White Ameraucana from Blue and Black Stock

[ggrap]

Hello. I hatched some eggs last summer from a lady that raises black and blue Ameraucanas, she runs them together in the same pen. Out of one egg hatched a yellow chick that I thought would turn out to be Splash. But he isn't, he is solid white.

How did that happen and can I breed him to the blues and blacks or should I not do that?

Thanks, Gina

 

[donrae]

Interested to see responses here.

I didn't have pure bred birds, but I was working an a blue feathered blue egger sex link for a while. Used some splash Ameraucana roosters over barred hens. I'd never, ever had a white bird on the place and all birds were third generation (except the pure Ameraucana). I hatched out one perfect looking white pullet that could pass for a pure Ameraucna (if she lays blue eggs, still waiting on that). I also thought she's be splash, but she's solid snow white, no black flecking at all. White skin, slate legs, beautiful beard, pea comb.....I'm eagerly waiting to see what color egg she lays (should be blue) and gonna hatch pretty much everything she lays next spring.....I'm thinking this is where recessive white rears it's head, and you wind up with what the old timers called a sport.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Another couple realities as well. When getting eggs from a friend, you never really know if the eggs are precisely what they reported to be. Not everyone is fastidious over breeding pens and meticulous egg collection and keeping the eggs distinct after being gathered.

The other reality is this. Unless your source for the eggs is a committed breeder to APA breed standards and exhibits the birds, far too many people who claim to have/sell Araucanas merely have/sell mixed birds, i.e., easter eggers. Araucanas are just about at the top of that list of misunderstood breeds. The true bred, Standard bred Ameraucana is no better understood.

True bred Araucana or Ameraucana birds cannot be sourced from feed stores, hatcheries and most backyard folks. They generally are only bred by very committed breeders.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The male in your avatar is an easter egger. Anything you breed him to will produce more mixed birds. I assume you already know that.

 

[ggrap]

Yes, I do think there is some funny business going on in her pens when she isn't looking. I hatched some Marans out as well. One male I got could best be described as an Olive Egger rooster, which seemed essentially useless to me, and he went for meat (which didn't make him entirely useless I guess).

Two of what are supposed to be Black Copper Marans hens have almost no copper on them, but one of them is laying gorgeous dark brown red eggs. That is at least kinda fun. And they have really nice personalities as well.

And then I paid a bunch for some Lavender Wyandottes, sweet birds and I ended up with 5 girls and 2 boys in a straight run. BUT they all have frayed tails and fecking in their feathers.

Guess I've got myself a bunch of pretty backyard egg layers.

Thank you....

 

[Shaffer]

Well as far as your lavenders having some issues. If they were not imported then they would probably need some work.

white birds from blacks and blues are genetically possible so you need to check out the chicken calculator because no one can look at a bird and determine if it is carrying a recessive gene