Iowa Blues Chicken Club (IBCC) - Breed Standard Discussion / Club Discussion

[karimw]

Wow! Congrats on passing the boards! That is quite an accomplishement. I'll have to get some help getting pictures

I tried to take some this weekend, but they just won't cooperate! The problem with their tails is they hold them different every minute! When the hens are chasing after something, they hold them 90 degrees straigth up, about 3 fingers wide and practically pointed. They fan out a bit when relaxed and carry them a bit lower.

 

[Hurley]

Yes, that's a problem and I'm not sure what position the standard's description is supposed to describe. Mine when alert show the tails to be around 80 to 90 degrees and spread into a narrow fan of about 4 inches. The outline is straight, too, rather than curved like most breeds I've been looking at for wording and comparison.

I just picked up some birds from Trish (FlashPointFarms) this weekend on my way home from the farm in Iowa. Will need to get some photos when I get the chance.

 

[karimw]

Rather than re post I'll give the link to the pics I posted:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/469317/iowa-blues-breed-thread-and-discussion/520#post_8488322

 

[KalyAn]

Are you folks too busy to work on a standard?
I'm going to the Susquehanna Poultry show is Bel Air, MD on Sunday the 18th. It would be exciting to see Iowa Blue s but probably not.

 

[karimw]

I guess cabin fever has gotten the best of this thread. I'm here, but I hate talking to myself

 

[dfr1973]

I've been mostly lurking, since I need to move before I can have chickens. I've pretty much made my tiny little mind up on having a flock of IBs and EEs - just need the right piece of land to build my chickendom now.

I think we stalled on the tail discussion. I've been waiting to get to the rest.

 

[KalyAn]

Yes, that's a problem and I'm not sure what position the standard's description is supposed to describe. Mine when alert show the tails to be around 80 to 90 degrees and spread into a narrow fan of about 4 inches. The outline is straight, too, rather than curved like most breeds I've been looking at for wording and comparison.

I just picked up some birds from Trish (FlashPointFarms) this weekend on my way home from the farm in Iowa. Will need to get some photos when I get the chance.

Re spread tail. I think it is refering to an old fashioned ladies hand fan, the ones some grandmothers used in church in Jul Spread fan similiar to Sebright tail feathers??
Perhaps folks that actually have IB's could compare to the tails of other breeds. Sure would like to see this thread yield a standard.
The Bel Air, MD show was cold, overcast and educational! Worth driving 3 hrs in the fog.
Seeing live 3D birds is alot better then pictures.

 

[karimw]

I took some pictures of my flock last night. The breeders are now 9-10 months old and the young ones shown are from a light rooster. I switched roosters to a black based with super lacing and I think it is a successful cross because the eb based chicks have dark legs!

These hatched on 3/20.




Here are the parents:






Here are a couple cockerels from the last rooster - eb pure for silver on the left, pure for gold on the right.


Any comments on the standard looking at these birds?

 

[KalyAn]

The last picture of the two roosters. The one in the forefront has light legs? I relooked the other pictures (not the chicks) and saw other light legs however, those birds could be from your other breeds.
Is the pattern on the rooster (pictured after the chicks) called birchen? I'm trying to learn to recognize it.
The photo above the two roosters. I think a hen? Almost barred.
You are so right about the tail angle when alert! Perhaps the proposed tail angle should be relooked with the criteria of "what angle would the bird present when a judge yanks it out of the cage." Rather than the variation you all see in your flock throughout the day.
I've been reading so much chicken info these last two weeks, my brain is spinning! And so much more to learn.

 

[karimw]

Yes, the yellow legs are not desirable. When the hatchery birds are bred together we are getting all kinds of variation in their offspring. I am trying to focus my flock on two varieties - silver penciled, similar to the hen in the picture above and birchen which should be black with silver lacing. In my latest generation I have several that are getting closer and should be able to cull heavily. I am trying to get rid of the gold and autosomal red early on so I do have silver birds with yellow legs and light eyes because of that. That cockerel still shows no sign of gold or red leakage.