Ameracauna?

[EmmaRainboe]

Not that I’m planning on breeding chickens….since I don’t have a rooster, but, assuming I had an Ameracauna rooster…

Her offspring would be black 100% of the time unless the rooster carried a blue or splash gene and then the chicks could be a mix depending on how the cards fell?

I love the blues - it’s why I got her for the “awesome” price of $40 as a chick (I know, ridiculous but they got me with the picture of a pretty blue one and said she was blue). She is great and not going anywhere, but I still want a blue. How do I make sure I actually get a blue next time, and why do they advertise saying blues can be black or splash? I’m so confused.

If you breed her to another black you will get 100% black.

If you breed her to a blue you will get 50% black and 50% blue.

If you breed her to a splash you will get 100% blue.

and why do they advertise saying blues can be black or splash?

Blues can produce BBS. (Blue, black, splash.) So if you breed blue together you will get a percentage of black and splash chicks, along with blue chicks.

It's not so much that blues can BE black or splash, it's more of a case of Blue, black, and splash are so closely related.

 

[bruceha2000]

I’ve read that blue is the diluting gene of black…so they’re called Blue but a certain % hatch black (and splash). I only know what I read on the internet, though. Side note - is it five toes or four?

"No bird has more than four toes except chickens of the Dorking, Faverolle, Houden, Sultan, and Non-bearded Silkie Bantams, all of which have five toes. In these breeds the extra toe arises above the base of the hallux and projects upward, never touching the ground."
Source of the quote

Nyx has 5 toes on both feet. As you can see (might have to expand the pictures) the 5th toe branches off the back toe.

How do I make sure I actually get a blue next time, and why do they advertise saying blues can be black or splash? I’m so confused.

As kurby and EmmaRainboe posted, that is how the blues work. Unlike other colors of Ameraucana which MUST breed true for their color, the offspring of blues will be 25% black, 25% splash, 50% blue. Not many hatcheries sell true Ameraucana and those that do and sell Blues aren't going to toss half the hatch. They will tell you that it is "hatchery choice" on what colors you receive.

If you want to make SURE you get at least one blue from a hatchery, order quite a few blues. No guarantee even then of course. If you can get one from breeder, don't choose the black chick choose the gray one. Celene, my splash, is white with muted blue grey. She was white as a chick.