Iowa Blue Chicken Characteristics

Iowa Blue chicken is a great dual purpose backyard strain. It was developed in the early 1900s close Decorah, Iowa. Along with the strain is quite rare today.

The source of Iowa Blue chicken is unknown. But is the subject of a folk legend that is believed to have involved the mating of a White Leghorn hen and a pheasant.

The breed is not really blue based on poultry standards, despite its name. Iowa Blue chicken has never been known to be American Poultry Association, the American Bantam Association or any other breed standard.

The breed was sold by hatcheries around Iowa into the 1960s. However, the Iowa Blue chicken ceased selling them or disappeared after these hatcheries either closed.

Some dedicated breed enthusiasts have maintained the strain to the 21st century (although their numbers remain small). Since that time they’ve been trying to distribute the strain to any interested parties in an effort.

Iowa Blue poultry is a dual-purpose breed. It’ll produce sex-linked chicks when mated other breeds, particularly with New Hampshire or Plymouth Rocks. Upon hatching, the chicks’ gender can be determined by color.

So it is a great plus if you want to raise men and females independently from a really early stage. Iowa Blue chicken does not have true blue feathering (despite being called’blue’). Neck, head, and breasts are white or white, with a thin stripe down the center, which transforms to white-laced black feathers.

There are some differences between males and females at the saddle and trunk feathers. Iowa Blue chicken has a single comb, which is upright with six. They’ve red wattle and moderate to moderately big red earlobes. Feet and their shanks are slate.

Iowa Blue poultry is known to be a very good forager, and they’ll do well in free-range conditions. They are maturing birds and are breeders that are vigorous.

This strain is not fairly laborious and flighty.

As a dual-purpose breed, Iowa Blue chicken produces a number of eggs and can create a reasonable quantity of meat.

Hens are layers that are excellent and will go broody. And they are also mothers. Men being competent hawk fighters are among the guardians of a flock.

It can be tricky to find the Iowa Blue chicken and the breed is rare. It’s a backyard flock that is fantastic.

Male Iowa Blue chickens weigh about 3.2 kg and females around 2.7 kg.

Iowa Blue Chicken Breed Information