Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[pips&peeps]

They are kind of "game-y".

 

[speckledhen]

Seriously, Jean? I never heard that before! Wow, learn something new every day. Very odd.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
That seems like a little bit of a contradictory statement to me. Don't chicken judges know best ? That's what they are paid for, their expertise with chickens !

We do trust and respect the opinion of our chicken judge friend. They didn't make him superintendent of the State Fair for nothing. Obviously he has a lot of credibility.

We asked our chicken judge friend again today (for the 3rd time now about his chickens, in particular his Ameraucanas) and he confirmed again that they are Ameraucanas; they have good form, and even if a chicken has a slight flaw, it doesn't discredit them as being that breed. i.e. They are still an Ameraucana chicken, not an EE. After all, no chicken is 100% perfect or they would have real pics in the standard.

Over time, we are going to post the accolades he wins at shows for each chicken and perhaps that will give his chickens more credibility and better value. How can you argue with a chicken that won best of show or best of breed ?

Can't wait for Nov. 5th for his first real chicken show ! (although he'll have to compete as a child and not be eligible to win $, but that will come in time)

Maybe you can pass along the word to her. Everyone is allowed to have their own opinions. Some people's opinions just carry more weight than others.

If still in doubt, I guess you need to take up your concerns with Cackle Hatchery since they sold us the Ameraucana chickies to begin with.

That's all I am going to say about the subject.

No, chicken judges don't always know more than those of us who've been raising chickens for many years, and being superintendent of the fair does not make him a judge. If he bought his stock from Cackle and thinks they're not EEs he doesn't know as much about chickens as he'd like you to believe. FYI....most of the phtos in Cackles catalog are not even their birds....in fact most hatcheries don't use pictures of their own birds.

No matter how many times you tell yourself that Cackle sells Ameraucanas it isn't going to make it true.....keep believing what you want. It will be interesting to see what happens when he starts showing in APA sacntioned shows.

Denial is not going to make your EEs into Ameraucanas.

You have a lot to learn about poultry....this can be an excellant forum for your son to learn thru.....or you can ignore the advice just because it isn't what you want to hear. Those who know a lot about those 2 breeds have tried to help you out, it's your choice if you listen.

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
She looks more like some kind of "sport" bird. I have never seen a splash with that dark of blue/black feathers mixed in.

As for the yellow skin, you will fight it for years after the second generation from her. You could possibly make some blue birds by breeding her to the black lavender splits, but remember that lavender splits are carrying all sorts of genes since the color is new. I wouldn't think you would get very nice birds from the cross. Also you really don't know what she is carrying that is recessive which could pop up later.

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
Kind of spindley too...... that's why I sell all my cull roosters to a couple oriental families. I just can't eat them.

 

[shelleyd2008]

pips&peeps :

Quote:
She looks more like some kind of "sport" bird. I have never seen a splash with that dark of blue/black feathers mixed in.

As for the yellow skin, you will fight it for years after the second generation from her. You could possibly make some blue birds by breeding her to the black lavender splits, but remember that lavender splits are carrying all sorts of genes since the color is new. I wouldn't think you would get very nice birds from the cross. Also you really don't know what she is carrying that is recessive which could pop up later.

As for the splash, all the birds I have who are splash (OEGB and Cochin mostly) have dark patches like that. The lighter colored (preferred for showing) splash is a result of repeatedly breeding splash to splash....I haven't gotten that far with most of mine

But thanks Jean, I didn't think it would work but I wasn't sure how hard it would be to get the black skin. I know with my serama, the trouble most of us breeders are having is getting rid of the black in the legs....it keeps trying to creep back up.

ETA: I get it now, took a bit to figure out what you meant by 'sport' (you'd think I'd know by now

) The first generation of 'splash' (from breeding 2 blue birds) looks like this and in the OEGB world is considered a blue 'sport'. But it is genetically identical to the 'splash', it's just too dark to show

 

[speckledhen]

pips&peeps :

Quote:
Kind of spindley too...... that's why I sell all my cull roosters to a couple oriental families. I just can't eat them.

I can't imagine eating one of my Ameraucanas, they're usually pretty lean birds. Didn't realize the meat would taste different, though. Thanks for the information! I'll believe you before I'd believe a hatchery, especially with the word games they like to play with this breed anyway, LOL!​

 

[pips&peeps]

They are pretty active and I would say it is like eating dark meat compared to white.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Shelley I love that splash. It is really hard to get rid of yellow skin though. You'd have an easier time using a something like a splash marans or orpington because of the white skin.

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
I agree with yadaguhtoo.

We are going to unsubscribe too.

We wanted to get on here to enjoy a thread about Ameraucanas, not be attacked from non-chicken judges (breeders only apparently) that our Ameraucanas are not Ameraucanas (when our chicken judge tells us multiple times that they are Ameraucanas and not EE - they lay beautiful sky blue eggs).

How many shows and awards have your Ameraucanas won ? (if any ?)

In the business of he said she said stuff, I guess it all comes down to credibility. And I'll take the opinion of a judge over a breeder anyday.

If that is the kind on here (breeders that want to discredit others), then I guess we're out.

Thanks for scaring off another (not a friendly place that people want to be) ! What does that say about your characters ? Continue on ! (without us !)

You can run from the truth but one day it will catch up to you!

Speckledhen posted the description of Cackle Hatchery's Easter Eggers where it calls them just that- Easter Eggers.

You should save your son some heartache and own up to the fact that you have EEs. He may win a few pretty ribbons at local fairs but if he ever enters an Easter Egger into an APA Sanctioned event his birds will most likely be disqualified.

The very breeders that you are NOT taking advice from, who have bred Ameraucanas for years know what they are talking about. You should be making connections with them to acquire quality stock for your son to show, not burning bridges so that when you finally do realize your birds are EEs you'll have no one who wants to sell you anything.

ETA: I am going to message Walt Leonard, a highly respected APA judge (who also helps to write the APA SOP) and ask him if he can determine whether or not your birds are Easter Eggers.