Seeking Info on new "Asia Black" Chicken "Breed"

[Poultryboysdad]

The rooster is an Asia Blue or Asia Black. He looks identical to my Asia Blue rooster in all stages of development. Both breeds were developed by Hoovers. And don't listen to the guys who want to say they're not a breed. They breed true for the traits they were developed to have--they're a breed, albeit a newly developed one. At one time or another, there was some guy calling the then developed Barred Rock "a mix". The hen in your pic is certainly marked like a Barred Rock. Chicks get mixed up and misidentified in those places like TSC.

 

[junebuggena]

They are a landrace or 'type', not a breed. Like how Easter Eggers aren't a breed, or Swedish Flower Hens.

 

[Poultryboysdad]

They are a landrace or 'type', not a breed. Like how Easter Eggers aren't a breed, or Swedish Flower Hens. 

A landrace is a type that developed in an area over a long period of time, somewhat "organically". Asia Blue and Asia Black certainly don't fit that definition. The breed is only a few years old. eFowl's description of both the Asia Blue and Asia Black includes the words "new, rare breed". They're not a hybrid, landrace, mix, or type. They are a breed.

 

[yeye5]

Hoover calls them a breed, but the reality is that they aren't even close. There is no consistency to them, and they aren't being bred toward any sort of specific standard.
Much like the Production Red or Pioneer. They aren't ever going to become a 'breed', no matter how much you may like them.

I'm trying to get one piece of info: Do the males have white on their heads and the females have a solid black head?
I got some of these at TS when I went to get black sexlinks, I found out they only had pullets in the blac sexlinks (I had wanted 5 pullets plus 1 cockerel). I knew it was a craps shoot getting the Asian B;ack (I had never heard of them before). I got 2 with solid black heads. Then I couldn't decide between 3 of them , all with white on their heads. I figured "what the heck" and got all 3.
At $1.99 each it's a great experiment...even if the 3 with white on their heads are all cockerels I'll learn and figure out a good plan for everyone.
It's just strange that no one selling them seems to be able to tell me (or willing to say) whether the white on head rule that applies to sexlins also applies to these Asians.
I've emailed back and forth with Pure Poultry. They've answered every question Except this one.
I know I can come here to BYC and get honest answers and opinions.
So, can anyone tell me plz?

 

[Poultryboysdad]

In my experience with the Asia Black, the males and females are indistinguishable until you begin to see the larger comb of the cockerels. Later, the males develop plumage pattern distinctive from the females. You may have gotten black sex-linked chicks, in which case the ones with a white spot on the head are males and the ones without are females. Bottom line, Tractor Supply gets them mixed up from the get go.

 

[LadyVictorian]

A landrace is a type that developed in an area over a long period of time, somewhat "organically". Asia Blue and Asia Black certainly don't fit that definition. The breed is only a few years old. eFowl's description of both the Asia Blue and Asia Black includes the words "new, rare breed". They're not a hybrid, landrace, mix, or type. They are a breed.

Sounds like a selling point for a mutt to trick people out of hard earned money, back when I read it on Hoovers it said they were mixed. I wonder if they changed that to pass them off as a purebred xD Use to say new mix developed, now it says new breed. LOL

 

[LadyVictorian]

The Asian Blue is a dual purpose bird, the hens lay medium to large brown eggs and the roosters are a good meat bird. Has striking colors of blue/green hue on black and red feather pattern. They are a slower growing bird with the males reaching 4-4.5 lbs live weight in 12 weeks, females in 15 weeks. Hardy bird that can adapt to many growing conditions. Available all year.

From Hoovers, they don't even mention it as a breed.

 

[Poultryboysdad]

I get a kick out all the pompous, know-it-alls who have a couple chickens running around their yard. Raising livestock has been my livelihood for over 30 years and I've studied genetics extensively at the university level. I know what a breed, a landrace, a purebred, and a hybrid are. The Asia Black is a breed. I'm not arguing that it's a good breed or a long established breed. I only have them because some guy who could read English at Hoovers packed them into my box when he was supposed to put Australorps in it. Somehow people seem to forget that all livestock breeds began from the standardization of a "mix".

 

[junebuggena]

I'm trying to get one piece of info: Do the males have white on their heads and the females have a solid black head?
I got some of these at TS when I went to get black sexlinks, I found out they only had pullets in the blac sexlinks (I had wanted 5 pullets plus 1 cockerel). I knew it was a craps shoot getting the Asian B;ack (I had never heard of them before). I got 2 with solid black heads. Then I couldn't decide between 3 of them , all with white on their heads. I figured "what the heck" and got all 3.
At $1.99 each it's a great experiment...even if the 3 with white on their heads are all cockerels I'll learn and figure out a good plan for everyone.
It's just strange that no one selling them seems to be able to tell me (or willing to say) whether the white on head rule that applies to sexlins also applies to these Asians.
I've emailed back and forth with Pure Poultry. They've answered every question Except this one.
I know I can come here to BYC and get honest answers and opinions.
So, can anyone tell me plz?

Asian Blacks do not have a white head spot. Those chicks would be either Black Sexlink cockerels, or Barred Rocks.

 

[junebuggena]

I get a kick out all the pompous, know-it-alls who have a couple chickens running around their yard. Raising livestock has been my livelihood for over 30 years and I've studied genetics extensively at the university level. I know what a breed, a landrace, a purebred, and a hybrid are. The Asia Black is a breed. I'm not arguing that it's a good breed or a long established breed. I only have them because some guy who could read English at Hoovers packed them into my box when he was supposed to put Australorps in it. Somehow people seem to forget that all livestock breeds began from the standardization of a "mix".

Asian Blacks aren't even close to be being anything close to 'standardized.'