Bantam Ameraucana Thread!

[jerryse]

Reviving this thread...

I'm hoping to start breeding Blue Wheaten bantams this year. They've been incredibly hard to source, I've found several Wheaten breeders, but no one seems to be concentrating on BW bantams anymore. Seems pretty ironic as there are so many LF BW breeders around.

If I can't find any BW stock I plan on outcrossing Wheaten birds to Blue bantams to bring the Blue gene into my line. It will take several generations of hatching to get to pure, true breeding Blue Wheaten bantams, but I've got the time and genetics knowledge to do it.

Have you considered a LF x bantam cross. I would say a bantam wheaten cock over some LF blue wheaten or splash wheaten hens should work. No color issues just size issues. should look good by 3rd generation going back to bantam each time.

 

[jeremy]

Have you considered a LF x bantam cross. I would say a bantam wheaten cock over some LF blue wheaten or splash wheaten hens should work. No color issues just size issues. should look good by 3rd generation going back to bantam each time.

I had not, and I don't know why I didn't think that way.

I hatched a lot of W/BW birds a few years back from several breeders, some were on the smaller size for LF so I'd imagine they could be bred to a bantam Wheaten male.

Do you think it'd be easier to breed down rather than outcrossing a Wheaten line to Blues?

Thanks for the idea!

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

It would be easier and take far less time to wait 6 months to a year for blue wheatens from someone that already has them, LOL.

 

[jeremy]

It would be easier and take far less time to wait 6 months to a year for blue wheatens from someone that already has them, LOL.

Yeah, but I'm a glutton for punishment...

I'm also thinking about the potential of bringing in new blood/increasing vigor by doing an outcross.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Well, if it's a challenge you feel like talking on go for it, but I doubt they will benefit from having LG infused into the gene pool. From what I understand they were among the first standardized varieties and we're a favorite of Mike Gilbert until just recently. ... That coupled with the fact that they haven't seemed to become very popular and this attract a lot of unscrupulous breeders would make it stand to reason that whatever is out there is probably still of rather good quality.

 

[jerryse]

I had not, and I don't know why I didn't think that way.

I hatched a lot of W/BW birds a few years back from several breeders, some were on the smaller size for LF so I'd imagine they could be bred to a bantam Wheaten male.

Do you think it'd be easier to breed down rather than outcrossing a Wheaten line to Blues?

Thanks for the idea!

The blue will cause color issues for several generations I would think. It is how Mike Gilbert brought blue into wheaten bantams. The blue gene was in my white bantams. So when I used white to create the first black bantams blue popped up. Wheaten/blue wheaten LF were bred up from bantam by Wayne Meredith as I recall.

 

[Shawneegyrl]

Can the Bantam Wheaten Ameraucanas be sexed by wing feathers?
They are so similar I mark them with fingernail polish

These little ones are 2 days old.

Blue



Purple


This is 3 days old
Pink

 

[Shawneegyrl]

Little rascals won't hold still for portraits!

 

[jerryse]

Can the Bantam Wheaten Ameraucanas be sexed by wing feathers?
They are so similar I mark them with fingernail polish

These little ones are 2 days old.

Blue



Purple


This is 3 days old
Pink

You have to breed for feather sexing. So no. You will not have long to wait. Wheaten family chicks will get buff breast on females and black or blue on the breast on males.

 

[Shawneegyrl]

You have to breed for feather sexing. So no. You will not have long to wait. Wheaten family chicks will get buff breast on females and black or blue on the breast on males.

Cool, thank you!