Backyard Chicken Breed: Asian Blue Chicken Breed

Inside: Discover the unique Asian Blue Chicken, a beautiful backyard breed known for its striking looks and excellent egg production. Perfect for any home flock!

The Asian Blue Chicken has emerged as one of the most fascinating and sought-after breeds in the backyard poultry community. This rare breed combines stunning aesthetics with practical benefits, making it a great addition to any home flock. Known for their distinctive appearance and remarkable egg-laying capabilities, Asian Blues have captured the attention of both novice and experienced chicken keepers alike.

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The Asian Blue Chicken: An Exceptional Dual-Purpose Breed for Your Backyard

Who doesn't want to go out to the chicken coop and collect some pretty blue eggs? I know I want to! I currently am working on adding more egg colors to my flock. We have lots of brown tones, and we have recently added an olive layer and a green layer, there were supposed to be two of each of those but these things happen. Maybe someday I'll get some blue chicken eggs too.

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The amount of eggs that a breed lays can be an important thing to consider when thinking about your ideal backyard chicken breed. You want good layers. You might want a small bird or maybe you want a large bird breed that is also a dual-purpose with tasty meat. You might not want the most popular chicken breeds, unless you are looking to hatch and sell chicks or sell hatching eggs.

Origin and History

The Asian Blue Chicken, sometimes compared to easter eggers due to their colored eggs, represents a relatively new development in chicken breeding. This new breed resulted from careful selective breeding programs aimed at creating a dual-purpose bird that could thrive in various climates while producing uniquely colored eggs. The breed's development incorporated genetics from several Asian heritage breeds, contributing to their hardy nature and distinctive appearance.

Physical Characteristics

Size and Build

The Asian Blue are classified as a medium-sized bird, with roosters typically weighing between 8-9 pounds and hens reaching 6-7 pounds. These big quiet birds possess a well-proportioned body structure that supports their dual purpose breed classification, offering both substantial meat production and consistent egg-laying capabilities.

Feather Colors and Appearance

One of the most striking features of the Asian Blue Chicken is their remarkable plumage. While their name suggests a predominantly blue coloration, these birds actually display an array of different colors within the blue spectrum. Their feathers can range from a light silvery-blue to a deeper slate-blue, sometimes incorporating black plumage elements. The breed exhibits a phenomenon known as “blue lacing,” where each feather shows a darker outline, creating a mesmerizing pattern across its body. They really are beautiful birds.

Comb Type and Other Features

The breed sports a medium-sized single comb type, well-suited to both warm and cold weather conditions. Their face features bright red wattles and earlobes, contrasting beautifully with their blue-toned feathers. The birds have strong, yellow legs and carry themselves with an alert, upright posture.

Performance and Capabilities

Egg Production

Asian Blues have earned recognition for their high egg production capabilities. A mature hen typically lays 200-250 eggs annually, making them comparable to many commercial laying breeds, such as the barred rock hen that lays large brown eggs. What sets them apart, however, is their ability to lay blue eggs, a trait that has made them particularly popular among enthusiasts who appreciate both functionality and novelty in their flocks.

Egg Color Variations

While primarily known for their blue eggs, the intensity and shade can vary between individual hens. Some may lay eggs ranging from light sky blue to deeper teal shades, similar to what you might find in Whiting True Blue lineages. This variation adds an element of excitement and uniqueness to egg collection.

Adaptability and Temperature Tolerance

One of the most valuable attributes of the Asian Blue Chicken is their remarkable adaptability to different climates. They demonstrate excellent cold weather tolerance, thanks to their medium-sized combs and robust body structure and feathers.

Their ability to maintain egg production even during colder months makes them a particularly great breed for keepers in variable climate regions. No one wants a freeloader who makes you go buy eggs in the middle of winter. And it never hurts to water glass eggs for molting, and when they slow down during colder weather.

Behavioral Characteristics

Foraging and Self-Sufficiency

Asian Blues prove themselves to be good foragers, displaying an active and curious nature when allowed to free-range. This characteristic not only helps reduce feed costs but also contributes to their overall health and well-being. Their foraging ability makes them perfect backyard chicken breed candidates for those looking to maintain a more sustainable and natural approach to chicken keeping and help reduce pests and bugs around your yard.

Temperament

These birds are known for their calm and docile nature, making them ideal for family settings. Despite their large size, they're generally peaceful and easy to handle. Their quiet disposition makes them particularly suitable for suburban settings where noise concerns might be an issue.

Care and Management

Housing Requirements

As a large size breed, Asian Blues require adequate space both in their coop and run areas. A minimum of 4-5 square feet per bird in the coop and 10-12 square feet in the run is recommended. Their adaptability to cold weather means their housing doesn't require extensive winterization, though basic draft protection and insulation are beneficial.

Feeding Considerations

Being a dual-purpose breed, Asian Blues benefit from a well-balanced diet that supports both their egg production and body maintenance. A quality layer feed (16-18% protein) supplemented with free-range foraging opportunities provides optimal nutrition. During laying periods, additional calcium supplementation helps maintain strong eggshells and consistent egg color.

Breeding and Genetics

The blue coloration in Asian Blues follows interesting genetic patterns, similar to other blue-feathered breeds. When breeding these birds, understanding color genetics becomes crucial for maintaining the desired blue shade and egg color characteristics. The blue egg trait is inherited dominantly, making it a reliable characteristic to breed for.

Breed Availability

As a rare breed, finding pure Asian Blue Chickens can be challenging. Their unique combination of traits, including their ability to lay blue eggs and their excellent dual-purpose capabilities, has created growing demand among chicken enthusiasts. This increased interest has fortunately led to more dedicated breeding programs, though careful selection of breeding stock remains important for maintaining the breed's unique characteristics.

The Asian Blue Chicken represents an exceptional choice for backyard chicken keepers seeking a versatile, productive, and visually striking breed. Their combination of practical benefits – including cold weather hardiness, good foraging abilities, and high egg production – with aesthetic qualities like their unique feather colors and blue eggs makes them a valuable addition to any flock.

While their rare breed status might present some challenges in getting them, their growing popularity suggests a bright future for this remarkable breed. Whether you're an experienced keeper or new to chicken raising, the Asian Blue offers a perfect blend of beauty, productivity, and temperament that makes them truly special in the world of backyard poultry.