Ameracochin - A new breed in the creating

[muesky]

Hi Everyone!

Well this thread is started as a journal, map and overall process of developing a new breed the ameracochin.

As the name states the cross is LF cochin cross with ameraucana. I have had had some accidents of this crossing and found they are amazing little birds. Of course the crosses I have had were bantam cochins crossed with standard ameraucanas. The cross has a strong look of favorelles. Favorelles are my favorite birds but because of the lack of genetic diversity I have found they are not very viable or hardy birds. So this is my attempt to create a bird that has some of the best qualities of the favorelle but a hardier bird.

As with all breeding programs I am working on type before thinking of color. The traits I am breeding for are heavy beards like the ameraucanas, heavily feathered legs like the cochin, the blue/green or pink egg of the ameraucana (which is a dominate trait and almost always breeds true). The end result will be a bird with the up-right stance of an ameraucana but the docile personality of a cochin that lays a colored egg.

Part of my dilemma is to choose which traits that are vastly difference between the two breeds. Such as the comb, waddles and leg coloring. Since I like both the pea comb of the ameraucana and the fork comb of the cochin this was a difficult choice. After looking asking around and thinking that the end result will be more like a favorelle, I decided to breed for the fork comb but with the smaller waddles. As for the leg coloring between the yellow of the cochin and the willow of the ameraucana I do have a preference for the willow coloring. This will also make this breed stand apart from the favorelle as a way to make it easily distinguishable.

I guess I want to add that in no way am I doing this to replace the favorelle. This is more of a project to give me something to do, a goal with my birds. I am also part of the millie fleur cochin project (although not much since I had a lot of my birds killed by dog attack). Aside from eggs, my chickens are mainly just pets. This way I can justify (loosely) the birds I have.

With that being said, I choose to use LF cochins and most of my ameraucana are fairly large. Maybe later down the line I will raise a bantam breed. The problem with both a standard and bantam is finding good birds. Good quality giant cochins are hard find and they are big eating machines for sure, but just as hard to find are bantam ameraucanas. At least in the part of the country I live. At this time, the thought is a large dual purpose docile orientmental bird.

I am also considering adding favorelles and/or marans to the program. The reason for adding the favorelle is in hopes of getting that extra toes and the maran is to add dark coloring to the eggs. That is a bit down the line, though, if ever.

At this point I only have two LF roosters but 8 LF cochin hens. I have two blue, two black and a beautiful barred ameraucana rooster. As for ameraucana hens I have 3 white, 7 black, 3 splash, 1 blue. I am still looking for a white amerauacana rooster or two and more LF cochins both hens and roosters.

I had a silver laced LF cochin roo but he recently passed away so I have had to totally redo my genetic charts. Was kind of hoping to get some splashing.

Well this is just the beginning. I will be posting the genetic chart when I get if hammered out. Anyone who is interested in participating is more then welcomed. I think the bigger the genetic base we have to more sustantiable the breed will be. Also the more people who are involved the fast we can get the breed standardized and stable.
Also any input or information would be greatly appreciated.

I will keep you posted!
Rebecca

 

[upcdayz]

That is such a cool project! I'm excited for you - and your birds, and looking forward to hearing about the progress you're making. It sounds like the end result will be a great bird that many folks will enjoy.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I've been crossing my cochins and ameraucanas for some time. I use wheaten/blue wheaten ameraucanas and BBS cochins. They make lovely hens that actually lay blue-er eggs than my true Ams sometimes. The only issue is they go broody. Alot!
Faverolles are great for making EEs too- they end up super beardy. Favs are a broody breed too though- after a while you won't need an incubator. The good thing is that since the hens have been raising chicks in the warmer months, they are great winter layers.

 

[Illia]

I think it's a neat idea but I'm so sorry I just have to say -


True Ameraucanas don't and shouldn't lay "pink" nor green eggs, so it sounds like you have Easter Eggers

The term fork comb is actually called a single comb. If you want to reduce wattle size the beard added in helps, but the best route is also to use good Cochins with SMALL combs.

Ameraucanas don't have willow legs so again you got yourself there Easter Eggers. Ameraucanas have slate blue legs.

Ameraucanas don't come in the barred color.



So, you've got a neat project going there, but just remember - You've got Easter Eggers not Ameraucanas, and you're technically making Easter Eggers too. (colored laying mutts) The further down the lines, since you already have green laying EE's, you're actually going to lose the blue color very easily. It is dominant, yes, but is lost in just 2 easy generations when working with brown layers. So the question is, what color egg do you want? Keep track of that especially with paying attention to male combs. You can keep on going with green eggs as long as you keep good track, but, you won't get blue again unless you breed F1 x F1 or back to the blue laying parent if you have any.

If you used true Ameraucanas though I'd gaurantee you'll like their sweeter temperament over most EE's.

I've got loads of both and in most cases the Ameraucanas, roosters especially, are much sweeter.


