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

[Outrun Acres]

I do not think you need show quality birds for 4H. 4H is for teaching kids about animal husbandry. responsibility, leadership, community, and a ton of other things. The kids are judged on the condition of the bird and how well they have trained them, fed them, and prepared them. (Showmanship)

I agree. They don't need show quality birds for showmanship. But if they are going to show them in any other category besides showmanship they are going to be disqualified if they do not have a bird that meets the standard for its breed. Another side of 4-H is learning to recognize a good quality animal from a poor one (which actually would fall under animal husbandry). Certain breeds are bred to have enhanced characteristics that the 4-H member should learn to recognize. That includes knowing the standard for a specific breed and being able to judge said animal based on that standard. 4-H is a wonderful program that hones skills necessary to function in the real world. It's about becoming educated in a variety of subjects. A lot of 4-H members will become FFA members when they enter high school. In FFA it is very important to learn the standards for different breeds of animals and being able to recognize the phenotypic traits that apply to said standard. So I think both sides are important. It's important for all children to participate in 4-H even if they don't have or can't afford a fancy pure-bred animal. But it is also important for them to know what they have before they go to a show. Thats overall what 4-H is about - educating children in the topics you listed above: animal husbandry, responsibility, leadership, community, etc.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
Ah, I did not realize they would judge the bird by the SOP for 4H. In that case this bird would would not do well for that portion. He has no muff/beard, he has a squirrel tail, and fits no color standard for any bird that I have seen, not even an AOV...

Does the boy have an alternate bird he can use?

 

[tellynpeep]

I have not read this entire thread (!) but hope someone here can help. I have one Wheaten rooster left from last year's hatch. He has some slight lacing in his hackle feathers. I don't have access to the full SOP, so don't know if this is allowed or is considered really bad. Someone wants this rooster, and I don't want to put him into someone's breeding program if he is not going to be a good addition to their flock.
I'd appreciate any comments/education here! He is just 1 year old (His brother, whom I have already placed, did not have any of this lacing.)

 

[ChickieWickies]

Thanks for all the helpful info. We actually got him as an extra in our feather-footed fancy order. My 8-year-old took him first thing--I think because it was easy to pick him out of the "pack" and watch his development. We do have other chickens for him to show, but he is going to be mighty disappointed he can't take Mystery. Oh well, at least he'll enjoy moving in with our EE ladies.

Also, our daughter showed 4-H for the first time last year. Sadly, her BEAUTFUL langshans were killed by a racoon (it didn't eat them, but the langshans were too scared to come out of their coop and they overheated--even with extra water and shade) less than a month before fair. She took some too-small pullets just to take something. They didn't do well, and we didn't expect them to. However, we learned that the boys REALLY worried about them and were CONSTANTLY checking on them to make sure they were all right!!! The judge said the 4-Her didn't even need to be there for judging--I guess they ONLY look at the bird here. I wish we had those 3 categories. I'd quote you all if I knew how!! I'm still new to this!

I think it's funny how the boys picked roosters and my daughter picked the gals, even BEFORE we could tell what they were. Although my daughter probably knew, she has been Grandma's #1 chicken catcher for a while now. They all looked the same to me until we got our own--now I'm hooked!

 

[ChickieWickies]

We also have:

Several White Langshan hens and a few roosters
2 Black Langshan hens and a rooster (belong to his brother)
A Blue Cochin hen (sister's)
2 Red Cochin hens (1 is sister's)
A light Brahma hen (his)
A Barred Cochin rooster (brother's)
3 EEs (his)
A Laced Cochin hen (I say she's mine but my daughter claims she's hers)
2 Buff Cochin hens

 

[brahmabreeder]

Are all of your birds from a hatchery? Hatchery birds don't place well in the first place. If you go to the brahma thread I could give you my opinions on the light brahma hen if you'd like.

 

[ChickieWickies]

I'd love to, but I don't have a good picture of her right now. She's at Grandma's. We're limited to 8 hens here.

 

[aldarita]

Ok so I am very impressed with the answers I have been getting in this thread, everybody has been so helpful!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart

I am still thinking ahead so I can be prepared for when my chicks arrive. I live in South Central Texas and the heat is just around the corner, my EE has a hard time with it (I guess because she does not have a comb and wattles to help relieve the heat) so I have been reading everywhere looking for tips to help this situation. Last summer I got pans with water and my hens liked to step in them and cool their feet, also I gave them cold watermelon and every treat (veggies and fruit) were kept in the fridge until it was given to them so they were cold. Also I have a roof on my run and we normally get pretty good breeze almost every day. We installed a fan in the run for when it was dead still. I am planning to freeze bottles of water to put them in their waterers, also I have a big plastic container (one gallon) that I plan to freeze and put it in a tray covered with an old towel so they can lay around it (if only I could get them to get the idea, last summer they did not lay around it) but I am not giving up yet on this plan. I will let them free range very early in the morning and move them back in the run when the heat starts getting real bad (around 11AM). When my chicks get moved to their new coop, it will already be hot as hell

I have an extractor fan to get the heat out and lots of ventilation (I hope they don't get too scared with the extractor noise)



this is my covered run (before we built the new coop at the end)

this is our new coop ready for the chickies

this is part of my chicken yard. The bushes we planted are not big enough to give them shade, this is why I plan to just let them free range in the mornings.
So please give me some ideas to improve the heat situation. I am awfully worried about my chicks getting way too hot, specially being ameraucanas.
BTW that little house structure in the middle of the pic is my idea of a hawk shelter, they can run under it although since I am always with them when they are free ranging (lots of hawks in this area) my flock feels secured so they just go there to eat the grass under it and maybe cover from the sun ???
Many of you might have already gone thru many real hot summers, so you might have some tips to give us newbies. Very much appreciated.

 

[salt and pepper]

It's POURING here, and the runs have turned into a bog!!!

The grow out pen is the worst, as it had shavings in it, that have now gone sour. I put a pallet in there so that they could get out of the water, but I still feel bad for them

Any suggestions? The rain isn't stopping till tuesday....

 

[horsiefly53]

So excited to have my first Ameraucana chicks! They are from Ray_n_Debi. Right after I ordered eggs last fall there was a cold snap and her hens stopped laying. I waited until April to get the eggs. Then went to the post office 3 times the day they arrived. They couldn't find the box first two times. My friend has cabinet incubators and hatched them for me. There were 2 dozen eggs and 10 hatched. The others are still in the icubator just in case. They are so little compared to other chicks I have had. Or maybe it just seems that way? The red on the heads of a couple of them are marker so my friend could tell them apart from her own chicks.