Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[schroeder vanhorner]

Quote:
hi
i got mine on ebay
schroeder

 

[karimw]

Quote:
Do you think you will have IB hatching eggs next Spring? 2012? I know that's a ways off, but I am done hatching for this year. really interested in some IBs for next year.

Goodness I hope so! In fact they SHOULD be better quality than the ones you would get this year. Once we have the opportunity to cull the inferior birds and grow up some new breeders the type should improve. I've been sharing out my eggs with my fellow breeders but really only to get the numbers up. There wasn't much selection involved. I would consider anything you find for the next few years "project birds". I have put my heavy silver roo with the flock and will be hatching his offspring in a few weeks.

 

[karimw]

Quote:
hurley
i would i lto hear about
make that see sandhill when it comes to fruition
any advice for a 1st time hatcher ???? 7 days left
thanks schroeder

My advice is DON"T PANIC! Lock them down at day 18 which means increase your humidity so the membranes don't dry out and don't open the lid again until they hatch unless you have a dire emergency. Get your brooder set up and warm when they start to hatch and leave them be until they are all out. That's in a perfect world of course, but every situation is a bit different

 

[schroeder vanhorner]

kari
thanks for the advice i hope to have 6 chicks when im done
we can have 3 in des moines
schroeder

 

[enggass]

Quote:
Do you think you will have IB hatching eggs next Spring? 2012? I know that's a ways off, but I am done hatching for this year. really interested in some IBs for next year.

Goodness I hope so! In fact they SHOULD be better quality than the ones you would get this year. Once we have the opportunity to cull the inferior birds and grow up some new breeders the type should improve. I've been sharing out my eggs with my fellow breeders but really only to get the numbers up. There wasn't much selection involved. I would consider anything you find for the next few years "project birds". I have put my heavy silver roo with the flock and will be hatching his offspring in a few weeks.

Excellent!!! Do you have any more pics you could post of your current birds? Love to see them if so...

 

[oldiabird]

Quote:
Do you think you will have IB hatching eggs next Spring? 2012? I know that's a ways off, but I am done hatching for this year. really interested in some IBs for next year.

Goodness I hope so! In fact they SHOULD be better quality than the ones you would get this year. Once we have the opportunity to cull the inferior birds and grow up some new breeders the type should improve. I've been sharing out my eggs with my fellow breeders but really only to get the numbers up. There wasn't much selection involved. I would consider anything you find for the next few years "project birds". I have put my heavy silver roo with the flock and will be hatching his offspring in a few weeks.

Kari, I just last week got a pair of Ia. Blues at Stuart from pbj maker, which she said that the roo is pretty good, but the hen needs more color in the neck area, in reading this thread, I am reading that they are closer to bantam in size, I have quite a few different breeds of bantams and these blues are at least twice if not three times as big as most of my bantams, I don't really think we need another huge breed, but anyway, I was just wondering if you would possibly have some "project birds" eggs available yet this spring, I'd just as well keep hatching, I swore that I wasn't going to hatch any more, but have silkies, bantam Dominiques, and about 30 Icelandics incubating, right now, so just as well have some Ia Blues if you have some available.

 

[karimw]

Quote:
Goodness I hope so! In fact they SHOULD be better quality than the ones you would get this year. Once we have the opportunity to cull the inferior birds and grow up some new breeders the type should improve. I've been sharing out my eggs with my fellow breeders but really only to get the numbers up. There wasn't much selection involved. I would consider anything you find for the next few years "project birds". I have put my heavy silver roo with the flock and will be hatching his offspring in a few weeks.

Kari, I just last week got a pair of Ia. Blues at Stuart from pbj maker, which she said that the roo is pretty good, but the hen needs more color in the neck area, in reading this thread, I am reading that they are closer to bantam in size, I have quite a few different breeds of bantams and these blues are at least twice if not three times as big as most of my bantams, I don't really think we need another huge breed, but anyway, I was just wondering if you would possibly have some "project birds" eggs available yet this spring, I'd just as well keep hatching, I swore that I wasn't going to hatch any more, but have silkies, bantam Dominiques, and about 30 Icelandics incubating, right now, so just as well have some Ia Blues if you have some available.

Oh I think I can come up with some for you

I'm going to start collecting for a big hatch after Easter but when that one goes in I can save some for you if you don't mind the wait. I wouldn't call mine bantam size at all. They aren't as big as my Buff Orps or Barred Rocks by any means, but they are a nice economical size. I'll have to put a couple on the scale and find out for sure.

 

[karimw]

Quote:
Goodness I hope so! In fact they SHOULD be better quality than the ones you would get this year. Once we have the opportunity to cull the inferior birds and grow up some new breeders the type should improve. I've been sharing out my eggs with my fellow breeders but really only to get the numbers up. There wasn't much selection involved. I would consider anything you find for the next few years "project birds". I have put my heavy silver roo with the flock and will be hatching his offspring in a few weeks.

Excellent!!! Do you have any more pics you could post of your current birds? Love to see them if so...

I took a bunch the other day when the sun was out - just gotta get them off the camera now

 

[oldiabird]

Quote:
Kari, I just last week got a pair of Ia. Blues at Stuart from pbj maker, which she said that the roo is pretty good, but the hen needs more color in the neck area, in reading this thread, I am reading that they are closer to bantam in size, I have quite a few different breeds of bantams and these blues are at least twice if not three times as big as most of my bantams, I don't really think we need another huge breed, but anyway, I was just wondering if you would possibly have some "project birds" eggs available yet this spring, I'd just as well keep hatching, I swore that I wasn't going to hatch any more, but have silkies, bantam Dominiques, and about 30 Icelandics incubating, right now, so just as well have some Ia Blues if you have some available.

Oh I think I can come up with some for you

I'm going to start collecting for a big hatch after Easter but when that one goes in I can save some for you if you don't mind the wait. I wouldn't call mine bantam size at all. They aren't as big as my Buff Orps or Barred Rocks by any means, but they are a nice economical size. I'll have to put a couple on the scale and find out for sure.

That is more like what I would call them "nice economical size" I just picked up my pullet and I woul guess somewhere between 2-3 lbs, not much more, did you get in on that combined order last year, or was that before they did that, just trying to figure out how much longer I may have to wait for my pullet to lay, possibly what FLASHPOINT was saying that they should have some available soon too because they are from the same order and they are waiting too? Anyway, let me know when you have some eggs ready to ship!! Thank you!!!

 

[karimw]

Well, I guess I should have known better than to make any concrete offers. My Iowa Blue flock was killed by dogs today. I have kno idea how they got in because the property is pretty dog proof. I have one dark roo left and one scrawny black pullet. I have a couple unaccounted for, but I don't have much hope. I have 8 eggs here I'll put in the bator, but unless I find where they've been laying the past 3 days that will be it for my flock.