If you want to work to an actual breed idea, try and keep the colors in line though. You have a lot to work with right now and you really want to try and keep a goal on a color that breeds true. As soon as you use more than two different colors in your program, you can easily lose track of where you're going, and watch out - recessive colors will haunt you.

 

[muesky]

I think it's a neat idea but I'm so sorry I just have to say -


True Ameraucanas don't and shouldn't lay "pink" nor green eggs, so it sounds like you have Easter Eggers

The term fork comb is actually called a single comb. If you want to reduce wattle size the beard added in helps, but the best route is also to use good Cochins with SMALL combs.

Ameraucanas don't have willow legs so again you got yourself there Easter Eggers. Ameraucanas have slate blue legs.

Ameraucanas don't come in the barred color.



So, you've got a neat project going there, but just remember - You've got Easter Eggers not Ameraucanas, and you're technically making Easter Eggers too. (colored laying mutts) The further down the lines, since you already have green laying EE's, you're actually going to lose the blue color very easily. It is dominant, yes, but is lost in just 2 easy generations when working with brown layers. So the question is, what color egg do you want? Keep track of that especially with paying attention to male combs. You can keep on going with green eggs as long as you keep good track, but, you won't get blue again unless you breed F1 x F1 or back to the blue laying parent if you have any.

If you used true Ameraucanas though I'd gaurantee you'll like their sweeter temperament over most EE's.

I've got loads of both and in most cases the Ameraucanas, roosters especially, are much sweeter.


If you want to work to an actual breed idea, try and keep the colors in line though. You have a lot to work with right now and you really want to try and keep a goal on a color that breeds true. As soon as you use more than two different colors in your program, you can easily lose track of where you're going, and watch out - recessive colors will haunt you.

I guess my termonlogy is off as describing the birds. I am looking to developing the single comb and I have always called the grey/blue legs willowed.
At this point I am really just going for colored eggs, blue, green and pink (have two hens that lay a pink w/ white speckled eggs). The rest lay blue or blue/green eggs. The main thing I am focusing on is the heavily feathered legs and and big beards. Well and the docile behavior. All of my roos and hens are calm, gentle birds. Learned long ago the hard way not to keep mean birds. It is just not worth it.
From what I have learned from the Millie Fleur cochin project we focus on type first then once we have the type down we address color. And really at this time I just want heavily bearded, feathered legged birds that lay a colored egg. I am a simple soul really. hehehe!
Well good new I am getting another LF black cochin hen. Now if I can just finds some roos.

 

[AreYouLoved]

HI from Purcell

Samantha

 

[muesky]

HI from Purcell

Samantha

Hi Samantha,
Heck you are not far at all from me. I live in the Little Axe area. Off of 180th just south of hwy 9.

 

[muesky]

Okay so this weekend I got a couple of new additions to the breeding program. I purchased another black LF cochin hen, she is very lovely and a gorgeous lemon/blue LF cochin rooster. He has beautifully feathered feet, his feather coloring is awesome. I will try to get pictures posted soon.
Decided that before I get everyone set up in breeding pens they will all get baths and booty trims. Want to make sure the boys can find the girls under all that fluff.

Here is a picture of Gregory Peck, he is my number one cochin roo. He is not only beautiful but sweet. Behind him is one of my big butted girls blue and splash cochin hens, as well as one of the black cochin hens.

I

Also in this picture are my partridge cochin bantam roos, a birchen hen and one of my millie fleur hen.

 

[EweSheep]

I just recently purchased a EE that has the Faverolle look alike but her legs are pinkish yellowish in color instead of GREEN. She has scant line of feathering stubs on the sides of her legs. She has similar coloring of a bleached Salmon Faverolles. I believe she does NOT have a fifth toe so either her parents are the Cochin/EE or the Faverolle/ee cross.

Laid a sickly looking yellow, greenish gray cast egg. she is a pretty bird with large cheek feathers and beard that is so similar to the Faverolles.

 

[muesky]

I just recently purchased a EE that has the Faverolle look alike but her legs are pinkish yellowish in color instead of GREEN. She has scant line of feathering stubs on the sides of her legs. She has similar coloring of a bleached Salmon Faverolles. I believe she does NOT have a fifth toe so either her parents are the Cochin/EE or the Faverolle/ee cross.

Laid a sickly looking yellow, greenish gray cast egg. she is a pretty bird with large cheek feathers and beard that is so similar to the Faverolles.

That sometimes happens with the off-spring of two tinted egg colored birds. When selecting my cochins for the project only birds with heavily feathered feet are chosen and round fluffy bottoms. For the ameraucanas they have to have huge beards and slate colored legs. The culls(auction fodder) will be the ones that do not have a decent beard, fairly large beards and legs that are not slate color. As for the comb I like both but for eventual standards I need to pick one type, or maybe something inbetween. Have not gotten that far yet... Next spring there will two breeder pens set aside for the project. I am so excited. Still need to get the coop and chicken yard moved. So much to do and so little time...