Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[Hurley]

Working on moving out the non-Iowa Blues in my grow out pen to make room for more Iowa Blue chicks.

Saying goodbye to my silkies for now, working on moving out anything not involved with my Iowa Blue project. Pretty soon it'll be down to just Iowa Blues and a few "Iowacanas". I've got some black bantam rocks that I may keep a few of. One of the roosters is off type...he's a birchen, looking similar to my old line birchen cockerels at the same age. He may go into a project pen to work towards a bantam IB variety, for kicks. Already seems to have lost some of the melanizers in the rest of the black rock bantams.

 

[Jake Levi]

Much the same happening here, on a smaller scale, the ducks have left, and several Delawares, have 2 sweet 3 mos old Delaware pullets left, half way to point of lay.

Now I need to get the turkeys out of the grow out pen of the Icelandics, and I will be left with my core groups of Iowa Blues and Icelandics. Of course the turkeys will have their own pen,

Kari was and is quite right: the IBs with brown are darkening up, even the dilute
partridges. Taming right down, they now prefer to eat their grower from my hand to the full feeder in front of them. They also get a lot of greens that way as I weed the garden and add in chard for them.

I need to rehome or freezer camp two Icelandic roosters, it is obvious now that there are several in the new hatched ones. Precocious little guys even in growing, I can hardly wait for them to start crowing. Life goes on.

 

[ottbjumper06]

Same thing here, getting rid of all Cochins and bantams. I suppose at some point I'll stop doing EE's, but that's when the IBs start to earn their keep! I can't get rid of the two lone Rouen ducks though, they're too hilarious in with the chickens. We had construction people working and they had their faces up to the coop, "Those are some big Mallards!" Lol

 

[mrandmrschicken]

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.

Have not sent in my entry yet, but will before the 4th ... it will be close. One of my prize girls has decided to have a massive molt and in this heat won't be surprised if more go. My pretty Buff brahma, girl went broody but has not shed a feather yet. She is sitting on some eggs but its her first cycle so she may break but I don't think so. She is really a flat chicken and devoted! david has a 4-h District show on the 7th or 8th and hope the temps go down by then.
Curt, I can bring the DW IB if you would like it. Kari, if you have some more eggs that would be great, got a friend locally interested in them.

 

[Hurley]

My birchen has decided to sit and defend any egg laid, trying to break her but she's pretty insistent.

Have some molting going on here, too, so not sure how good they'll be looking by the show but will do the best I can. LOL May have a couple not show up, depending on their status at the time.

 

[karimw]

Crazy broody problems here, I've got eggs incubating in almost every nest and now hatching about every 3 days. Most of the non broodies prefer to lay in the laundry baskets. The real problem is when another few hens go broody and take over or cram in with someone. I've sacrificed a few eggs and hatchlings to fighting over occupancy.Now I start screening the opening near hatch time and it helps. I just let them out twice a day and they seem happy with that. Even with the loss I've got about 50 chicks in the brooder, all Siver Penciled or Silver Grey.

 

[ottbjumper06]

Kari, I'll take that problem any day! I have a crammed incubator and want to set more, but no one wants to brood :/ Oh well, I guess it's their way of saying I have enough!

 

[Hurley]

So far I'm lucky, just one stubborn broody currently, the birchen pullet. I keep telling her it's not time to set, she has a show coming up, but she's not having any of it. She said she'll brood wood chips, thank you very much and is stalking the best nest box.

 

[karimw]

Kari, I'll take that problem any day! I have a crammed incubator and want to set more, but no one wants to brood :/ Oh well, I guess it's their way of saying I have enough!

You won't have any trouble finding broodies when your Iowa Blues start laying. I had one Silver Grey pullet lay for about 4 weeks then brood. If you are really lucky though, you can have one sit December - February and keep all the eggs from freezing until you get home to collect them. That's my one reason for hanging on to this particular hen. She is well into her 3rd brood this year.

 

[Hurley]

FYI, the IBCC hit 99 members today. Next one breaks tripe digits. Woot.