Ameraucana genetics question- getting a bunch of blue chicks!

[SurferchickinSB]

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...

I am sure it is due a lot to your lavender Orpington also, they only carry the genes for the lavender/blue color.

 

[keesmom]

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?

Lavender and self blue are the same thing. It is not the same as blue. Lavender is a recessive gene that dilutes black and red. Since it is recessive a bird needs 2 copies of the gene for it to show. Blue is an incomplete dominant, meaning it will be expressed with one copy of the gene. So a black bird with one blue gene is blue, and splash if it has 2 blue genes.

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

The chicks inherited the blue gene from the splash male, not the hen. Your Orpington hen does not have a blue gene and therefore cannot give it to any offspring. The eggs could be from her or possibly the barred Rock. If any have a white head spot they are from the Rock.

Crossing the splash male with a barred female will give you sex linked offspring - blue barred cockerels and solid blue pullets. (splash x black = 100% blue)

 

[AliGrowsFood]

Lavender and self blue are the same thing. It is not the same as blue. Lavender is a recessive gene that dilutes black and red. Since it is recessive a bird needs 2 copies of the gene for it to show. Blue is an incomplete dominant, meaning it will be expressed with one copy of the gene. So a black bird with one blue gene is blue, and splash if it has 2 blue genes.

The chicks inherited the blue gene from the splash male, not the hen. Your Orpington hen does not have a blue gene and therefore cannot give it to any offspring. The eggs could be from her or possibly the barred Rock. If any have a white head spot they are from the Rock.

Crossing the splash male with a barred female will give you sex linked offspring - blue barred cockerels and solid blue pullets. (splash x black = 100% blue)

Gotch! Ugh chicken genetics are so complicated. I wish I knew which egg was which so I could tell. I don’t think any of the first batch of chicks had head spots. If so, it wasn’t very obvious.

Of the new chicks (the clutch of 7 blue eggs from any of the following: Black Ameraucana, two wild type EEs or my cream legbar, or the one brown egg from who the heck knows), I think I have three blues and maybe two splash! I looked up photos of splash chicks and they look like that silvery yellow so maybe those ones were from my Ameraucana hen? Ugh no idea. I probably butchered that too haha I need some chicken dna tests ;-)

 

[keesmom]

Gotch! Ugh chicken genetics are so complicated. I wish I knew which egg was which so I could tell. I don’t think any of the first batch of chicks had head spots. If so, it wasn’t very obvious.

Of the new chicks (the clutch of 7 blue eggs from any of the following: Black Ameraucana, two wild type EEs or my cream legbar, or the one brown egg from who the heck knows), I think I have three blues and maybe two splash! I looked up photos of splash chicks and they look like that silvery yellow so maybe those ones were from my Ameraucana hen? Ugh no idea. I probably butchered that too haha I need some chicken dna tests ;-)

You will have to wait and see what they look like as they get older. They can change a lot. However it is not possible to get a splash chick from the black Ameraucana or the Legbar.

 

[Double Yolked]

He looks like a splash with red leakage. Crossed to your lavender Orp and barred Rock will give you all blue chicks, maybe with some cockerels with leakage.

This is why I adore mutt chickens! Every nest is a surprise basket of goodies. I would so like to know what your blue chicks turn out like later.

 

[AliGrowsFood]

This is why I adore mutt chickens! Every nest is a surprise basket of goodies. I would so like to know what your blue chicks turn out like later.

I will!

So far, still blue.

 

[rlhagan56]

I don't think anyone has mentioned that roosters comb. Ameraucana and most Easter Eggers have a pea comb, he has a rose comb. Lavender has it's own genentics. Beeders prefer to call lavender self-blue which breeds true. Blue/Black/Splash are a roll of the dice. Either 1 copy blue, or no copy blue, or two copies blue. My avatar are two Easter Eggers I hatched with an Easter Egger rooster who carried blue.

 

[Judy Todd]

True Ameracaunas are like $20 per chick from a hatchery. So if you paid the normal $3-5 per chick then most likely they’re not true.

I would be weary of buying Ameracaunas from people this year because a lot of people seem to confuse them with Easter Eggers. Not sure if it’s because there’s an influx of new chicken owners or because hatcheries are selling them as Americanas which created confusion.

I am not an expert on Chicken genetics, but I did not pay $20 for my Americanas and they have beards and have just started laying the most beautiful sky blue eggs.

 

[hysop]

I am not an expert on Chicken genetics, but I did not pay $20 for my Americanas and they have beards and have just started laying the most beautiful sky blue eggs.

Easter Eggers lay blue eggs too. It’s just a gamble if they will lay blue, green or pink. Did you get them from a hatchery or a person?

So they have the beard and the cheek fluff? As long as they lay the pretty egg color you like that’s all that matters.

Wanting purebred is more for people that want to breed them I would imagine, or for the stats like laying x amount of eggs, not being broody etc.

 

[AliGrowsFood]

I don't think anyone has mentioned that roosters comb. Ameraucana and most Easter Eggers have a pea comb, he has a rose comb. Lavender has it's own genentics. Beeders prefer to call lavender self-blue which breeds true. Blue/Black/Splash are a roll of the dice. Either 1 copy blue, or no copy blue, or two copies blue. My avatar are two Easter Eggers I hatched with an Easter Egger rooster who carried blue.

Yeah it seems like mixed opinions on if he’s an EE or just kinda not great Ameraucana genetics. I’ve gotten breeds from hatcheries that have had some inconsistencies even for some as simple as golden Wyandottes. Since rooster was a free one, I can’t be sure. Regardless of what he is, he must have some strong blue genes given the number of blue Chicks I got (6/13)! Fine by me!