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

[my sunwolf]

Hmmmmm, I have a 3 week old ameraucana that has three rows. And thanks for the advice =) I'm using a local brand of feed. Thanks for answering all my questions! I've had chickens for quite a while, but I'm realizing that I still have lots to learn, as well as new breeds to have! I love black and splash ameraucanas. I'm hoping one of mine is a splash, but at the moment all the feathers are coming in with a silvery color, I'm not sure what it will be! Were these eggs shipped? Or did you drive to get them? I've heard a lot of bad things about getting shipped eggs.

I wouldn't worry too much about the 3 rows, I've had some very definite pullets have 3 row peas from early ages. Of course, this was in Easter Eggers, not Ameraucanas, so there may be a difference there. So far my Ameraucana pullets have all had small, thin peas and the boys had thick, three row peas.

This is one of my pullets with a 3 row comb at about 6 weeks:

 

[CloverdaleFarms]

So frustrated! I am getting 100% hatch rates on my home grown Ameraucans, but less than 40% on my shipped. I know this is normal, but it still breaks my heart. With my most recent hatch, the little ones make it up to the18th day, but only 3 out of 8 hatched. I put my own Ameraucanas and Marans in as a control to ensure that any problems with the hatch were not temp/humidity. ALL of my babies hatched! I had slightly better luck with the shipped Marans...67% of them hatched. When I did an eggtopsy, some of the eggs were very wet, others were dry. Two of the eggs looked like the babies were trying to pip, but just couldn't quite get there. Any insights????

 

[Redeemed]

Folks
I am a newbie. I have my first hatch which should start piping tomorrow. They are from a Blue Wheaten male and blue and Wheaten hens. Have I bred the wrong colors to get solid colors and should expect splashes? Please tell me noooooooooooo

I really do not like splashes.

 

[CloverdaleFarms]

Folks
I am a newbie. I have my first hatch which should start piping tomorrow. They are from a Blue Wheaten male and blue and Wheaten hens. Have I bred the wrong colors to get solid colors and should expect splashes? Please tell me noooooooooooo

I really do not like splashes.

Sorry...The Blue Wheatens together will make Blue and Splash Wheaten. The Wheaten and Blue Wheaten will produce Blue and Wheaten chicks. If you get the Splash you will be able to sell them.

 

[Outrun Acres]

So frustrated! I am getting 100% hatch rates on my home grown Ameraucans, but less than 40% on my shipped. I know this is normal, but it still breaks my heart. With my most recent hatch, the little ones make it up to the18th day, but only 3 out of 8 hatched. I put my own Ameraucanas and Marans in as a control to ensure that any problems with the hatch were not temp/humidity. ALL of my babies hatched! I had slightly better luck with the shipped Marans...67% of them hatched. When I did an eggtopsy, some of the eggs were very wet, others were dry. Two of the eggs looked like the babies were trying to pip, but just couldn't quite get there. Any insights????

What type of incubator are you using? Since you have had really good hatch rates with your own eggs, I'm assuming your problems don't lie with your incubator. So many things can go wrong with shipped eggs. You don't know what type of nutrition the hens laying the eggs have received, when eggs were collected, if people handling them washed their hands before touching the eggs, how they were stored, if they were rotated properly, let alone what happened when they were shipped. When I have hatched, I have had more wet eggs than dry. So I run a dry hatch now and only boost humidity to 60% at lockdown. I don't really have much advice. Shipped eggs are such a gamble. Some breeders have told me that Ameraucana eggs can be difficult to hatch. If these birds were from a different line they may have some fertility issues that yours do not. But, I'm still inclined to blame is on being shipped.

 

[salt and pepper]

Well, we might have one or more roosters

it always HAS to be your favorite!

 

[Outrun Acres]

Well, we might have one or more roosters

it always HAS to be your favorite!

You never know with Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers. I would give it a little more time before making any hasty decisions. Fingers crossed it's a girl!

 

[Outrun Acres]

My Ameraucana eggs went into lockdown today! My humidity is finally stabilized at 60%. I only had to fill all the water wells, and add two sponges and a microwaved wet wash-cloth! Last time I hatched my humidity was around 65% and half of my chicks hatched "sticky." So hopefully a little lower humidity does the trick this time. Very excited to see what color some of the chicks are. They are Blue/Black/Splash eggs. I have 8 from all black pens, 2 splash x splash and 3 blue x splash eggs. Very excited! I built dividers for the incubator and have my multicolored zip ties ready. Even the brooder is set up, now all I have to do is wait . . . and stare at the incubator of course.

They have Blue Andalusions at our local Tractor Supply right now. It is so tempting to buy some to use in a project to add better lacing to the blues! My husband was with me so he managed to steer me away from the chick area. Until he read that they lay white eggs! We may have to go back in tomorrow and buy some. Unfortunately, we would have to buy a minimum of six. So frustrating! I really don't want 6.

 

[Redeemed]

Thank you so much for your answer. I wasnot aware that a blue wheaten was to produce like a blue. ,I really do not even dislike splashes but I am trying to build some foundation stock here.

 

[salt and pepper]

Good luck on your hatch!!!! hope to see pictures of your new chicks soon!!!