I raised Blue Laced Red Wyandottes for about 10 years and they are still one of my favorite chickens.
I would still have them, but precious coop space being what it is…I’m trying to concentrate on APA recognized breeds, and unfortunately, the Blue Laced Red color is not APA recognized.
I was prompted to write this post because I keep seeing a photograph circulating around social media of a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte chicken. The photo has been photoshopped to intensify the colors, (which makes it look a bit bizarre) but I can tell by the comments that many people are unfamiliar with this color of Wyandotte. (photoshopped or not)
The Wyandotte
Wyandottes are an all-around excellent breed. They are hearty, friendly chickens. They make great mothers and are consistent layers. They lay a large-extra large tan/peach egg. They are a plump, nicely shaped bird with dense plumage and it does FABULOUS in cold climates. It also has a rose comb which is less prone to frostbite.
Their only drawback is that they are somewhat slow to mature, slow to feather out and late layers. Averaging 8+ months for their first egg to come.
History
The Wyandotte was developed in America in the 1870s and originally named the American Sebright. The creation of this breed can be credited to 4 people: H. M. Doubleday, John Ray, L. Whittaker, and Fred Houdlette. It has roots in the Brahma, Hamburg, and Cochin breeds.
It was developed as a dual-purpose breed that could lay well. The original color was the Silver Laced.
The APA-accepted colors of Wyandotte for Large Fowl (non-Bantam size) as of 2017:
- Silver Laced
- Gold Laced
- White
- Black
- Buff
- Partridge
- Silver Penciled
- Columbian
- Blue
The Blue Laced Red Feathers
The blue laced red feathers of the BLRW are something of a rarity among chicken breeds and colors.
There is a lot of evidence that the BL color was developed in the United States then made popular in Germany with a recent recurrence among backyard keepers in the States.
The genetics behind this color pattern can also get a bit confusing to understand because the color pattern doesn’t breed true. Meaning that, when you breed a Blue Laced rooster with a Blue Laced hen, not all the chicks will have the blue laced coloring.
Blue Laced Red Wyandottes have genetic coding to produce three different color offspring.
- The Blue: Which is more of a charcoal grey color.
- The Splash: The blue feathers are replaced by a white/pale grey.
- The Black: These birds have red feathers with black lacing. They look similar to a Gold Laced Wyandotte but the red in the feathers should be rich mahogany. (Think Rhode Island Red.)
Breeding and Offspring Coloration
Blue X Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black , 25% Splash
Blue X Splash = 50% Blue , 50% Splash
Blue X Black = 50% Blue, 50% Splash X Black = 100% Blue
Black X Black = 100% Black
Splash X Splash = 100% Splash
This is based on 100 chicks
Breeding for a specific color can get a bit tricky. If you have customers who want chicks or hatching eggs, you may need to explain how the genetics work so they’re not confused when their chickens don’t all look the same.
But anyone who wants a beautiful chicken to add to their flock, and wants to experiment with chicken genetics, the Blue Laced Red Wyandotte is a perfect choice.
5 Comments
I requre in pakistan 60 fancy birds
At what age do blue red chickens become blue and red. Ours are a year and a 1/2 old and are still golden and
Is it possible for them to have a single comb? Or do they always have a rose comb?
I used to raise exhibition canaries and now retired we want a back yard coup for 2-3 really beautiful chickens. I really like the blue laced red Wyandotte that I recently saw for the 1st time at the Boulder Colorado County Fair. Can you point me in the direction of a great breeder of this bird? I wad thinking about 2 with exceptional color. The 3rd hen might be a speckled red Sussex bird.
3 beautiful birds to look at each day of my retirement
Would appreciate any help with contact numbers
Might spend $$ to get pullets (2) with right quality color and feathering. We live in Frederick, CO.
There are several ways to find breeders of the chickens you want. For instance, you might contact the Colorado state extension office to see if they list any Wyandotte breeders in your area. You can check in with local feed stores. If you don’t mind birds being shipped to you, there are several reputable hatcheries through the country that will ship small numbers of chicks, or pullets. Do a search for Hatcheries or Pet Chickens and see what reviews say about them.
If you’d like to write a blog post about your adventures, please contact us at communitychickens@gmail.com. We’d love to share your experiences with our readers.