Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[pips&peeps]

I have a question about Bantam Ameraucana's I have a white pair I won at Ohio National Poultry Show, I also hatched some lavender chicks. Can these two be bred together, and if so what colors could I get? Thanks Michele

I wouldn't do it. You don't know what is under the white. Ameraucanas are recessive white and it "covers" the color underneath.

 

[DMRippy]

lol of course you "abuse" your eggs and they still hatch!

Those babies are tougher than you think. I have had several sever things happen. My incubator was turned off over night, still hatched, the lights (both) blew in my hatcher for several hours, still hatched. The electricity was out for several hours, they still hatched. Even with my recent hatches, the night time temps are really cold and my incubator and hatcher temps drop several degrees at night and they still hatch on time and healthy. I assume they will still hatch after all that and keep going.... seems to work fine. NOW shipping to Hawaii.... that is abuse

I think shipped eggs have the hardest stuff to overcome, poor things. As a rule I will NOT LOOK at eggs that have to be shipped. Local is the way to go as much as possible. There will be time I may have to order shipped eggs, but I hope to keep that to a minimum. I am lucky that we have so many BYC in Middle TN and all of my chickens have just been a drive away.

 

[Christie Rhae]

Those babies are tougher than you think. I have had several sever things happen. My incubator was turned off over night, still hatched, the lights (both) blew in my hatcher for several hours, still hatched. The electricity was out for several hours, they still hatched. Even with my recent hatches, the night time temps are really cold and my incubator and hatcher temps drop several degrees at night and they still hatch on time and healthy. I assume they will still hatch after all that and keep going.... seems to work fine. NOW shipping to Hawaii.... that is abuse

I think shipped eggs have the hardest stuff to overcome, poor things. As a rule I will NOT LOOK at eggs that have to be shipped. Local is the way to go as much as possible. There will be time I may have to order shipped eggs, but I hope to keep that to a minimum. I am lucky that we have so many BYC in Middle TN and all of my chickens have just been a drive away.

Oh I am so jealous! But I am looking in my backyard at my roosters and thinking "hey one day I could use my own eggs!!! What an idea!!"

 

[Goose and Fig]

Quote:
In all seriousnes- this is exactly how I hatched my goose eggs last year. I had a goose abandon a huge nest that others kept laying in (my fault), so I ended up just sticking them in with the chicken eggs and about every other day I'd find a gosling climbing around in the turners. Except for the ones that were totally rotten (woooo boy!) they all hatched.

 

[mstricer]

I wouldn't do it. You don't know what is under the white. Ameraucanas are recessive white and it "covers" the color underneath.

Thank you. I will keep them separate. What does that mean "covers"? When I breed the white pair can they throw different colors?
Michele

 

[Rainwolf]

 

I wouldn't do it.  You don't know what is under the white.  Ameraucanas are recessive white and it "covers" the color underneath.

Thank you. I will keep them separate. What does that mean "covers"?  When I breed the white pair can they throw different colors?
Michele

I think what p&p is saying is that white is a recessive... if you have a white bird it may be masking another color like example.... buff
So the ones you breed from them might have buff chicks or white chicks or some weird combo mix....

(I'm not positive on this can someone back me or tell me I'm wrong here?)

 

[jerryse]

I have a question about Bantam Ameraucana's I have a white pair I won at Ohio National Poultry Show, I also hatched some lavender chicks. Can these two be bred together, and if so what colors could I get? Thanks Michele

Yes you can.Almost nobody has.Black is the usual go to color.I have some of this cross in the incubator now.You will get blacks split for lavender and recessive white.I made this cross because the bantam whites I have are excellent layers of large [for bantam] eggs of a sky blue color.I hope to bring these traits into my lavender line.Be aware that recessive white can pop up later but careful planning will prevent this.First choice is to use a lav rooster on these split pullets.About half of those chicks will carry recessive white.Test cockerels of this second generation on white hens if no whites are produced then he is free of white.Use him as a breeder.You can also test pullets to be totally free of white in your line.This prodigy test takes time but well worth the effort.You will have a more diverse gene pool than most.

 

[jerryse]

Yes white can hide things.Not usually a problem.I have used white in all my projects for nearly 40 years and yes most disagree with me.It works for me.

 

[GA_in_GA]

lol of course you "abuse" your eggs and they still hatch!

Sounds like eggs I want!

 

[jerryse]

Yes white can hide things.Not usually a problem.I have used white in all my projects for nearly 40 years and yes most disagree with me.It works for me.

I will explain further about what white can hide.In the early 1970s I used white to help develope black some of the chicks were blue and that was the start of the blue variety.I believe Mike Gilbert used some whites he got from me on his wheatens.Some blue wheatens resulted.That is the start of the blue wheaten bantams.I don't consider these examples a problem but pleasant surprises.White can hide silver but mine do not carry it.White can hide barring but again mine do not have it.How do I know?I cross mine from time to time in projects.I have some blue x white pullets no cuckoo showed up and no silver.Yes some White in the neck and back of the males but that is from 1 copy of some melanizers.These areas are the hardest to turn black.I will quote something I heard once.Good judgement comes from experience and experience well that comes from poor judgement.Been there and done that also.