Pros and Cons of the Rhode Island Blue Crossbreed

Alternatively known as the Production Blue, the Rhode Island Blue is a crossbreed chicken that seems to be becoming more popular. Primarily kept for eggs, this breed is a cross between two of our best egg layers: The Rhode Island Red and the Australorp.

Pros

1. They are Good Layers

Seeing as they are bred for laying, this makes sense that 200-260 brown eggs a year is typical of this blue bird.

2. They are pretty

Coming in two colors, grey and black, this breed is fantastically pretty: the roosters and hens.

They are much like their Australorp parent in color.

3. They are Docile

One of the traits they inherit from their Australorp parents is their kindness. They are very nice birds and are usually tamed without trouble! However, the personality of each bird is different.

4. They are Hardy

The Rhode Island Blue is a good bird for cold and warm climates, much like its RIR ancestors.

5. They are Good With Other Chickens

These birds are relatively unaggressive birds, making them a good choice for mixed flocks.

6. You Can Breed Them Yourself

If you have an RIR rooster and an Australorp hen, you can actually breed these yourself. This is one big difference between them and hybrids like the Amberlink, who are selectively bred for generations.

Cons

1. They Do Not Breed True

It is the colors that get messed up when you do Blue x Blue, but some people prefer the breed standards so…

2. They Can Be Hard To Find

Because only a few hatcheries have caught on to Rhode Island Blues, lots of times they can be difficult to find, but I just got mine at my local feed store! So who knows, if you try to find them, you just might!

3. They are not Great Meat

This chicken is an egg breed and not a meat breed, because it’s meant to lay eggs, not to be eaten!

Conclusion

The Rhode Island Blue is an awesome chicken, and I hope this helped you learn a bit about them!