dilutes are a puzzlement, as are the two that are 'sorta' barred, actually its more of a painted feather then barred. The dark ones are still the calmest and most outgoing, the partridge the most wary and nervous. The one Birchen cockeral is quite calm and up front, the SP Partridge is very standoffish.
 
This morning the Partridge dilutes are less dilute, one is showing very dark on the back and both are showing darker on the belly. But, alas and alack the one that was a SP at hatching is a dark partridge , with gold hackles and some red feathers on the back. The Cockeral that I was thinking to keep, otoh the Birchen/Gray Cockeral is showing much nicer colors overal, and is much quieter then the other, in fact he will stand to have his chest petted. I never know what I am going to see everytime I look at them, its amazing how fast that their colors are developing. They seem to get darker by the hour.

I think that there is also some different conformation between the colors with the Birchens being 'brickier' then the Partridge which stand upright on a narrower chest. This is something that I am going to be watching very closely, conformation and size to me outweigh color.

This week I need to get the dog pen covered so that the turkeys can go out there, right now they are with the young Icelandics, all are getting along very well.

Life on the mini poultry farm!
 
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I collected 14 chicks from the nesting boxes today, 9 SP and 5 DW
clap.gif
There is about 6 eggs left to hatch for this round, then a bunch more due in about 3 days. Goodness, this is fun!
 
I sent in my entries for the NIPA show yesterday. I plan to take 2 birchens and 3 SP though I'm not sure which ones yet. It's really nice to have something to choose from! If anybody attending needs eggs, chicks or youngsters let me know and I will bring them.
 
karimw said:
I collected 14 chicks from the nesting boxes today, 9 SP and 5 DW
clap.gif
There is about 6 eggs left to hatch for this round, then a bunch more due in about 3 days. Goodness, this is fun!
Click to expand...
I set 24 in my home made cooler bator three days ago from the pullets I raised out of eggs I got from you.
 
ottbjumper06 said:
Do you have good luck with your cooler bator? I want a bigger incubator but don't want to pay the bigger price...
Click to expand...
I have it calibrated to the enth degree and it is working beautifully with no noticeable variance in temperature, and only a 2 to 3 % variance in humidity. My first attempt was in winter with lower humidity and I had a tough time keeping humidity levels up. I'm sure I can overcome that next winter. I will build a larger more permanent one eventually with dual thermostats and auto-humidity control. I just need to do some research on materials, turners, etc. and I may also build a lockdown unit.
 

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