Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[mendocinosunris]

Hi, Nikkipar -
I'll try to answer your question. Ameraucanas have been bred to specific body shape and color standards. Here's a great website with lots of pictures: http://ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html
To be an Ameraucana, the chicken must meet the following criteria:
1. They must be a specific color - the recognized colors for Ams are Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Wheaten, Black Breasted Red, White, Buff and Silver (did I miss any??) Some breeders are working on other colors such as Lavender, but those colors haven't been recognized by the APA yet.
2. Their leg coloring should be slate. I'm not sure if other leg colors are okay.
3. They must have beard & muffs
4. They must be the correct shape (take a look at the Ameraucana.org website for details)
5. And they must breed true. Meaning their chicks should also meet the standard, or come reasonably close.
6. Oh, yeah - almost forgot: they need to have blue eggs.

Your birds have the beard & muffs, but would be considered EEs because their coloring doesn't fit any of the standard colors. Also, their shape looks kinda longer & taller than an Ameraucana, but it could just be the pics.
I've got two cuties that look just like the lighter one.

Hope that helps!

They aren't laying yet, they are only about 3 months old so I can't tell by eggs. I understand that they are EE's but wondered if someone could point out specifics like wing shape, coloration, etc....

 

[ChickasaurusRex]

Hi fellow Ameraucana lovers! I want to start breeding bantam Ameracaunas soon and was wondering if anyone here has bantam Buff Ameraucanas??? They are just too cute!
Thanks!

 

[DMRippy]

Hi, Nikkipar -
I'll try to answer your question. Ameraucanas have been bred to specific body shape and color standards. Here's a great website with lots of pictures: http://ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html
To be an Ameraucana, the chicken must meet the following criteria:
1. They must be a specific color - the recognized colors for Ams are Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Wheaten, Black Breasted Red, White, Buff and Silver (did I miss any??) Some breeders are working on other colors such as Lavender, but those colors haven't been recognized by the APA yet.
2. Their leg coloring should be slate. I'm not sure if other leg colors are okay.
3. They must have beard & muffs
4. They must be the correct shape (take a look at the Ameraucana.org website for details)
5. And they must breed true. Meaning their chicks should also meet the standard, or come reasonably close.
6. Oh, yeah - almost forgot: they need to have blue eggs.

Your birds have the beard & muffs, but would be considered EEs because their coloring doesn't fit any of the standard colors. Also, their shape looks kinda longer & taller than an Ameraucana, but it could just be the pics.
I've got two cuties that look just like the lighter one.

Hope that helps!





Quote:
Breeding true would mean the offspring will look just like the parents... EE will not.

 

[Nikkipar]

That is great information, and what I was looking for. Thanks!

Hi, Nikkipar -
I'll try to answer your question. Ameraucanas have been bred to specific body shape and color standards. Here's a great website with lots of pictures: http://ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html
To be an Ameraucana, the chicken must meet the following criteria:
1. They must be a specific color - the recognized colors for Ams are Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Wheaten, Black Breasted Red, White, Buff and Silver (did I miss any??) Some breeders are working on other colors such as Lavender, but those colors haven't been recognized by the APA yet.
2. Their leg coloring should be slate. I'm not sure if other leg colors are okay.
3. They must have beard & muffs
4. They must be the correct shape (take a look at the Ameraucana.org website for details)
5. And they must breed true. Meaning their chicks should also meet the standard, or come reasonably close.
6. Oh, yeah - almost forgot: they need to have blue eggs.

Your birds have the beard & muffs, but would be considered EEs because their coloring doesn't fit any of the standard colors. Also, their shape looks kinda longer & taller than an Ameraucana, but it could just be the pics.
I've got two cuties that look just like the lighter one.

Hope that helps!





Quote:

 

[soonerdog]

Hi, Nikkipar -
I'll try to answer your question. Ameraucanas have been bred to specific body shape and color standards. Here's a great website with lots of pictures: http://ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html
To be an Ameraucana, the chicken must meet the following criteria:
1. They must be a specific color - the recognized colors for Ams are Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Wheaten, Black Breasted Red, White, Buff and Silver (did I miss any??) Some breeders are working on other colors such as Lavender, but those colors haven't been recognized by the APA yet.
2. Their leg coloring should be slate. I'm not sure if other leg colors are okay.
3. They must have beard & muffs
4. They must be the correct shape (take a look at the Ameraucana.org website for details)
5. And they must breed true. Meaning their chicks should also meet the standard, or come reasonably close.
6. Oh, yeah - almost forgot: they need to have blue eggs.

Your birds have the beard & muffs, but would be considered EEs because their coloring doesn't fit any of the standard colors. Also, their shape looks kinda longer & taller than an Ameraucana, but it could just be the pics.
I've got two cuties that look just like the lighter one.

Hope that helps!



One color variety you forgot is Buff. But to my knowledge Black Breasted Red is not a recognized color variety.

 

[mendocinosunris]

Oops. I knew I didn't have the colors quite right - thanks, sooner!

One color variety you forgot is Buff. But to my knowledge Black Breasted Red is not a recognized color variety.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I found this thread to ask about willow legs indicating an Ameraucana, but I see from some of the pics that there are plenty without this trait. I'll try and post some pics of mine in the next couple days of some 8 week olds and some 4 week olds that are supposed to be Ameraucana's.....but for now I was hoping that someone could explain about the willow legs and what it indicates if anything? About half of mine have that willow color.

Thanks for helping a newbie to Ameraucana's / EE's?

No, Ameraucanas do not have willow legs. If you have a bird with willow legs, it is indicative of EE, though EEs can have slate legs as well. True Ameraucanas only come in blue, black, buff, blue wheaten, wheaten, silver, white, and brown red, though project colors include lavender, chocolate, mottled, and barred.
Feather patterns / varieties like those pictured by Nikkipar, are indicative of EE.

 

[mediazeal]

My understanding is Black on Black with BBS ameraucanas will yield 100% black ams
These are blehm ameraucanas from BBS line but are all black birds
I am getting blue and splash chicks as well as black
is it an easter miracle or am I mistaken re BBS all black = all black?
really, no extra sneaky roosters involved
all is secure
I know you won't believe me
I don't believe it myself
I'm just saying, secure coop, black am roo, black hens
miracle chicks, pre-colored for easter
what????

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

My understanding is Black on Black with BBS ameraucanas will yield 100% black ams
These are blehm ameraucanas from BBS line but are all black birds
I am getting blue and splash chicks as well as black
is it an easter miracle or am I mistaken re BBS all black = all black?
really, no extra sneaky roosters involved
all is secure
I know you won't believe me
I don't believe it myself
I'm just saying, secure coop, black am roo, black hens
miracle chicks, pre-colored for easter
what????

Do you have pics? Sometimes you can have blue birds that are SO dark they look black....that'd be my guess...OR it could be that they are black / lavender splits and you are getting lavender chicks...he posted recently on the ABC forum that he has found his blacks carry lavender...

 

[mediazeal]

Wow, that could explain it
I might not be crazy after all!
I will post a pic as soon as I get them out of the hatcher
thanks for the info, much appreciated

Quote: