Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Yvonne37894]

I've seen a statement about Blue Ameraucana's on and old post.

"I don't breed for splash"


However, If you have a Blue rooster over blue hens you get BBS's

Is it better to breed only Blue's to Blacks and not get splash?

Which combination gets better lacing?

 

[Shaffer]

Yvonne,
It is a little more deeper than just breeding blues to any blacks. There is the pg gene you need to establish. People think you can just get blues and breed them to any blacks. They say blues to blues are generally the best. I can not tell you which is best and you need to talk to Pips&Peeps because she is into them and know the exact genetics needed to produce the desired lacing. Good luck.

 

[plantmgr]

Quote:
Those are Easter Eggers, not Ameraucanas.

Although you said their colors are not true to type, there's more to it than that. Most of them in the photo have green legs (an Easter Egger trait) and almost all of them have common hatchery-based Easter Egger plumage colors. To be honest, the only one in there that has an Ameraucana coloring is the white one.

Still, very pretty birds! There's actually an Easter Egger thread here too.

Ha ha okay. I bought them from a feed store and were told they were americanas. Thanks!

come on over to the Easter Egger Bragger's Thread. It's much more fun!

 

[Illia]

Quote:
From what I've heard, you don't really want great lacing with Ameraucanas. . . You want a uniform blue.

However, blue x black will actually darken your blues over time, and create "gypsy face," the mulberry coloring of a pullet/hen's comb.

To me, using BBS breeding of blue x blue is needed, because it doesn't really matter if you get splash birds. . . If you don't want em, sell 'em. But they're also good for creating 100% blue with black anyway.

Blue x Blue often gives a good, medium blue shade along with a couple other light and/or dark shades. Blue x Black for me always gives dark blues and really dark blues.

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Thought we could use some more pictures to smile at so here's a pretty Blue Wheaton

My Sweetest Baby (Blanche 2) enjoying herself apart from the crowd hoping I'll let her ride on my shoulder.

 

[Illia]

That's umm, quite a male-dominanted crowd. . . Is she okay in there?

Still, very pretty. I really need to consider hanging a cabbage for my bachelor pad. Tried two cobs of corn, and they sat there for over 24 hours, untouched, then were suddenly stripped clean.

Some pics of my blue hens, slowly finishing their molt. . .

Isn't it sad that my hatchery BRAHMA behind her is smaller than her?

Of all my Wheaten/Blue Wheaten pullets, this is the only one I like. . . She's got a nice rear, the rest have such pinched, narror rear ends.

Her absolute lack of black on the tail will do VERY nice for my Buff Project.

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Yes she's fine in there. They are not breeding or laying yet. 25 Weeks Old.
Many of the Roosters will be going to freezer camp in a couple of months. She's got 9 other sisters in there. I'm pretty new to this but no one is fighting yet. If they start the I will have to step up and separate and cull quickly. I'm letting them develop so I can pick the very best from the very best to keep as possible breeding stock. I'm not as experienced as most every one on this thread and I don't have the knowlege to determine who will be the best representation of the breed standards at a young age like the experienced breeders. They seem to change slowly and 1 I thought was a keeper 2 months ago is not so I don't trust my eye so much.
But they are all very tame save for 2 Roosters and totally non combative.
Didn't know I could love chickens so much.
I've got just one Splash Wheaton Hen - Her feathers around her neck have at the ends of them "eyes" like a peacock feather eye but all in white. Beautiful. I call he "Peacock" - of course.

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Illia:
Is that what you would call a "perfect" tail?

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
Takes some pictures of you individual birds here and a bunch of people will help you make your decision. I think that 25 weeks is getting close to being able to decide. Or if your going to wait longer to choose them because the males colors will change and their beards make blacken or turn more blue at least separate the males because they are abou to reach breeding age. They look fantastic and very happy in their pen though!

 

[Ivywoods]

Nice pictures everybody. Yes, I would kind of worry about that pretty girl being in such a crowd of guy-types.

I got a nice BCM egg this morning, and I actually got all the eggs before any of them froze. I am SO eager to get my ameraucanas. I ordered day old chicks from a very reputable breeder. I will be getting black, lavender and silver in March. In the meantime, I am going to build a couple brooders. My husband had built several when we were still at our old place, but they got left there when we moved. They were so nice I'm going to build a couple like them with an added modification or two.

There is so much variation in the blues. Lacing, lack of lacing, dark blue, light blue..... it's so confusing. Does anyone out there know much about the new lavenders? Do they have much variation in their color shades?