The Iowa Blue chicken is a hardy, dual-purpose breed that hails from the Midwest of the United States. They produce high-quality meat while also producing a good amount of eggs.
Hens will lay around 180 medium-sized, tinted brown eggs per year.
Hens of this breed tend to go broody, which is good news if you plan to raise chicks on your farm. They are excellent mothers and will even help to care for other chicks in your flock. If you’re looking for a breed with strong maternal instincts, then the Iowa Blue hen is for you.
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The Iowa Blue Chicken Breed Quick Info
The Iowa Blue Chicken Description
| The Iowa Blue Type/Size: | Standard |
| Feather Color: | Black and white |
| Leg Type: | Clean |
| Leg Color: | Slate |
| Skin Color: | Yellow |
| The Iowa Blue Ease of Raising/Keeping: | Easy |
| The Iowa Blue Special Care Needs: | No |
| Is The Iowa Bluebreed a common, rare, or protected breed of chicken? | Rare |
The Iowa Blue Use
| Meat | Yes |
| Eggs | Yes |
| Dual Purpose | Yes |
| The Iowa Blue Temperament: | Friendly, docile |
| The Iowa Blue Ability/Likelihood to Free Range: | Yes |
The Iowa Blue Egg Production
| Egg Color | Tinted brown |
| Egg Size | Medium |
| Estimated Number of Eggs Per Year | 180 |
| Likeliness to Brood Eggs/Raise Chicks | High |
The Iowa Blue Meat Production
| Dressed Weight Male | 5.5 lbs |
| Dressed Weight Female | 5 lbs |
The Iowa Blue Climate Tolerance
| Heat | Excellent |
| Cold | Excellent |
The Iowa Blue Age to Maturity
| Number of Months to Reach Full Size | 5 Months |
| Number of Months to Start Egg Laying | 5 Months |
| Number of Weeks/Months to Reach Meat Harvest Size | 4-6 Months |
The Iowa Blue Size at Maturity
| Male | 8 lbs |
| Female | 7 lbs |
Origins of Iowa Blue Chicken
The Iowa Blue chicken originated in the state of Iowa. During the 1920s, a breeder named John Logsdon developed the Iowa Blue by crossing a Chinese Pheasant rooster with a Rhode Island Red hen and a Black Minorca hen. Logsdon chose the Chinese Pheasant rooster due to its natural ability to withstand heat and cold.
However, the story is a bit different depending on who you ask. According to Logsdon’s wife, the Ioqa Blue breed was created simply by a White Rock hen building a nest under their home and hatching chicks with a unique appearance.
After their development, the Iowa Blue chicken became popular in hatcheries across the United States. However, during the 1960s, many of these hatcheries closed down, thus diminishing the population.
Today, there are breeders and enthusiasts committed to preserving this beautiful bird. There has been a resurgence in their popularity in recent years due to their usefulness as a dual-purpose homesteading breed.
Some Things to Know About Iowa Blue Chicken
Although the Iowa Blue chicken is not an officially recognized breed and thus has no breed standards, there are still certain characteristics that allow you to recognize them in a flock of other breeds.
They are a medium-sized breed, with roosters weighing around 8 pounds and hens weighing around 7 pounds. They have a medium-sized, red single comb with six well-defined points.
Their neck is on the longer side and blends into a well-proportioned body with a broad chest and an upright tail.
When it comes to their plumage, they have silvery-white feathering on their head, neck, and breast. This transitions into black feathering with white lacing. Roosters of this breed have a silvery-white back and saddle, while hens do not.
How Easy is it to Keep Iowa Blue Chickens?
These chickens are known for being extremely hardy. They are fantastic free-range chickens and active foragers, making them a great option for homesteaders and backyard chicken owners. They will tolerate confinement but much prefer to roam around and live in a free-range situation.
The Iowa Blue chicken breed is friendly, docile, and enjoys human attention, especially if raised around people.
Roosters are not generally aggressive toward people and other chickens but will not hesitate to protect their flock against predators.
The Iowa Blue is also able to withstand cold and hot temperatures very well.
Special Care and Considerations for Iowa Blue Chickens
As with all chickens with a single comb, frostbite can be a risk in the wintertime. A swipe of vaseline can help to protect their comb from the cold.
Otherwise, the Iowa Blue is a very healthy, hardy chicken that is not predisposed to any significant health issues.
