Ameraucana recognized colors question

[chickenmomma16]

I looked on BYC for the answer and instead of searching and reading all sorts of extra info I am hoping someone is willing to answer my question.

What colors can go in the same pen together? More specifically I recently got a Blue Wheaten cockerel who to my limited knowledge isn't half bad. ( critique welcomed he is only about 8 mo)Possibly looking for a limited number of hens for him. SO, am I limited to wheaten/blue wheaten hens or is there another color I can throw in there? I am not looking for a serious project, just compatible colors. Hope that makes sense!

 

[Ridgerunner]

What are your goals? If you are breeding to the SOP you are limited to the color/pattern you are breeding. Any crosses will not follow the SOP.

If you just want pretty chickens then it is up to you. Whenever you start crossing color/patterns you will get chickens that don’t follow the SOP. I don’t know what you mean by compatible colors. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I might like something you absolutely hate.

 

[chickenmomma16]

I apologize, I should have been more specific in my post about my goals, knowing the majority of people in this neck of the forum have goals set for their pens. I honestly don't have any, YET. I have dreams however, of picking a color or 2 of a specific breed (I am particularly fond of my bearded Ameraucanas) and breeding them to the SOP. I happen to have acquired a new rooster for my mixed layers flock and I was considering looking for Ameraucana hatching eggs down the road and was curious of my color choices IF I was to try my stab at breeding to SOP. I only have my one pen so my options are limited. I am well aware I can have whatever colors I want in my pen and create lovely EEs. But that's too easy.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you are ever going to breed to the SOP with him or his decedents I strongly suggest you start right now. Do not intermix. When you introduce a variant it can take a lot of work to get it out, a lot of chicks and a lot of generations. As I’m sure you know being an Ameraucana or any specific breed is about a lot more than just color so staying with other Ameraucanas would help with that, but if you are going for Blue Wheaten start now with Blue Wheaten hens.

I don’t breed to the SOP but am working on a project for fun, black speckled and red speckled green egg layers with certain production characteristics. Sounds simple, huh? It should have been. But when I introduced Black Ameraucanas from a breeder I inadvertently introduced some stuff hiding under that black. It is a pain to get rid of it. Dominant stuff is usually pretty easy but watch out for the recessives.

Try introducing as little strange stuff as you can. Breeding to the SOP will still be challenging enough.

 

[donrae]

I agree with Ridgerunner. If you've gone through the trouble of getting a decent cockerel, that should be the variety you want to breed. If you don't want to do the Wheatons, you'll need a different cockerel. You don't want to put him over, say blue or black hens as you'll get a mish-mash of colors. Even if they're very nice built birds otherwise, the color is going to do you in.

I've not seen the ad recently, but there used to be a member called larkrising or something like that who had beautiful wheaton and I think blue wheaton, with very nice blue egg colors. I was always drooling over her ads. She was selling hatching eggs, might be a place to start.