The Iowa Blue is a breed of

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adu ...

that originated near

Decorah, Iowa Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52, and is the largest commun ...

, in the early twentieth century. Despite its name, the breed is not actually blue according to poultry standards. It is an exceedingly rare fowl, and is not recognized for showing by the

American Poultry Association The American Poultry Association (APA) is the oldest poultry organization in the North America. It was founded in 1873, and incorporated in Indiana in 1932. The first American poultry show was held in 1849, and the APA was later formed in respo ...

. They are a dual-purpose breed laying brown eggs and known to be good foragers.

History

The Iowa Blue's exact origin is unknown, but is the subject of a

folk legend Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging fro ...

that is said to have involved the mating of a

White Leghorn The Leghorn (, ; it, Livorno, italic=no or Livornese) is a breed of chicken originating in Tuscany, in central Italy. Birds were first exported to North America in 1828 from the Tuscan port city of Livorno, on the western coast of Italy. Th ...

hen and a

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

. This is especially unlikely considering that Leghorns are light-weight birds with white earlobes, yellow skin, and which lay white eggs. They are one of the more striking New Heritage breeds, resembling grey junglefowl in carriage and voice with the bearing and production traits of the old heritage breed the Black Java. Iowa Blues have never been recognized officially by the American Poultry Association, American Bantam Association, or any other

breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...

. Into the 1960s, several hatcheries around Iowa sold the breed, but after these hatcheries either closed or stopped selling them, the Iowa Blue nearly disappeared. Dedicated breed enthusiasts have preserved the breed into the 21st century, though their numbers remain small. It is listed as "Study" by the

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy The Livestock Conservancy, formerly known as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and prior to that, the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting rare breeds, also known as "h ...

, entailing that is of conservation interest but lacks the documentation to be firmly categorized.

Characteristics

Iowa Blues are a dual-purpose chicken. With males weighing and hens , they can produce a fair amount of meat. Hens lay a good amount of brown

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

, and will go broody. They are also known to be good foragers, and will do well in

free range Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day. On many farms, the outdoors ranging area is fenced, ...

conditions. They can be a little skittish. Male Iowa Blues are among the best guardians of a flock, being particularly competent hawk fighters. The breed has red earlobes, and a single

comb A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating ba ...

. They appear in a single color variety, which is not actually the blue color defined by poultry breed standards. It has a silvery white head, and the body plumage is dark brown or black with white lacing. The back is also white in roosters, and the overall color is technically referred to as "penciling". When mated with other breeds, especially White Plymouth Rocks or New Hampshires, Iowa Blues will produce sex linked hybrid offspring.

References

{{Chicken breeds of the United States , state=expanded Chicken breeds Chicken breeds originating in the United States History of Iowa