The Ameraucana Thread: Where everything and anything about the breed can be discussed (APA, Non-Stan

[Outrun Acres]

I have been browsing on the "sticky" Ameraucana thread lately and it seemed to me that there was a need to create a thread where members could discuss everything about Ameraucanas. Members should feel free to comment and ask questions about anything that has to do with Ameraucanas on this thread. Anyone can post pictures of APA-Standard birds, Purebred Non-Standard birds, Project Birds and even EE's! (Even though there are already wonderful EE threads out there). Feel free to discuss the standard of perfection for the breed as well. I hope that all subscribers of this thread will keep an open mind and not criticize other peoples differing opinions. Lets create a warm friendly and informative environment for both old-timers and new-comers alike.

 

[jerryse]

I am really interested in this thread, as I'm just taking the plunge into buying PB Ameraucanas for breeding purposes. We're currently doing EE's and Olive Eggers with the boy below:



He's a Blue that got gold leakage in the hackle and saddles. He also has dark brown eyes, but I can't really figure out if eye color is part of the SOP. Does anyone know if the leakage speaks badly of his lineage? The breeder who sold him to me really wanted to make sure I didn't think I was going to be able to breed Ameraucanas with him. He also has some brown tones to his blue, which is definitely not good. So far he's just here to cross over my Easter Eggers and brown egg layers for some cute blue and green egg laying mutts.

Of course, last week I drove and picked up some PB BBS Ameraucanas bred from Blue stock:




Aren't they pretty? (See that boy down in front?)

When I got them home, I figured out why I got them for such a deal: there is crossbeak in the lines. I've already had to cull one chick, and it's looking like I'll have to cull another. I thought it might be nutrition problems, but on a high protein feed they haven't improved. Didn't even think to check for that when buying them, and didn't notice it until I got them home. Ah, well. Just one more reason to buy from reputable breeders.

When these kids grow up, the pullets will be bred to a Black Ameraucana rooster from a different flock to produce a lot of blues. The boys will be bred to my Easter Eggers and, eventually, to their "neices." We'll do line breeding until I get serious enough that I want to purchase really incredible stock to cross back into the flock.

The project color I am most interested in: Blue Laced Red Ameraucanas. Concerned that, to do that kind of a project, you'd have to breed in brown egg layers, and so to get back to blue eggs, you'd then worry about only selecting for egg color while other traits (health, weight, eye color, leg color, etc) declined. So, you'd have to have a pretty large selection of birds to do the breeding with, more so than doing a project color where you can breed in a white egg layer.

I would not be too concerned on egg color on a wy cross.Here is one out of the above cross.Wy are not a dark brown egg.Now let me try to dispel a idea that you may have read elsewhere.Rose comb is not harder to get rid of than single comb when crossed to pea comb.Crossed back to pea both will produce a 50/50 ratio.Simply select pea comb.If you must use F1s with each other to restore lacing select pea combs.Percentage will be lower.Now a single/pea comb combo can sometimes look like a pure pea comb even to a trained eye.I have not found this to be true of a cushion comb.That is what a rose/pea comb combination produces.I like to encourage newbies simply because somewhere amongst the newbies are the future of the breed.In 20 years I will likely be deceased or too frail to continue breeding.This true of all the older breeders.Without encouragement of newbies the future is not too bright.You have someone here to help guide you.Give it a try.

 

[TW1Kell]

jerryse:

I have to comment about your attitude and demeanor. You are so above all of us in knowledge and experience, but don't seem to mind aiding and advising we of the "don't have a clue club". I wanted to thank you in hopes that you would continue to do so. I fear that if we don't show our appreciation, you might lose interest in us and assume that we're not paying attention. I am cutting and pasting just about everything that you post! It is all so informative and interesting.

I do have a question: F1 is first generation of the project, correct? I am almost 53 and never have been much of a geneticist, and it has been a lil while since biology classes in Comm College. Are there any good books that pertain to chicken breeding and how to obtain colors/traits, that you would recommend? Please continue to educate us, as your information makes me want to really tackle some of these gorgeous colors and traits.

 

[Outrun Acres]

I have been referred to the Ameraucana Breeders Club webpage by other members where they have a scrapbook tab that provides pictures of the APA standard colors for the breed. Any bird that does not phenotypically match one of the standard 8 colors can not be considered an APA Standard Bird. As it stands now the breeders club claims that regardless of parentage, offspring that does not fall into one of these color categories is considered an EE. (I have hard time making sense of this and have been criticized on other Ameraucana threads for questioning the SOP of the breed). On this thread feel free to adhere to the SOP or refer to said offspring as Non-Standard Ameraucanas. EE's include crossbreeds. A Non-Standard Ameraucana is not a cross breed. Since most of the controversy with this breed revolves around color. Here is a like to the ABC websites scrapbook page that contains pictures of all 8 APA- standard colors of Ameraucanas. Have I confused anyone yet?

http://www.ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html


If your opinion differs from mine, please feel free to state your own. I would like people of differing opinions to feel welcome on this thread!

