Lavender Ameraucana Breeders .... UNITE

[Caitlin_VT]

Question: out of 4 shipped lav/lav split chicks, I am down to 1 sad dotty little 8 month roo. They were the only of my 40ish chickens to die. Is this normal or did I just get a weak batch? Can I expect this little tottering roo to get more robust or should he be culled?

I would say cull, or at least do not use for breeding. If he is not robust by now, I would say not worth keeping!

 

[CommanderBaa]

That's what I thought. Bad batch, I guess. Thanks Caitlin_VT!

 

[Caitlin_VT]

There are many good birds out there! No use feeding one of poor quality With my first batch of Lav eggs, I had a really poor hatch rate too. And that was with local eggs. Try a different breeder or buy chicks/started birds. Since my first attempt I have gotten better, more vigorous birds that hatch very well!

 

[Finnie]

Hi all, I've been directed to this thread for some insight on sexing my 5 lavender Ameraucana chicks. I've read through page 80 so far, and picked up a tip where someone mentioned that if they have three distinct rows of "pearls" coming in, then they are a male, and only one distinct row means female.

Mine are 9 weeks old today, and I think that puts them past the age where the female tails are longer, doesn't it? If not, I'll go out and check tails. But I did try to get some close up shots of their combs and I would like to know if anybody thinks these photos tell anything useful. I feel like they all have either one row, or no rows at all. I'm pretty sure I got at least one photo of each of the five.

1st:




2nd:






3rd:



4th:



5th:

I hope no one minds more photos of the same chicks. Since I couldn't find any photos of developing combs to learn from, I thought I might post what I'm seeing as I go along. The chicks are now 1 week older, (10 weeks, 3 days). The pink is coming in, and there are more/bigger bumps. What I think I've noticed, is that the center row, or ridge, that indicates female seems to come in first on all of them, and then on the males, the skin on either side of the ridge starts to swell up and then develop into two secondary rows. I'm getting this idea from one that I think is a cockerel, but last week he looked like a female. This week he has swellings along side his ridge, but they haven't quite become actual ridges yet. (I pegged this one as a rooster from his behavior right from the start, so I will be watching to see if he really does develop three ridges. He is the boldest, and the first to do everything, always hopping on top of things to look around. He basically put himself in charge from the get-go.)

On the ones that I think are females, it seems as though the primary ridge is getting bigger, with no other signs of "swelling" next to it. Just one distinct ridge coming out of flat, pale skin. Hopefully these photos will show what I mean. It's pretty subtle.

This is the green band chick, who I've been calling "Mr. Green Jeans" from the beginning because he acted like a rooster:


I'm not sure if you can make out the pink, puffy skin next to his center ridge, but it might be more obvious when compared to one without it, that I think is a female (purple leg band):


Her ridge seems to be growing taller, with no side ridges.

Here is the dark blue ringer, who I thought was male last week, and seems even more so now:


I know the photo is blurry, but you can actually see the two grooves between the center ridge and the two side ridges.

This next one is the grey leg ring one, and then I couldn't get a good shot of the fifth chick.



The jury is still out on this one. It is the "runt", always smaller and more behind in its development than the others. Also the one they all pick on. Oddly, in spite of all that, this one has always seemed to behave like a rooster, like the green band one does. Well, like a rather submissive rooster. At this point, this grey ring one just has the center ridge, and looks female. But if combs develop in the way I think they do, then this one still has time to go either way.

The fifth one that I didn't get a picture of (light blue leg band) really seems like a female.

I will keep watching them as they go through the rest of their changes, and update anything more that I learn in another week or two.

 

[LavenderCrow]

I hope no one minds more photos of the same chicks. Since I couldn't find any photos of developing combs to learn from, I thought I might post what I'm seeing as I go along. The chicks are now 1 week older, (10 weeks, 3 days). The pink is coming in, and there are more/bigger bumps. What I think I've noticed, is that the center row, or ridge, that indicates female seems to come in first on all of them, and then on the males, the skin on either side of the ridge starts to swell up and then develop into two secondary rows. I'm getting this idea from one that I think is a cockerel, but last week he looked like a female. This week he has swellings along side his ridge, but they haven't quite become actual ridges yet. (I pegged this one as a rooster from his behavior right from the start, so I will be watching to see if he really does develop three ridges. He is the boldest, and the first to do everything, always hopping on top of things to look around. He basically put himself in charge from the get-go.)

On the ones that I think are females, it seems as though the primary ridge is getting bigger, with no other signs of "swelling" next to it. Just one distinct ridge coming out of flat, pale skin. Hopefully these photos will show what I mean. It's pretty subtle.

This is the green band chick, who I've been calling "Mr. Green Jeans" from the beginning because he acted like a rooster:


I'm not sure if you can make out the pink, puffy skin next to his center ridge, but it might be more obvious when compared to one without it, that I think is a female (purple leg band):


Her ridge seems to be growing taller, with no side ridges.

Here is the dark blue ringer, who I thought was male last week, and seems even more so now:


I know the photo is blurry, but you can actually see the two grooves between the center ridge and the two side ridges.

This next one is the grey leg ring one, and then I couldn't get a good shot of the fifth chick.



The jury is still out on this one. It is the "runt", always smaller and more behind in its development than the others. Also the one they all pick on. Oddly, in spite of all that, this one has always seemed to behave like a rooster, like the green band one does. Well, like a rather submissive rooster. At this point, this grey ring one just has the center ridge, and looks female. But if combs develop in the way I think they do, then this one still has time to go either way.

