# Whiting true blue chickens



## Forcast

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/whiting_true_blue.html


any one hear about this bird? Lays blue eggs but not a easter egger .


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## SJSFarm

I'm trying them this year. They are a lot cheaper than leg bars that sell for $30-40 each around here.


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## Guest

Actually, I have heard of them, but I don't know much about them. 

I already have easter eggers, Ameraucanas, Legbars, and Olive Eggers, so I think that's enough for me to handle for now for blue and green eggs.


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## Jennifer L.

I've read about them and did order some for the spring, just to try out. As I understand it, they started out with some of David Caveny's stock in the early to mid 1990's and were bred from there to be dual purpose "fun" blue layers as well as for fly tying. Apparently they are pretty high in Leghorn, but many other breeds have been put into them as well. How they get the blue eggs out of them, I'm not sure since brown egg layers are in there, too. The McMurray site does show a photo of birds that seem to have mainly pea combs, and another photo they show do seem to be light blue eggs. 

I expect to see blue egg layers that have a lot of variation, kind of like Easter Eggers, just from a different breeding angle, and hopefully, not a green egg, but a "true blue" egg. Guess we'll have to see. I've been trying on and off for a high production blue egg layer, myself, so it will be fun to see how these turn out.


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## Forcast

I read the Mcmurry site and they have more photos of the birds and they seem like mutts all different colors, and the site said green eggs but if you read the answers to questons it said they made a mistake and they are true blue colored eggs. I might try some as well.


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## Agriculture

Forcast said:


> https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/whiting_true_blue.html
> 
> 
> any one hear about this bird? Lays blue eggs but not a easter egger .


There are several breeds which lay blue eggs, other than Easter eggers, which are not a breed at all but simply a mongrel which happens to have the blue egg genetics, mixed with others as well. The original is the Araucana, then the Ameraucana, both pure breeds with the trait. The University of Arkansas has developed a line of blue egg laying Light Brown Leghorns. In Australia there is a strain of Silkies which has the blue egg trait. There are a couple of new composite breeds which were developed in Europe in recent decades which also have the trait. They are the latest amateur fad here, but they're getting mixed in with the Easter eggers, as few serious poultry breeders are working with them.


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## Caprice Acres

Would be interesting to hear how they lay. I really couldn't care less about their purebred status as we only have birds for eggs currently. And our buyers LOVE the green eggs, but we have NEVER in all the years we've had birds, EVER gotten a 'true blue' egg from our many hatchery easter eggers from multiple sources. All shades of green.  I don't want or need the medicre blue egg laying ability of purebred blue laying breeds, nor do I want to pay the pricetag on them as show/breeding stock birds for just that trait. Sure, I'd like quality purebreds again in the future, but for now we don't mind the sexlinks, boring white leghorns, and the easter eggers - and if these guys lay well, I might buy a few pullets.


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## Forcast

well sitting here in the snow storm decided I would place an order for some chicks, and would you believe they are sold out of Whiting true blues already.


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## Forcast

OMG: Vulturine Guinea Fowl Breeders	$937.50	

$1875.00	McMurry has them! Can some one lend me 2 grand?


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## FarmerKat

I just came across this thread from January. Does anyone who posted here have any that started laying yet? 

We just got some yesterday from McMurray as my neighbor talked me into splitting an order with her (she did not have to twist my arm too much). I do not think there are two chicks that look the same - some yellow, some look like the easter egger chicks, some brown, some gray, some black. I don't know how well they are going to lay but those like me who enjoy a variety, I think they will make a neat looking flock.


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## Otter

Bump!

All these birds should be well proven (or not! ) by now, and I'd like to hear if everyone is happy with them and maybe see some pictures


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## FarmerKat

I will have to admit that I do not care much for them. I cannot see much difference between egg color from my Easter Eggers and the Whiting True Blue. The eggs are turquoise green and my Easter Eggers produce the same color. I would not call them blue. I also had the hardest time getting them to sleep on the roost - they would prefer the nesting boxes. I have been able to train any other chicken to go to the roost but not these guys. My neighbor got the rest of the batch we ordered together and hers like to sleep on the ground under the roost. 

