Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Christie Rhae]

Oh yeah, blame it on the women

lol

 

[BarnGoddess01]

It's so nice of you to encourage me. Seems you are the only one on here sadly..

Wow. All the great advice you have been given and this is what you come up with.

Good luck with your "project".

 

[jerryse]

Well many prefer large eggs.I was raised eating both large and bantam eggs.So 2 large or 3 small makes no difference.But liking to tinker with genetics I prefer bantams.6 bantams= about 12# of chicken to feed.2 large fowl at standard weight=about 12# of chicken to feed.I can indulge in more genetics with bantams.Yes I did leave a opening that was hard to resist.

 

[aoxa]

Wow. All the great advice you have been given and this is what you come up with.

Good luck with your "project".

I'm talking about the whites, not trying to say that anyone was mean or anything. You were very helpful suggesting breeders (or offering eggs), but I do still want to try this out. I hope that doesn't offend anyone.

 

[Cats Cradle]

Well time has changed things a little.We started as the Ameraucana bantam club.The bantams still have a good following but more women are keeping chickens for eggs so there is more demand for large fowl.

My kids have it backwards! My son is the one who chose to raise the large fowl. He says it takes too many bantam eggs to make a decent omelet! My girls both chose to raise bantams. They just love them for the cuteness factor.

I'm with you Jerry... eggs are eggs. Needing less pen space and less feed makes a lot of sense!

 

[jerryse]

My kids have it backwards! My son is the one who chose to raise the large fowl. He says it takes too many bantam eggs to make a decent omelet! My girls both chose to raise bantams. They just love them for the cuteness factor.

I'm with you Jerry... eggs are eggs. Needing less pen space and less feed makes a lot of sense!

Yes bantams are economy all the way.With one pair of large fowl you can get 3-6 eggs a week.With 5 bantam hens and one rooster 15 to 30 eggs per week.It depends on the laying ability of your bloodline.So large fowl 6 to 12 ounces of egg a week.Bantams 15 to 30 ounces of egg a week.My white bantam eggs weigh from 1 oz to 1 3/8 and average 6 eggs a week per hen.Not all large fowl will average 2 oz.So i have tried to be fair on my estimates.Your son sounds like my brother.He only buys extra large and jumbo eggs. In grandmas day the farm wives took care of the chickens.Egg money was theirs.When chickens became my hobby it was mostly men who chose to raise bantams to show.Things are swinging back to women with chickens.I sell hatching eggs and women outnumber men as customers.

 

[heatherscooby77]

I'm talking about the whites, not trying to say that anyone was mean or anything. You were very helpful suggesting breeders (or offering eggs), but I do still want to try this out. I hope that doesn't offend anyone.

Try, try, and try some more. You are not hurting anyone. You are in a project phase. Usually every breeder has one. I just love that there are a lot of people out there trying to spread the love for Ameraucanas. I want to get some LF whites also. Will probably tackle that next year!

 

[Tailfeathers]

Breed description and the SOP call for a "blue" egg, however, as you say, it isn't judged and can be hard to prove. But as folks are finding out the hard way, LOTS of things can be said that end up being hard to prove.

I don't understand this comment? What "breed description" are we talking about? It sounds as though two different things are being referenced. There is only one SOP so that is a given. Within the SOP is a general breed description which, if memory serves me correctly, states that Ameraucanas lay blue eggs. But it is only a general description and should not be taken to include every little detail. For example, it doesn't say "but may also lay white or green eggs" because it is simply a general description. And again, I am not at home so I don't have my copy of the SOP handy but I don't remember seeing anything in the general breed description that would "call for" a blue egg. Perhaps it may say "should lay" a blue egg. But nowhere do I recall seeing anything that says it "must only" lay a blue egg.

Moreover, no where in the SOP which I would define as that part of the bird description which breaks down individually what the specific characteristics for which are to be judged, does it say anything about an egg. Not size, shape, color or whether the bird even must lay one. The egg simply has nothing to do with regard as to whether the bird qualifies or is disqualified as an Ameraucana.

