Why aren’t Whiting True Blues more popular?

[Carrot_Mama]

In reading various sources about creating green & olive colored egg layers I have noted that the WTB’s are mentioned far less frequently in comparison to the CCL. Am I right or is my perception skewed? And if I’m right, why? The WTB doesn’t seem as popular to own simply as a blue egg producer, either, but it may just be my perception again.

 

[SilverBirds]

Because WTB are a newer breed created by Murray Mcmurray and aren't sold elsewhere. Whereas CCL are available in many hatcheries.

 

[Carrot_Mama]

Because WTB are a newer breed created by Murray Mcmurray and aren't sold elsewhere. Whereas CCL are available in many hatcheries.

Thank you for pointing that out. Makes sense. McMurray didn’t create the breed though, Dr. Tom Whiting did.

 

[SourRoses]

Wtb are inconsistent in color. Though many may find that exciting, more keepers prefer known color varieties.
Wtb have always seemed to me to be incomplete.
Not only for feather color, but in the goal - to lay blue eggs, and that's it. No unique body type, personality traits, etc.
It's a market that Easter Eggers had already cornered. Well bred EE's should lay blue (granted, not all hatcheries have the same goal). And EE's also come in random colors.

On the other hand, Ameraucana, Legbars, and Araucana are homozygous for the blue egg gene. Being "true" really belonged to them a lot earlier.
To be totally honest, the name kinda bugs me a little... as if you referred to a person as a "genuine reader" or "actual tea drinker" or "the competent one"...
I mean, what are they really saying, no other chicken breeds reliably laid blue before?
It's something that could have been said if they were first, but a minimum of three other breeds proceeded it, so it just seems weird.
On top of that, there is controversy that Whiting bought the stock as the remnants of a university project (Arkansas Blues) and just stuck his name on them.

Whether a person believes that or not, in the end what draws people to a breed is usually some unique characteristic.
Like a dual purpose bird that laid blue, that would be cool.
Someone was working on Silkies that lay blue, I hope they finish that.
Fibro blue eggers are awesome!
And I'm working on my own fanciful blue laying project. Tons of possibilities exist, there's no need to just copy something else under a different name.

 

[Slothinc]

Wtb are inconsistent in color. Though many may find that exciting, more keepers prefer known color varieties.
Wtb have always seemed to me to be incomplete.
Not only for feather color, but in the goal - to lay blue eggs, and that's it. No unique body type, personality traits, etc.
It's a market that Easter Eggers had already cornered. Well bred EE's should lay blue (granted, not all hatcheries have the same goal). And EE's also come in random colors.

On the other hand, Ameraucana, Legbars, and Araucana are homozygous for the blue egg gene. Being "true" really belonged to them a lot earlier.
To be totally honest, the name kinda bugs me a little... as if you referred to a person as a "genuine reader" or "actual tea drinker" or "the competent one"...
I mean, what are they really saying, no other chicken breeds reliably laid blue before?
It's something that could have been said if they were first, but a minimum of three other breeds proceeded it, so it just seems weird.
On top of that, there is controversy that Whiting bought the stock as the remnants of a university project (Arkansas Blues) and just stuck his name on them.

Whether a person believes that or not, in the end what draws people to a breed is usually some unique characteristic.
Like a dual purpose bird that laid blue, that would be cool.
Someone was working on Silkies that lay blue, I hope they finish that.
Fibro blue eggers are awesome!
And I'm working on my own fanciful blue laying project. Tons of possibilities exist, there's no need to just copy something else under a different name.

Do you have a thread for your blue layer project? I am working on blue egg silkied and love blue egg chickens!

I havent ever owned Whiting True Blues because I have never purchased a hatchery chick. I prefer to buy from breeders and have acquired all of my chickens through hatching eggs from breeders. So for that reason the WTB don’t appeal to me. I don’t have any issue with people who do buy from hatcheries, I personally have just chosen not to.

 

[saysfaa]

I chose other options for some of the reasons already given and because I concluded that they were too flighty for my setup. In a backyard setup with limited opportunity to free range, I needed birds more tolerant of confinement.

 

[McChooky]

I chose other options for some of the reasons already given and because I concluded that they were too flighty for my setup. In a backyard setup with limited opportunity to free range, I needed birds more tolerant of confinement.

Whiting true blues didn't make my list because white is one of the colors they come in (easy moving target) Some other things I look for in a breed are: calm disposition, bear confinement well, chicks are easy to sex and don't go broody often.I don't think they checked many of the boxes so I didn't consider them.

 

[AusHen]

Cream Legbars are the #1 choice because using CL hens you can create sex-link olive eggers

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Whiting true blues didn't make my list because white is one of the colors they come in (easy moving target) Some other things I look for in a breed are: calm disposition, bear confinement well, chicks are easy to sex and don't go broody often.I don't think they checked many of the boxes so I didn't consider them.

But you have to keep in mind that each chicken has its own personality. My WTB Betty could check every one of those boxes, but she is white

 

[redinator]

Because WTB are a newer breed created by Murray Mcmurray and aren't sold elsewhere. Whereas CCL are available in many hatcheries.

What's a CCL? Still learning the acronyms, lol. Someone needs to make a pinned forum on the most frequent ones.