Blue Laced Red Wyandotte Breed Profile
Are you thinking about adding some Blue Laced Red Wyandotte chickens to your flock? If so, you’re in good company.
Many people (myself included!) love Wyandottes: they’re beautiful, docile, and decent layers. However, if you’re looking for an affectionate family pet this might not be the breed for you. Let’s take a closer look at this breed to see if they will make a good fit for your flock!
The History of Blue Laced Red Wyandottes
Four people, H. M. Doubleday, John Ray, L. Whittaker and Fred Houdlette, developed the original Wyandotte chicken. Historians think that they crossed dark Brahmas with silver spangled Hamburgs to create the silver laced Wyandotte.
After an initial surge in popularity, the breed declined in the 1940s and 1950s. Some countries, such as Germany, put Wyandottes on an “Alert” list for low population counts. However, the Wyandotte breed is coming back strong thanks to renewed interest from backyard chicken keepers.
Wyandottes now come in a wide variety of colors, however, the American Poultry Association only recognizes 9 of them. These include:
- Black
- Blue
- Buff
- Columbian
- Golden Laced
- Patridge
- Silver Laced
- Silver Pencilled
- White
As of this writing, the American Poultry Association does not recognize the Blue Laced Red Wyandotte. However, as popular as this breed has become it likely won’t be too much longer before they do!
Body Type and Temperament of Blue Laced Red Wyandottes
Blue Laced Red Wyandottes are a regal addition to your backyard flock. Their silver-edged feathers seem to glow sometimes, and they’re always a joy to look at.
Body Type
Wyandottes are a dual-purpose, curvy breed with dense feathering. A Wyandotte’s body should be balanced, with a full and wide set tail. The feathers are dense, and beautifully colored, while the legs are short and sturdy. Both legs and beak should be yellow.
Male Wyandottes weigh 7.5 to 8.5 pounds, while females weigh 5.5 to 6.5 pounds. However, because of their thick feathering they look much bigger than they are!
Most Wyandottes have rose combs that lay close to the head. This is one characteristic, along with their dense feathering, that makes them suitable for cold Northern climates. They can cope in the heat, but you’ll definitely need to take steps to keep your chickens cool in summer so they don’t overheat.
Temperment
Blue Laced Wyandottes are docile, sweet birds. However, they are not overly affectionate. Typically, this breed prefers the company of its own kind, and likely won’t be the chickens that follow you around the yard to sit in your lap! They’ll also likely shy away from overly rambunctious children.
That said, this breed won’t go out of their way to avoid you either. My Wyandottes will take treats when I offer them, but quickly walk away to do other things. They generally do not like to be picked up, but they won’t attack me or fuss when I do. I can almost hear them thinking, “Oh, great, here she goes again…” while they roll their eyes and tolerate being handled. They’re just sweet but independent birds.
Wyandottes can also go broody, and they make excellent mothers to their chicks. Below is a picture of Maddie, one of our Wyandottes, with her chicks she hatched this February. Although Wyandottes are not aggressive, they WILL hold their own if other hens bully them or threaten their chicks.
For example, I saw Maddie attack our dog, Rio, for getting too close to her babies! And, I saw her give the other hens a “what for” when they pushed the chicks aside to gobble their chick starter. As reserved as this breed is, they won’t hesitate to defend their babies.
Like all Wyandottes, Blue Laced Red Wyandottes do very well free ranging in the backyard, and they’re industrious about looking for food. You can keep this breed in an enclosed run, but they’ll be happier if they’re allowed out at least for part of the day to forage.
These are also very quiet birds, so they’re an excellent breed to choose if you don’t want to annoy your neighbors. However, this depends on the bird. I’ve read from other chicken keepers that their Wyandottes are very noisy and chatty!
Health
This breed is generally very healthy, and are not prone to any health conditions or diseases.
Blue Laced Wyandotte Egg Production
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte chickens start laying when they are around 20 weeks old. And, they’re good, dependable layers. They aren’t superstars…you won’t get as many eggs as you would from, say, a Rhode Island Red. However, you can count on at least 3 to 4 creamy, brown to peachy colored eggs per week.
This breed is also an excellent winter layer. You might find that your hens continue to produce eggs well into December and January, and may even lay all year long.
Last Word
We ended up getting our Blue Laced Red Wyandottes by sheer chance. I was at our local co-op getting chicks, and the boys BEGGED me to get some Wyandotte chicks because they thought they looked so pretty. So, resigning myself to the inevitable #chickenmath that seems to occur every time I walk into the co-op, I said “yes.”
Anyway, I wouldn’t have gotten them otherwise, but I’m so glad the boys asked because our Blue Laced Red Wyandottes have brought so much beauty to our flock! And, they’re truly the best mothers we have.
I’d love to hear back from you. Do you have Wyandottes? What do you think of them?
