Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds - Page 1689

Quote:

Originally Posted by unkadan 

Thanks Jean, anyone else have pics of Splash Wheatons to share?

 

I am a newbie to these birds,, with that in mind,,, here are some questions:

 

If these "Whites" are showing up in many lines, has anyone considered/undertaken them as a project?

If so, what have their offspring looked like, what have they produced?

Where did they come from?

Should I not use them in a breeding program?

 

Happy Mtn, thanks, Wayne is on my list along with Mike Gilbert

 

Ron, the scratches are chicken related,,,,hardware cloth bit me

I had a cockerel come out white like that girl.  He was very pretty, but he was sent to the sale.  I haven't had any others so far.

With that in mind, I did take the BW/Ws on as a project.  I started with some from a local breeder who got her birds from John Blehm.  Her roos are nice but obviously the hens obviously carry icky stuff.  Crossed beak, yellow legs, smudged wing colors and bad hackle ticking.  I have 13 more of her chicks growing out.  I hope to get at least 3 decent hens to base my 2nd flock off of - I already have one of hers grown out and just started laying last month.  I am going to move Dorian, my BW roo from Peachick's eggs, in with them and I am hoping to pick up a totally unrelated wheaten roo for my Peachick line birds.  I also have a single pullet from White Mountains Ranch in the grow out pen.  I am trying to improve their productivity and coloring.  Sadly, I have to many projects going and this is my first year with them.  They are being neglected at the moment.  So are my Lavenders...  It's kind of a blessing though.  Now I know I have these whites popping up (and I thought they were splashes, which I don't want anyways and sell) and the occasional leg feathering (which has been disappearing by 12wks old).  I know what needs work thanks to being preoccupied.

Welp, I am keeping mine since 2 of my girls are approximately F2/F3s from Salmon Faverolle foundation stock (from 8yrs or so ago).  I am breeding mine out since the leg feathering is the only issue with this line.  Eggs are good, production isn't bad, color and type are good.  They have some undesirable feather shafting, but that can be corrected too.  I know it's one girl in particular that is passing that gene along, but I am not sure which one of the 2 it is.  Both possible girls will be removed once my new pullets grow out since they are 3-4yrs old now.

They are a project.. I have to much time and money into them to just discard them now.