Ameraucana bred to SOP

[NatJ]

In fact, their use of the term “Ameraucana”, without the color variety (as opposed to Blue Ameraucanas or BBS Ameraucanas) made me think they had EEs. Plus with heterozygous pea comb…

When I click the link given, that takes me to the actual page with eggs listed, the text description includes, "We have a blue rooster with blue, black and splash hens. Our Ameraucana chicks hatch out in blue, black and splash."

Whether they are experts, I have no idea, but at least they know enough about the breed & colors to set up a breeding pen that makes sense, rather than a random mix.

 

[LKWolfram]

Wow! I couldn’t get past those high prices and obviously color enhanced photos! Is that a normal price for hatching eggs nowadays with crazy Covid inflation?

Reading their “about us” page didn’t give me any indication that these are Ameraucana experts. In fact, their use of the term “Ameraucana”, without the color variety (as opposed to Blue Ameraucanas or BBS Ameraucanas) made me think they had EEs. Plus with heterozygous pea comb…

@LKWolfram , you will have to let us know what they are like in real life, after you go. And the true egg color.

Yes, I agree about the egg color. It wasn’t like that in real life. I agree with everything you just mentioned and was thinking similar. I attached the color of the eggs here for you to see. She was super nice and gave me six extra eggs for free because it was end of season and would rather they go to a good home. I know the heterozygous pea comb issue is an easy one to breed out by watching the pea comb of the babies as they grow. I will also send the candidates of the best quality looking ones for the blue egg gene test by feather IQ to verify.

Did you look at dragonfly website of their bbs ameraucana photos? I attached that link too. I think they are good looking quality with good SOP to them a lot more than Spectrum’s. I’m gonna grab a dozen from them before the end of season if I can. I’ll take the best quality from the three places I purchase eggs from to start my project of breeding towards SOP.

I’m disappointed about the egg color. It was the light tint I normally see so far with the local eggs. The nice thing I liked is she let you choose your own eggs from the multiple she had there. I was able to avoid weird shaped ones that way. I just feel as a future seller myself, I would make sure not to mess with the photos so that it was accurate to the eggs and the chickens.

P.s. oh and I agree with the price! It was more than I would want to spend, but being as I have limited for local, I went with half a dozen and swallowed the sting of it. The other local breeder I purchased from was 30 for a dozen and that’s the same price as dragonfly. I agree that’s expensive! I could maybe understand if it was top quality with awards behind it? But since I got an extra six for free, I don’t feel as bad about the price. I don’t think I would spend that again tho.

I’ll deft update you with pics of the progression of the birds as they grow. I am new and would deeply appreciate experienced insight I may over see when picking the best ones for breeding.

 

[LKWolfram]

Where are you located? I know of a couple people that could also offer some really nice Ameraucanas. One is in Tennessee. The Dragonfly Ams look really nice!

I am in Connecticut. I don’t mind doing shipping if you think the quality is worth it for shipping eggs from the people you know

 

[LKWolfram]

Just thought I’d post an update of my two pretty ladies! They’re just the sweetest girls!

Your ladies are gorgeous!!! I love the defined lacing or edging on your blue girl. I’m bad at distinguish the difference in photos. Did you breed that into her line or did she come like that?

The splash is so pretty. I love the nice balance of black and white placement and the texture. I’m not a trained eye yet but I think they are both really beautiful birds. What are their names?

 

[LKWolfram]

When I click the link given, that takes me to the actual page with eggs listed, the text description includes, "We have a blue rooster with blue, black and splash hens. Our Ameraucana chicks hatch out in blue, black and splash."

Whether they are experts, I have no idea, but at least they know enough about the breed & colors to set up a breeding pen that makes sense, rather than a random mix.

Yes, I agree with this. When I went, she had separate breeding pens for each breed type and a very nice brooder set up with six cabinets. I don’t know if she got into the genetics of trying to breed SOP, just from the little I talked with her, but she deft took care with things and was very friendly and nice.

 

[kurby22]

Your ladies are gorgeous!!! I love the defined lacing or edging on your blue girl. I’m bad at distinguish the difference in photos. Did you breed that into her line or did she come like that?

The splash is so pretty. I love the nice balance of black and white placement and the texture. I’m not a trained eye yet but I think they are both really beautiful birds. What are their names?

Thank you!! Yes, the SOP for blues is to have an even coloring with the dark laced edges to the feathers. I think she’s just so pretty Her name is Amy Ray and her sister the splash is Marshmallow (formerly Emily). Marshmallow is in my opinion, the perfect splash pattern! It’s too bad splash is still not an accepted color variety for APA, I think it’s so amazing. They both have the softest feathers too! I’m so very happy with them! The lady I got them from has done a fantastic job and they were worth the drive and wait I’m hoping to enter them in the Pacific Poultry show in January and the fairs next spring for 4-H . Can you tell I’m excited about them haha

As for the breeder, she is done for the year but is taking wait list names for 2023. Are you a member of ABC? She’s their secretary and so nice! And her birds are amazing. If you are on Facebook her page is Once in a Blue Moon Farmstead. Looks like there is one breeder listed in their directory in CT, but I couldn’t find his farm info anywhere.

