- Jul 9, 2017
- 127
- 97
- 151
Hello,
I have been raising chickens for fun and for eggs for almost 15 years and now that I feel that I have quite a good grasp of chicken behavior and management, I am interested in breeding and showing my own birds. I have had experience with many breeds and have decided that the Ameraucana with their sweet temperaments, adorable beards, beautiful eggs and hardy dispositions is the breed for me. So now I am doing my research on how to get started. I have gone to several nearby chicken shows to get an idea of how it all works, but I am still new to all of it. So I am looking for any advice you would be willing to share. Anything from how to build up the breeding stock to shows themselves.
Right now I only have 3 pure ameraucanas (I had 6 until I went on vacations and the person we hired to watch our farm let my 2-month-old chicks out even though I clearly stated not to). What is the best way to get more?
I have studied the SoP for Ameraucanas and some of it seems very vague. What are the things to really aim for? Also, it seems to me that the heritage of the bird matters less than it does in dogs or horses when it comes to the breed. Am I correct in thinking that if a bird matches the standard then it is that breed even if one of it's recent ancestors was another breed used to improve or correct a trait?
Do other hobby breeders let their birds free range?
How does the scoring or judging work?
What vaccines or medical paperwork do birds need to have to be shown?
Thanks in advance!
I have been raising chickens for fun and for eggs for almost 15 years and now that I feel that I have quite a good grasp of chicken behavior and management, I am interested in breeding and showing my own birds. I have had experience with many breeds and have decided that the Ameraucana with their sweet temperaments, adorable beards, beautiful eggs and hardy dispositions is the breed for me. So now I am doing my research on how to get started. I have gone to several nearby chicken shows to get an idea of how it all works, but I am still new to all of it. So I am looking for any advice you would be willing to share. Anything from how to build up the breeding stock to shows themselves.
Right now I only have 3 pure ameraucanas (I had 6 until I went on vacations and the person we hired to watch our farm let my 2-month-old chicks out even though I clearly stated not to). What is the best way to get more?
I have studied the SoP for Ameraucanas and some of it seems very vague. What are the things to really aim for? Also, it seems to me that the heritage of the bird matters less than it does in dogs or horses when it comes to the breed. Am I correct in thinking that if a bird matches the standard then it is that breed even if one of it's recent ancestors was another breed used to improve or correct a trait?
Do other hobby breeders let their birds free range?
How does the scoring or judging work?
What vaccines or medical paperwork do birds need to have to be shown?
Thanks in advance!