The fifth one that I didn't get a picture of (light blue leg band) really seems like a female.

I will keep watching them as they go through the rest of their changes, and update anything more that I learn in another week or two.

The blurry pic is most definitely a rooster!

 

[Finnie]

I have another installment of comb development. I really hope this is useful to people, because I feel conspicuous hijacking the Lavender thread.

These photos were taken at 11 weeks, 6 days (so 12 weeks old tomorrow).

Mr. Green Jeans:


I think he is not following the same pattern as the others. There is a wide puffy area, but I can't make out grooves between the ridges to signify three of them. But I still think he's a rooster, based on behavior. This was the only good photo I got of him this week.


Purple band:








So far, still seems female.

Dark blue band:






The three ridges are bigger at the top this week, but they seem to taper down towards the front, ending up as just one ridge. I'm pretty sure it is still safe to say it's a male.

Next is the Grey band chick. Last week I thought this one could still go either way. See what you think of it now:




I'm definitely seeing two grooves between three rows of bumps there. And like the Dark Blue chick, towards the front there is just the single ridge.


And lastly, I did get photos of the light blue ring chick this time:





Sigh, it's looking like another male.

I find it interesting that I went from thinking they were all female, to now thinking it's only one female and four males. It just goes to show that it takes time, and you have to be patient and wait. Of course, they still have a long way to go, and I can't tell yet if there will be more changes down the road that trump these. I think I should try to get some photos of my one adult hen, so I can compare the babies to her, as an end product.

But it looks like I'm going to have some cockerels for sale. Anybody in the Indiana region need a lavender Ameraucana rooster? They came from a reputable show breeder in Kentucky. He's been great to deal with, so I'd be pretty confident recommending stock from him.

 

[buddy phoenix]

Marking this . Cant wait now. Lol

 

[yellow duck]

Ok just wondering but I'm new to the breeding lavander orpingtons. Right now I have 4 lavander orpington hens and 1 very large english black orpington rooster. That I am breeding out to get a better quality lavender chicks. I got the 2 hens and the roo from a breeder that decided not to do the lavander breeds anymore. I had already purchased the other 2 from her before and I have 4 of the lavander /black english orps. Chicks now. 1 I believe is a roo.
Now would I want to breed that baby roo once older back with the all lavender hens? and have a good off spring? Or should i wait and breed the first sets hens back with the english orp and then use one of those roosters to go back to the original set? So I'm thinking the 3rd generation rooster back to the first and second set?
Am I thinking correctly or am I totally off?

And how will I know which babys are the black lavander split. Vs. The all black opringtons? Since I will have 2 black orp. hens in the pen also?
does anyone have pics of new baby chicks that are lavander Vs. Black/lavander split. Vs. All black orpington?

 

[RFR of CA]

There is no visual difference between a lavender split black and an all black from the same crossing. Lavender is easier to remember if you think of it as the "splash" in the standard blue chart:

• Blue Color Chart
• Blue x Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black, 25% Splash
• Blue x Splash = 50% Blue, 50% Splash
• Blue x Black = 50% Blue, 50% Black
• Splash x Black = 100% Blue
• Splash x Splash = 100% Splash

With lavenders, just replace lavender everywhere you see "splash." The "blue" then becomes the black split so:

Lavender (Self Blue) Color Chart

Black Split x Black Split = 50% Black Split, 25% Black and 25% Lavender
Black Split x Lavender = 50% Black Split, 50% Lavender
Black Split x Black = 50% Black Split, 50% Black
Lavender x Black = 100% Black Split
Lavender x Lavender = 100% Lavender

Last year I took an amazing 100% Black Orpington and bred him to my best Lavender girls. By the chart, all the results were guaranteed to be black splits so no guesswork! Now I kept the best spit cockerel and hen from those and I am breeding back into my lavender group. These crosses will result in 50% Lavenders, and 50% splits, again no guessing if the black is a split or not which cuts down on trial and error testing.

In my Lavender Ameraucana group I have a rooster which I do not yet know whether or not he is a split. I am breeding him to all lavender girls and the chicks will tell me what he is. If they are all black in color then they are actually about half splits and half blacks which means he is a 100% black rooster. Lavenders means I have a split boy! Hope this is helpful.

 

[DMRippy]

Ok just wondering but I'm new to the breeding lavander orpingtons. Right now I have 4 lavander orpington hens and 1 very large english black orpington rooster. That I am breeding out to get a better quality lavender chicks. I got the 2 hens and the roo from a breeder that decided not to do the lavander breeds anymore. I had already purchased the other 2 from her before and I have 4 of the lavander /black english orps. Chicks now. 1 I believe is a roo.
Now would I want to breed that baby roo once older back with the all lavender hens? and have a good off spring? Or should i wait and breed the first sets hens back with the english orp and then use one of those roosters to go back to the original set? So I'm thinking the 3rd generation rooster back to the first and second set?
Am I thinking correctly or am I totally off?

And how will I know which babys are the black lavander split. Vs. The all black opringtons? Since I will have 2 black orp. hens in the pen also?
does anyone have pics of new baby chicks that are lavander Vs. Black/lavander split. Vs. All black orpington?

This is a thread for ameraucanas.