Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[Hurley]

IBCC update:

Nominations are concluded for officer elections and emails have been sent to all nominees.

Once I have their acceptances/declinations (or by Nov. 8th if I don't hear back), the voting page will be constructed and voting will begin.
Keep watch on the site, this election will determine the officers for the next 2 years.

 

[WVDan44]

looking over my hatch of 7 IB chicks that are about 5 weeks of age, I have a Silver cockerel and two silver hens; the rest are birchen-like in color. I think there may only be a total of two cockerels in the group. Interested in watching their development.

 

[WVDan44]

looking over my hatch of 7 IB chicks that are about 5 weeks of age, I have a Silver cockerel and two silver hens; the rest are birchen-like in color. I think there may only be a total of two cockerels in the group. Interested in watching their development.

Correction on age; they hatched on 9/13-14

 

[karimw]

Congrats Dan! I'd love to see pictures!

 

[WVDan44]

Congrats Dan! I'd love to see pictures!

Hi Kari, okay well here are a few I got today. Windy and sunny so the chicks were all about running around a lot. I'm thinking I have two silver pencil pullets and a cockerel, although one of the "pullets" is way larger than the other and is nearly the size of the cockerel. I'll be okay with whatever way this works out.


cockerel is in the background



below is a dark cockerel which looks like what we called birchen but with more lacing and checking than I've seen at this age.

cockerel

here's the larger of the two pullets - at least I think it's a pullet, if so she's gonna be a nice one.

 

[karimw]

I like them Dan, well done!! That big girl is lovely! Yes, that cockerel is birchen, but he is going to be nicely laced

 

[iamfivewire]

Our birdies in their "new" coop :

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Ok Kari; here's the K, from the eggs you gave me in July. Is he a Birchen or a DW? Or is it to early to tell

Connie, this is the chick that hatched from the two eggs you gave me in Sept. It's legs look dark willow under flash but are gray. What variety chick is this?

 

[karimw]

Ok Kari; here's the K, from the eggs you gave me in July. Is he a Birchen or a DW? Or is it to early to tell

Connie, this is the chick that hatched from the two eggs you gave me in Sept. It's legs look dark willow under flash but are gray. What variety chick is this?

The key identifier is what color were they at hatch. It gets tough to tell Silver and Smoky apart when they get older, since they both have white feathers in their wings. Birchens are always born black with or without yellow/white spots on throat and wing tips. In my experience, the more yellow/white they have on them at hatch, the more lacing they will have and the more brown can be seen on the pullets (less melanizers there are to cover it up). Since I can still kind of see the black eye liner on him and his legs are pretty light, I'd say he was born yellow chipmunk and is a Smoky (DW). The younger one is a silver.

 

[Hurley]

Yep, the young one looks silver. I have not hatched any Smokeys out of my flock which would be yellow as chicks and that's not a birchen (black). Nice looking chick.