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

[jerryse]

I thought I would post leg color pictures of my cuckoo projects . These were 4 cockerels I butchered yesterday . I scalded the legs to remove the outer skin. From left first set white inner layer but outer layer left on toes. Poorest leg color of the 4 and from a double barred cockerel . Next 3 sets single barred cockerels . Set 3 has outer layer left on toes . Good slate under color with some black spots. So yes I am getting slate legs in the presence of barring and on the inner layer and some on the outer layer . Continued selection will intensify the genes needed . Many of these chicks came from hens with poor leg color . So they only carry 1 copy of the genes needed .

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Recessive white is very NOT leaky. Dominant white is the one that is often leaky. Recessive white can leak, but it is a feather here or there, and for some reason in my experience, it has always been on males, and as the bird matures into old age, it is more common than when the bird was younger.

my recessive white empordanesa always have leakage. they seem to have maybe one dark tail feather but the have a lot of golden leakage . this is correct that its always on the males never the females on my birds

 

[pips&peeps]

my recessive white empordanesa always have leakage. they seem to have maybe one dark tail feather but the have a lot of golden leakage . this is correct that its always on the males never the females on my birds

My experience is that gold (red) leaks the most with recessive white and males will show it more than the females. I would try getting a new cock bird from a different line.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

My experience is that gold (red) leaks the most with recessive white and males will show it more than the females. I would try getting a new cock bird from a different line.

there is not really any USA lines of Empordanesa. There are only 4 or 5 of us here with them. I may have to out breed to one of my Penedesenca to clean it up and then breed those back to Empordanesa in separate runs. which would take a few breedings to get the yellow legs back.
If I get lucky I will be able to get a import done in the next year or two.

on another note here are my crele olive egger hens from a crele penedesenca to silver ameraucana

 

[Nickeechickee]

An updated pic of "Cheeks" my Blue Ameraucana. Not the best but she was more interested in hunting ants than posing for pics.

 

[Alaskan]

I am going to die and go straight to heaven!

Ameraucana eggs hatching, these are the cutest chicks ever!!!!!

 

[jerryse]

Here is a cuckoo project pullet . Nice dark legs with white soles on the feet . I have 5 of these in this age group . About 10 weeks old . Cockerels were out free ranging from another pen . Maybe pictures of those tomorrow . I have more that are younger . I hope to have 10 pullets for next year . I am very pleased with the progress on this project .

 

[FVRM]

Here is a cuckoo project pullet . Nice dark legs with white soles on the feet . I have 5 of these in this age group . About 10 weeks old . Cockerels were out free ranging from another pen . Maybe pictures of those tomorrow . I have more that are younger . I hope to have 10 pullets for next year . I am very pleased with the progress on this project .

how long have you been working on these? and you mentioned they're sexlinked?

 

[jerryse]

how long have you been working on these? and you mentioned they're sexlinked?

You can make sex links with them . You need barred hens and a non barred rooster . Hens only have 1 barring gene which can pass only to her sons thus making sex links possible . I have been tinkering with these for 5 or more years . I got really serious about them 2 years ago . I have lavender cuckoo also . My goal is purebred sex link pullets in black , blue and lavender . I would like cuckoo and lavender cuckoo to become accepted into the standard . Leg color was a stumbling block as barring usually results in white legs with slate spots as it interrupts black in feathers and skin . I was told by Nicalandia here on BYC that the genetic link with leg color could be broken . Some said impossible but I would not believe impossible . I feel I got lucky early . I suspect the genetic link was already broken and undetected in the bird I added in 2012 or perhaps in 1 of the other lines . I combined 3 barred/cuckoo lines in 2012 .

 

[rbaker0345]

At least they're pink legs, not green and the willow is coming. Can't wait til you perfect those cuckoos and feel like selling some eggs.......

I have now officially raised over 10 cockerels from my Smith birds and not a single one with leakage (BBS blacks and lav splits). I did get leaky cockerels from the original batch I ordered from him, but I hardened my heart and culled those and I think it was a good choice. Th only problem is that my breeder cockerels which came directly from Paul and Angela have beautiful combs but I only had a couple of the boys that I raised from them come out with nice combs, the rest are really lumpy instead of nice and smooth like their fathers. But I kept the one with the nicest comb and I just sold the others, so hopefully the problem will not persist.