Now, having said that, I want to state again that blue egg color is something that all Ameraucana breeders would want and should be breeding for. However, that is only one of many, many different things that must be considered when setting up the breeding program. Most folks know the blue egg gene is dominant. So what serious breeder who is having productivity problems would not place that as a priority over color? I mean, if the doggone bird never lays an egg - or only lays say 10 a year - who cares what color it is? Or what serious breeder who is having a problem with a recessive gene trait that needs improved wouldn't work on getting that set before worrying about getting the bluest egg? If you've ever lost a dual recessive gene trait or a recessive sex-linked gene trait, you know how much work it is to get it back.

I've seen some EE's that lay a pretty nice blue egg. Nicer than many Ameraucanas. But that don't make it an Ameraucana. So I think we're leading folks astray by emphasizing the egg color over all the other things that Ameraucanas "must" have and also need a lot of improvement in. Perhaps, it's just a thought, but maybe all this emphasis on egg color is one reason why we're not seeing more Ameraucanas taking Best of Show and such.

God Bless,

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
Breed description in the SOP. SOP states that Ameraucanas lay "eggs with blue shells".

 

[jerryse]

I don't understand this comment? What "breed description" are we talking about? It sounds as though two different things are being referenced. There is only one SOP so that is a given. Within the SOP is a general breed description which, if memory serves me correctly, states that Ameraucanas lay blue eggs. But it is only a general description and should not be taken to include every little detail. For example, it doesn't say "but may also lay white or green eggs" because it is simply a general description. And again, I am not at home so I don't have my copy of the SOP handy but I don't remember seeing anything in the general breed description that would "call for" a blue egg. Perhaps it may say "should lay" a blue egg. But nowhere do I recall seeing anything that says it "must only" lay a blue egg.

Moreover, no where in the SOP which I would define as that part of the bird description which breaks down individually what the specific characteristics for which are to be judged, does it say anything about an egg. Not size, shape, color or whether the bird even must lay one. The egg simply has nothing to do with regard as to whether the bird qualifies or is disqualified as an Ameraucana.

Now, having said that, I want to state again that blue egg color is something that all Ameraucana breeders would want and should be breeding for. However, that is only one of many, many different things that must be considered when setting up the breeding program. Most folks know the blue egg gene is dominant. So what serious breeder who is having productivity problems would not place that as a priority over color? I mean, if the doggone bird never lays an egg - or only lays say 10 a year - who cares what color it is? Or what serious breeder who is having a problem with a recessive gene trait that needs improved wouldn't work on getting that set before worrying about getting the bluest egg? If you've ever lost a dual recessive gene trait or a recessive sex-linked gene trait, you know how much work it is to get it back.

I've seen some EE's that lay a pretty nice blue egg. Nicer than many Ameraucanas. But that don't make it an Ameraucana. So I think we're leading folks astray by emphasizing the egg color over all the other things that Ameraucanas "must" have and also need a lot of improvement in. Perhaps, it's just a thought, but maybe all this emphasis on egg color is one reason why we're not seeing more Ameraucanas taking Best of Show and such.

God Bless,

You have a good point.I bought some LF at Indy las yeart got them home and found they laid a greenish egg.I consider it a trait to work on.I know the breeder is reputable and would never bash him for this.No one has perfect birds it is what we all hope to produce.The EE's have come a long way laying nice blue eggs and good layers.I do pay attention to egg production.I agree they should lay a respectable number of eggs.Some color patterns are hard to cross out of and maintain the right pattern.I believe in color families and cross out to the closest color.Brown red is a hard one to cross out of.Black works but then you have to cross back again to brown red and you still have laceing problems.I have been working on birchen bantams for this reason.Same pattern just silver instead of red.A good choice to cross to and retain pattern.White removes any color and is easy to maintain a diverse gene pool.That is how I maintain vigor and egg production in whites.