 

[nicalandia]

chocolate cukoo pullet.

 

[TW1Kell]

Well, as I stated above, most of my "yard pets" are identical to the various color pictures for SoP Ameracaunas, but I call them Amies/EE's, because I "aint uppity". Your birds are probably as pretty as mine, K Epp, and you probably like them as much as I like mine. We both enjoy our birds and want to share info and brag a lil about our hard-working pets. Mine feed me eggs, most every day. That's a good pet! Welcome to Outrun Acres new thread, and I hope that you enjoy your "EE's", as much as we do.

Outrun Acres, why don't you post that link of the SoP pics for Amies, to your sig, as well. Many haven't seen it, and may not even know that their birds match the SoP, perfectly, as well. People don't have to accept uppity if they don't want! hahaha!

I don't really care that mine "look right", but it does give me room to say that my birds are good birds...even the mutts! hahaha The mutts come from SoP birds, too! hahaha! Sooo...they are SoP descendants! hahaha!

 

[Outrun Acres]

I'm also working on a blue Sebright, I have 2 blue Hens with Sebright blood in them and an order in for Silver 'Brights. Colors are what it's all about...There's no Blue 'Bright in the SoP, either, nor a Buff, but I see Buffs for sale, at Ideal Hatcheries and from the man where I got my 3 new 'Brights this past Saturday. I understand you Breed a Golden Roo with a Silver Hen. I have THAT combination, now. Soooo....here come the Buffs.

I always love to see the colors people come up with, and the EE's are so wonderful for doing that. I can't see how anyone would balk at someone attempting a new and beautiful color combo. My Olive Eggers are beautiful Golden Amie appearing, with blue rear halves. They are some of my most beautiful chickens, and they're Hens. I also drove 110 miles, each way, just to buy them. Roos are usually considered the best-looking, but...EE's have good-looking Hens.

Don't let ANYone talk you out of a project that you want to try. You may have the next "craze trend" bird, in your pics.

It seems to take a long time to get a color accepted into a breeds SOP. I am excited to "dive" into some projects in the future. I think I would like to start with a standard color first to better my understanding of the genetics of the breed before I attempt to make any breeding decisions. My "eye" is not keen enough yet in the chicken world. My background is in dogs and horses. I have so much to learn and can't get enough of this breed! (Ameraucanas). All of the traits it possesses intrigues me.

 

[jerryse]

It seems to take a long time to get a color accepted into a breeds SOP. I am excited to "dive" into some projects in the future. I think I would like to start with a standard color first to better my understanding of the genetics of the breed before I attempt to make any breeding decisions. My "eye" is not keen enough yet in the chicken world. My background is in dogs and horses. I have so much to learn and can't get enough of this breed! (Ameraucanas). All of the traits it possesses intrigues me.

Reminds me of myself.Genetics are sooo interesting.We old breeders were once young upstarts that were told we would never get our breed into the standard as long as we had araucana in the name.So we called them Ameraucana.Thanks to Frank Gary who helped us get in.It was close but Frank helped tip things our way.We met all the requirements and they lost the paper work.With Frank's help the process was completed.I knew nothing when I started.Learned as I went along.Oh by the way we used easter eggers as a starting point.At that time if it laid a blue or green egg it was a Araucana.The breed history says we used Araucana and that is true but now you know the rest of the story.

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

some lines of black Ameraucana are based of E/R and carry birchen and/or red... so when u breed to blacks and or blue to black you can come up with a bird with white/silver or red in there hackel and saddle or wing bow feathers... this is a cull and is considered an EE...

now i don't really agree with that but that is they way the club wants it... if u don't agree the best way to change it is to join the club and vote!!!

"I have not been able to wrap my head around the fact that breeding a purebred Ameraucana to a purebred Ameraucana can result in an Easter Egger. "
Find me a case where that has happened, please. Thanks!

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

the 50% number has nothing to do with the Ameraucana Club that is the APA standard for a bird to be a breed... its berried somewhere in the 1st 40 pages of your SOP book... i just got my SOP book 2 weeks ago and have not had much time to read it all yet...

So it seems they agree that an Ameraucana can be an Easter Egger

I imagine they are hoping to up that 50% by removing the "non-standards" from the breeding pool. The easiest way to do that is to call them something OTHER than Ameraucana. There can't be an APA Easter Egger breed until there is a repeatable process to breed them and know that you will get what you EXPECT to get (not withstanding that 50% Ameraucana thing). But EEs can be any breed crossed with any other breed as long as there is some Araucana or Ameraucana showing up in some fashion - beard, muff, blue or green eggs.