They are flighty compared to my other birds. I have never had a chicken fly to the top of the barn except for these. It was not an issue in my setting but my neighbor ended up having to clip their wings. 

I had a broody raise the ones I kept and - even raised that way - they do not strike me as great forragers.

I do not know how well they are laying as my friend is keeping them for me right now and there is no way to tell whether the eggs are from them or the Easter Eggers. They were at least 6 months old before they started to lay.

Overall, I don't think they are worth the extra money for a special breed.


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## FarmerKat

Just wanted to add that the egg color is definitely not the same as the clearly blue in the photo of eggs on the hatchery's site.


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## Otter

Thanks for the review! My youngest is wanting some chickens of his very own and, like all kids, wants colorful eggs. The last Easter Eggers we got didn't start laying till they were nearly 7 months old and over half laid pink or brown eggs


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## Alder

I have heard from folks who have them that the Whitings are no better at laying blue eggs than good Ameraucanas. I get my Ameraucanas from Welp Hatchery, and the hens lay beautiful blue (not green) eggs. Don't see a need to spend that much for something that might not be as good a hen in the temperament or production department.


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## Guest

I was only mildly interested in Whitings, but now I've read that review, I have no desire at all for them.


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## Guest

Alder said:


> I get my Ameraucanas from Welp Hatchery, and the hens lay beautiful blue (not green) eggs. Don't see a need to spend that much for something that might not be as good a hen in the temperament or production department.


I've never ordered from Welp, but the easter eggers I've gotten from Cackle have been a beautiful range of plumage colors. Their eggs have been nice too- from the normal easter egger light green, to blue and shades of turquoise.


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## FarmerKat

Both my Easter Eggers and the true blue came from McMurray. Maybe I should have gotten the Easter Eggers from another hatchery and the egg color would be different from the true blue. Hehe. Some of the true blue hens have the same puffy feathers around their face like the Easter Eggers so I am sure there is a common heritage to both.


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## Guest

FarmerKat said:


> Some of the true blue hens have the same puffy feathers around their face like the Easter Eggers so I am sure there is a common heritage to both.


The true blues probably started out as easter eggers.


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## Forcast

Now not colored egg layers but for kid pet chickens buff orpingtons are great. When the kids handle carefully everyday.


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## Otter

Forcast said:


> Now not colored egg layers but for kid pet chickens buff orpingtons are great. When the kids handle carefully everyday.


 Thank you. We have a few. While we enjoy all our birds, I actually prefer my large hens to be a bit skittish, as we let them range all day. Not that we're mean to them or anything, we just don't make pets of them like that - seems like the special, uber-friendly pet chicken is ALWAYS the one taken by a hawk or the neighbors dog or some tragedy.

My kids are just each building their own coops this year and want birds they can instantly tell from "mine" and eggs they can sell themselves. DD is getting Turkens because she loves how ugly they are but DS is all about those eggs and wants pretty ones.

 We usually keep some banties in a fort knox coop for snuggly chickens. Porcelain D'Uccles are really great for that and so are bantam Games - love those little guys!


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## Michelle Stever

Forcast said:


> I read the Mcmurry site and they have more photos of the birds and they seem like mutts all different colors, and the site said green eggs but if you read the answers to questons it said they made a mistake and they are true blue colored eggs. I might try some as well.


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## Michelle Stever

I have these and love them! The color gets better with each laying cycle and they do lay a lot of eggs. I now have the true greens as well. The idea behind this cross was to produce a bird that lays lots of colored eggs in a large size. They did this but you have to wait till at least 2nd laying cycle for size. They have legbar in the cross. My only problem was separating the blue and green layers as I still don't know who is laying what color lol


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