Dragonfly looks like a great choice though. A good place to start!

 

[LKWolfram]

I love the names chosen for your birds! I hope one day Splash can be recognized too. I think it is a lovely balance of black and white.

I am so excited for you too for your upcoming show in January! Have you done a lot of shows before? I hope to do them too one day. Please take a lot of pics ! I added Once in a Blue Moon on her facebook page. Beautiful birds! she opens pre orders for next year this ocober, I am deft going to reserve! The one breeder you mentioned for CT didn’t have anything listed that I could find either, and the little I saw of his posts on facebook didn’t show his birds. I ordered Dragonfly today though! 18 bbs ameraucana eggs and six BCM hatching eggs for F1 olive egger future project. I hope from the three lines I purchased hatching eggs from, I will end up with one quality blue roo and hopefully five girls to choose from for starting my selective breeding towards SOP down the generations.

I just joined the Ameraucana Alliance and my next stop was to join the ABC too. I am not sure if they are considered partners or clashing groups, but it looked like the alliance had a nice forum on genetics that seemed exciting.

Always looking forward to more pics of your lovelies !!!

 

[kurby22]

I love the names chosen for your birds! I hope one day Splash can be recognized too. I think it is a lovely balance of black and white.

I am so excited for you too for your upcoming show in January! Have you done a lot of shows before? I hope to do them too one day. Please take a lot of pics ! I added Once in a Blue Moon on her facebook page. Beautiful birds! she opens pre orders for next year this ocober, I am deft going to reserve! The one breeder you mentioned for CT didn’t have anything listed that I could find either, and the little I saw of his posts on facebook didn’t show his birds. I ordered Dragonfly today though! 18 bbs ameraucana eggs and six BCM hatching eggs for F1 olive egger future project. I hope from the three lines I purchased hatching eggs from, I will end up with one quality blue roo and hopefully five girls to choose from for starting my selective breeding towards SOP down the generations.

I just joined the Ameraucana Alliance and my next stop was to join the ABC too. I am not sure if they are considered partners or clashing groups, but it looked like the alliance had a nice forum on genetics that seemed exciting.

Always looking forward to more pics of your lovelies !!!

Oh good! I’m glad you got some from Dragonfly! I can’t wait to see how they turn out! I hope you’re able to get some from Once in a Blue Moon too! I’m going to talk with her more about some bantams just not sure when! I have a hard time not wanting ALL the chickens NOW. Right now I have a project for 4-H with my daughter and we are focusing on Belgian Bearded d’Anver chickens, I got eggs this spring and hatched out 4 black ones and 2 lavenders. They’re so pretty! Looking forward to showing them along with Amy and Marshmallow!

Got some pics today…Amy’s beard is just the best! The black one is my young pullet Raven and the wheaten is a bantam Ameraucana.

When do the Dragonfly eggs arrive? Gonna do a HAL?

 

[LKWolfram]

Oh good! I’m glad you got some from Dragonfly! I can’t wait to see how they turn out! I hope you’re able to get some from Once in a Blue Moon too! I’m going to talk with her more about some bantams just not sure when! I have a hard time not wanting ALL the chickens NOW. Right now I have a project for 4-H with my daughter and we are focusing on Belgian Bearded d’Anver chickens, I got eggs this spring and hatched out 4 black ones and 2 lavenders. They’re so pretty! Looking forward to showing them along with Amy and Marshmallow!

Got some pics today…Amy’s beard is just the best! The black one is my young pullet Raven and the wheaten is a bantam Ameraucana.

When do the Dragonfly eggs arrive? Gonna do a HAL?

Sorry for the delay! Classes started back this week!

I have to ask, I never heard the term HAL. I assume H stands for hatch. I been trying to guess the rest. I have two Nurture Right 360 and a cheap Amazon incubator back up (my very first one) if I need more space. I use dividers for lockdown in the 360 for dividing breeds. I hope for a cabinet one day!

I wish there was more 4-h promotion to get kids interested when I was younger. I never even know things like that existed until being on chicken forums. That’s such a nice experience for your child! I looked up the d’Anver. I never seen that color. I have a new appreciation for the Belgian Bearded chickens. They look like a tiny version of ameraucana in a way. I can’t wait to see the photos of the new hatchlings as they grow! Your going to deft have a beautiful showing with your birds!

I got a text from Kim saying the eggs will be shipping soon, so I hope in the next week dragonfly will ship them. I am sad over the spectrum eggs. Fertility was not good. Only four seem to be developing out of the 12. I cracked a few open that looked like yolkers when candles and there was no bulls eye to them. So from the local breeder, I got five ameraucana (four blue, and one splash) about three weeks old now, the four possible Hatchers in nine days time from spectrum, and the dozen coming in from dragonfly. Hopefully I will get a good hatching from dragonfly. Then I’ll pick the best quality when they mature. I am using the elastic bands for keeping track of what line they are from.

Those birds are so beautiful. That beard is so majestic. That is deft a dominant beard and muff gene!!

 

[LKWolfram]

ps. the lacing on the blue is just so pretty. I was torn between admiring the beard/muff and the lacing!