Ameraucana genetics question- getting a bunch of blue chicks!

[DrumstickRanchTex]

Well I was gifted this lumpy rooster that was said to be a true ameraucana. His coloring is gorgeous but since he’s malformed, he’s destroying the hens because he loses his balance and just grips tighter and attacks them. (no feathers on backs, back of heads, or right shoulder, some getting black and blue bruises all over their backs even with saddles on. ). I plan to cull him now that I finally had two hens go broody.

But here’s the kicker. Out of a mixed flock of hens, so far I’ve seen four brown eggs and two blue hatched and FOUR of the chicks appear to have the blue feather coloring.

Does this roo have some sort of extra special genetics that give a high ratio of blue? Or would any ameraucana roo do the same? I really think I need to cull this guy due to the damage he’s causing but I don’t want to eliminate a blue producing genetic line if it’s rare. View attachment 2204998View attachment 2204999View attachment 2205000View attachment 2205004View attachment 2205005

Also what is his coloring??? Haven’tfound a an example like him yet!

Also attached a few photos of the first three blue chicks out of five. They came from four brown eggs and one blue. A mix of different breeds for the hens but at BEST, only one from an ameraucana hen.

The color of the eggs is genetic and is determined by the hen only. If there is no roo around, hens still lay eggs in the color they are predisposed to produce. The roo has genetic input in the next generation.

 

[AliGrowsFood]

The color of the eggs is genetic and is determined by the hen only. If there is no roo around, hens still lay eggs in the color they are predisposed to produce. The roo has genetic input in the next generation.

yep, I know. I kinda had a joint discussion going but I wanted to know what the chicks final color (plumage) is from an Ameraucana (or perhaps EE rooster, up for debate) over my variety of hens. And then the eggs FROM these new chicks Is a secondary question.

 

[AliGrowsFood]

They sell blue Ameraucanas and they do state that they can turn out splash or black also, but sounds like you have one that has a very strong blue gene to have that many blues, maybe yours is from blue+blue offspring, but I really don’t know much on color genetics. I have seen that sometimes they also breed chickens that are blue and will always breed blue chicks If bred with another chicken with blue genes.

Yep! My Ameraucana hen is the b/b/s (she is black). I don’t have any true self blue hens though. Unless my lavender Orpington is...cant remember?

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Yep! My Ameraucana hen is the b/b/s (she is black). I don’t have any true self blue hens though. Unless my lavender Orpington is...cant remember?

Your lavender Orpington should be. They will always breed true as long as they are bred with another lavender.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Your lavender Orpington should be. They will always breed true as long as they are bred with another lavender.

Also, I was just looking at your Roo and he looks beautiful to me. Too bad he is damaging your hens.

 

[AliGrowsFood]

Also, I was just looking at your Roo and he looks beautiful to me. Too bad he is damaging your hens.

I know. I’m so disappointed because he’s really great otherwise. And not a total jerk. But yeah, he’s really rough on them since he’s deformed and unbalanced. I thought the saddles would help but nope.

So now I’m wondering if the brown eggs were mostly from my lav Orpington then? Wonder if an Ameraucana/EE roo over her would result in mostly blues (plumage)....hmmm

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I know. I’m so disappointed because he’s really great otherwise. And not a total jerk. But yeah, he’s really rough on them since he’s deformed and unbalanced. I thought the saddles would help but nope.

So now I’m wondering if the brown eggs were mostly from my lav Orpington then? Wonder if an Ameraucana/EE roo over her would result in mostly blues (plumage)....hmmm

I would think so and your Ameraucana looks like a purebred to me.

 

[jolenesdad]

The sex is determined by the hen, but not the egg color. That is equal parts of the hen and roo’s genetics.

he has slate legs so I’m assuming he may be a poorly colored Splash Ameraucana.

you only need one copy of blue to yield a blue colored bird on a black base. If he is a splash, he carries two copies of the blue dilution and he gives every chick a copy of the blue dilution gene, and that would explain the propensity of blue chicks....

 

[AliGrowsFood]

The sex is determined by the hen, but not the egg color. That is equal parts of the hen and roo’s genetics.

he has slate legs so I’m assuming he may be a poorly colored Splash Ameraucana.

you only need one copy of blue to yield a blue colored bird on a black base. If he is a splash, he carries two copies of the blue dilution and he gives every chick a copy of the blue dilution gene, and that would explain the propensity of blue chicks....

Gotcha! Yeah, it seems like quite a few blue chicks to not have him being splash. Now I just need my broody Ameraucana to stand up so I can see what the rest of the chicks look like. I think at least a 1/3 of the total chicks (13) are blue. Maybe more...

 

[AliGrowsFood]

Here are some fun results:

First clutch, 4 brown eggs, 1 blue:
3 blue chicks (older chicks in the attached photos
1 chipmunk
1 brown

Second clutch (See remaining attached photos), 7 blue eggs, 1 brown:
3 blue chicks
2 chipmunk
2 silvery yellow
1 brown

Looks to be a pretty bunch!