Rainbow egg basket collectors rejoice, there is a new blue-egg layer on the scene, and she is beautiful!
If you’re curious about the Whiting True Blue Chicken, we have everything you need to know.
在这篇文章中,我们将讨论chicke的起源n, its characteristics, function, purpose, appearance, and overall compatibility for your place. Let’s get into it!
Whiting True Blue Chicken: The Quick Breakdown
| Whiting True Blue Chicken: The Quick Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Type | Standard |
| Class | Not a standard |
| Kid-friendly | Yes |
| Broody | Not very likely |
| Heat Hardiness | Excellent |
| Cold Hardiness | Good |
| Space per Bird | 4 square feet |
| Beginner Friendly | Yes |
| Eggs per Year | 250 to 300 |
| Egg Size | Large |
| Egg Color | Blue |
| Dual-Purpose | Yes |
| Mature Weight | 5.5 to 7 pounds |
| Sex Link | No |
| Comb Type | Pea |
| Heritage Breed | No |
| Processing Age Ready | 20 Weeks |
| Lifespan | 5 to 10 years |
| Cost of Chicken Male | $3.71 |
| Cost of Chicken Female | $5.48 |
The Background of Whiting True Blue Chickens
Dr. Tom Whiting stumbled across greatness when he created the Whiting True Blue Chickens.
Whiting, aColorado resident, and lover of fly fishing, decided to develop a bird whose feathers he could use for fly tying (used in flyfishing).
After spending over a decade crossbreeding WhiteLeghorn chickensandAmeraucanabreeds in Delta, Colorado, Dr. Whiting unknowingly created an adored breed that has now been around since the 1990s—with one distinct feature being its beautiful blue eggs!
What began as scientific research soon transformed into a special new type of poultry; it’s incredible what determination can lead you to achieve!
Appearance and Recognized Standard
With its ever-changing, rainbow hues of color and pattern combinations, the Whiting True Blue Chicken is a unique breed that delights even veteran chicken keepers.
While currently not accepted by the American Poultry Association (APA) with no set standards to compare against, it may one day be included.
It still needs to develop as a breed, and standards must be created for the APA to consider it.
Some of the most commonly reoccurring colors for these birds include
- Silver blue
- Blue wheaten
- Blue red
- Lemon blue
- Solid blue
- Black-breasted red
- Black
We don’t know what the birds will look like in the future, but we are confident that their gorgeous blue-shelled eggs are here to stay, and that will not be drastically changed.
It is these birds’ main selling point and purpose– they make egg baskets colorful and diverse all over the country.
Temperament and Disposition
Whiting True Blue chickens perfectly balance between fierce independence and hardworking pest control.
While they may take longer than other breeds to warm up to humans, theirfreedom-loving natureallows them excellent self-sufficiency in yards and gardens with little care from their owners.
As a matter of fact, you’re much more likely to struggle to put them back into their coop or run than you are to need to “baby” this breed along.
With that said, if it’s companionship that you seek, then these feathered friends might fall short; they are not known for being friendly or fond of people.
On the bright side, they are tough little ones who will immediately fall into place in the already-established pecking order of your docile flock.
They are polite and respectful birds who will be kind to their flockmates.
Because of this, we strongly recommend you only keep them with other sweet and respectful chickens who will not cause any rifts or pick fights. They are more likely to be picked on by bully breeds.
The roosters are generally good-natured, too, and are not likely to flog or attack you or visitors to your home.
Meat and Egg Production of Whiting True Blue Chickens
这些可爱的母鸡的吸引力是他们蓝色的鸡蛋。
And you’re in luck with Whiting True Blues because they lay up to a very impressive 300 eggs a year. And this production can keep up for nearly three years, which is almost unheard of for that quantity.
Be sure you provide them with plenty of feed that is high in protein– they will need it to stay healthy while making that many eggs for you every year.
What’s really interesting about these eggs is that they are blue all the way through (I suppose you could call them true blue).
Unlike brown eggs that are brown on the outside and then white on the inside, these are blue on the interior and exterior of the eggshell. A unique feature!
As far as meat production goes, they give good quality meat, but they are not particularly quick to mature, and they are not large birds.
The meat is certainly good, but you won’t have a lot of it, and you’ll have to be patient for them to finish out.
Is the Whiting True Blue Chicken Right for You?
If you want a cute chicken breed that produces copious amounts of blue eggs, free ranges well, is resistant to many diseases and parasites and is kind to your other flockmates, then the Whiting True Blue is ideal for you.
If having a flock filled with heritage chickens or large andfast-growing meat producersis your main priority, then you may not like this breed.
Final Thoughts on the Whiting True Blue
The Whiting True Blue is an interesting breed that has been around for only thirty years. It has not been accepted into the APA yet, but it has found its way into the hearts and homesteads of thousands of Americans in recent years. We can only expect its popularity to rise as more people learn about this blue-egg-shelled layer and resourceful forager.
What are your thoughts on this bird? Do you have Whiting True Blues, and do you love these birds or what?
