Phil Roe - Interview; 01/25/2013

• Phil owned, at one time, stock from Ransome's birds.
  
• Phil said that the vast majority of the chicks hatched were a solid chestnut color (just like Kent's description of the chicks), only a small minority were of a different type. When asked if he hatched any black chicks, he said “no, that only happened once Glenn added new blood from other breeds to try to improve the vigor of the stock.”
  
• Phil said that while fertility was an issue with the Ransome/Michael birds, he had some moderate success with hatching when the hens were allowed to hatch a clutch. He’d get above 60% hatch. He felt that new blood wasn’t needed, but to rather let the hens brood the clutch and save the most vigorous and active chicks for breeding. Phil mentions that had more breeders done that, there would have been no need to outcross, and in time separate lines would emerge.
  
• The male's “mane” was very distinctive and made a big impression. His chest had anything from slight barring to heavy lacing. Sometimes a dark brown color could be seen as a slight penciling/specking on the chest. The male’s tails had a blue sheen to them.
  
• The hens had a distinctive grey penciling pattern that was unique to the breed. They had a pleasant, soft greyish blue look to them. Again, sometimes a dark brown would be present as a hue in the lacing on some of the hens. 
  
• Aggressive birds! They had an active and aggressive personality.  
  
• Phil said he has some color pictures of his stock that he’d be willing to share with us, but that he has to first locate them. He thinks he knows where they may be.
  
• Phil mentioned that he purchases some Iowa Blues from Ideal with Glenn in 2010. He was so disgusted with them that he got rid of them before they finished out. He said he never hatched a black chick from his original birds and neither did the other breeders who chose not to outcross. “When the black chicks came in the mail, I knew right away that these were NOT Iowa Blues. I told Glenn to get rid of his too. Whatever they’ve got going on is not good.”
  
• He also shared a strong pessimism as to the reality that real Iowa Blues exist at all. In his opinion he is almost certain the original Iowa Blue is extinct and what we have left today are just remnants of what use to be. 
  
• He said that from the time he got rid of his flock until now, he’s never seen a bird that was claimed to be an Iowa Blue, which actually looked like a real Iowa Blue. I shared with him what Kari had going on and he agreed to look at the pictures of Kari’s silver hens and give us an evaluation as to how close Kari’s hens resemble the original line of Iowa Blues.