Ameraucana question

[~SunSetsWest~]

I have 2 young ameraucanas that were given to me by a good friend while still in the egg, the eggs were of good color and from a well know breeder here on BYC, the pullet looks great, though it took a long time for her muff and beard to come in, but the cockerel is clean faced, no muff, no beard, NONE! Has anyone else come across this? Can I use him or sell as a pet? Also when does leg color change in the wheatens and blue wheatens? These guys are about 9 weeks old now
(I think)...

Thanks!

 

[chickenman33]

there are 3 genes for aremacunas one is the gene of non muff and beard, another is with beard and muff, and another with beard and muff with a 80 percent chance of not

hatching, you can use the cockeral as a pet or for show, but becouse of the fact that the americuna with ear muffs have a 20 percent of hatching you cannot use them for show and breed but do make great pets

aAnd i dont know when thier legs change color.

 

[~SunSetsWest~]

I was not aware that the Ameraucana had a leathal gene connected to muffs??

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

There is no lethal gene associated with beards and muffs. It is a simple dominant and recissive thing. If you cant get another rooster you could use him and get some chicks with beards and muffs and others without. You would then just cull the beardless chicks and go from there.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

The leathal gene is confussed some times with other things. Hear-say and getting details of stories or what was read mixed up or confussed causes this belief in some. But what the real problem is, is that some times the deformity that causes Araucanas (some times confussed with Ameraucanas) to not have a tail... results in other deformaties in the general area which can kill a bird. An example is .. if your not born with a tail.. perhaps your missing other parts in that general area as well. Get my point?

 

[PoultryPedia]

My understandings are:

The "beard & muffs gene" is dominant and the "clean-faced gene" is recessive.

A chick gets one gene from each parent.

"beard & muffs gene" + "beard & muffs gene" = homozygous "beard & muffs gene" chick that grows beard & muffs
"beard & muffs gene" + "clean-faced gene" = heterozygous chick that grows beard & muffs
"clean-faced gene" + "clean-faced gene" = homozygous "clean-faced gene" chick that is clean-faced

If yours is homozygous "beard & muffs gene" pullet, crossing your homozygous "clean-faced gene" cockerel with her should produce 100% heterozygous chicks that grows beard & muffs.

However if your pullet is heterozygous, 25% of chicks will be heterozygous, and 75% will be homozygous "clean-faced".

p.s. If anyone isn't aware, clean-faced ones cannot be entered in APA chicken shows.

 

[~SunSetsWest~]

Quote:
I didn't think there was a leathal gene associated with the muff and was sure chickenman was thinking about Araucanas, but I do not claim to know it all and will take in to account all opinions, I also do not think that a rumpless Araucana is going to be missing other parts in that general area

 

[~SunSetsWest~]

Quote:
Thank You!

I wasn't planning to show him, but do want the nicest birds I can get..

 

[cottagegarden]

Quote:
What MP said, good advice. It depends on what your plans are for these chickens. If they are just to be yours, keep them as pets, who cares what they look like. If you want to sell offspring, it would be better to breed towards the Standard. FWIW our poultry club did a Ameraucana breed project with 100 chicks from Paul Smith and it taught the kids a lot about genetics and to see that not every chick grows up to be breeder or show quality. No muffs, small muffs, non white foot pads, not correct type, etc. Its our job, if we breed, to select for the correct traits. Not every chick from even well know breeders will be perfect. Also FWIW if someone gives you advice on any breed on BYC and they cant spell the breed take the info with a grain of salt.

 

[~SunSetsWest~]

Quote:
What MP said, good advice. It depends on what your plans are for these chickens. If they are just to be yours, keep them as pets, who cares what they look like. If you want to sell offspring, it would be better to breed towards the Standard. FWIW our poultry club did a Ameraucana breed project with 100 chicks from Paul Smith and it taught the kids a lot about genetics and to see that not every chick grows up to be breeder or show quality. No muffs, small muffs, non white foot pads, not correct type, etc. Its our job, if we breed, to select for the correct traits. Not every chick from even well know breeders will be perfect. Also FWIW if someone gives you advice on any breed on BYC and they cant spell the breed take the info with a grain of salt.

Thank you! cottagegarden

This is very much a learning experience.
It would be great if those giving advise would think twice and answer once..I wrote this knowing I may get some kooky answers, but I do take it with several grains of salt...