Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Lark Rise]

I have some Ameraucanas: 1 black roo, 1 blue roo, 5 black hens and I blue hen. I'm still trying to decide which roo to put with the girls. I have some pics of the black roo. I need to get more pics of the blue. Can you rate this black roo for me. Also, they hatched 8/8/11, so they are close to 6 months....no eggs yet. When do they typically start laying?

 

[Illia]

Depends on the strain.

My BBS birds from Cree began at the normal 5-6 months

My BBS birds from Cottage began at 6-8 months

My Buff from Jean began around I think 9 months

My Wheatens/Blue Wheatens from Peachick began around 6-7 months.

In general waiting 6 months is common.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I'm curious - when you cross Ameraucana colour varieties, do you tend to get some of each? I'm wondering where that stereotypical brown/black partridgy EE colour comes from. They almost look like Silver Ameraucanas but their legs often give them away. Can two genuine Ameraucanas spit out a green legged bird or does a yellow legged bird have to be added to the mix?

 

[EweSheep]

Usually when you get two pure Ameraucana parents of different colors together, you would get any kind of feather patterns but the conformation and leg color should be the same. As some folks would say with that kind of breeding, it is NON standard Ameraucana.

If you get green legs, yep, its an EE, somewhere down the line, there was a yellow legged bird.

I'm curious - when you cross Ameraucana colour varieties, do you tend to get some of each? I'm wondering where that stereotypical brown/black partridgy EE colour comes from. They almost look like Silver Ameraucanas but their legs often give them away. Can two genuine Ameraucanas spit out a green legged bird or does a yellow legged bird have to be added to the mix?

 

[pips&peeps]

I have had to delay my silver project breeding now because of yellow skin. I purchased a cock bird two years ago from another breeders line because my boy just dropped dead.

Imagine my surprise when I had chicks with green legs pop out when I bred him to his daughters.

I have to test breed all the birds I have decided to keep now. It's such a pain since the yellow skin is recessive.

I also had this happen in another line when I purchased outside stock. It happens because all sorts of birds were used to create the ameraucana and some breeders have outcrossed to improve a variety and didn't test breed the resulting offspring. Yellow skin can hide for a few generations and just pop out. It's a real pain in the arse because it completely ruins progress made by having to stop and test breed.

I sold the ones with yellow skin as ees.

 

[Schroeder]

How obvious is the yellow skin? Can you tell from a fully feathered bird?

 

[pips&peeps]

Just look at the bottoms of the feet. On dark shanked birds they will be green.

 

[GhostRider65]

OMG so glad I wiated and did not go ghet that old rooster and those hens off Graigs list......... Julie Kahn finnaly wrote me back she is still raising the AM's and will have some chicks ready end of March or April depending on our weather and hatches... YIPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
So now I will need help in picking chicks so I don't get all boys.....anyone good at this with Blues and Blacks ..... cuz that's what she has......... no splash, but maybe another time I can find me at least 1 hen..... I know AM's are hard to sex as chicks but has anyone noticed any little thing that gives it away????? My pick rate ain't good on a straight run 2 out of 3 are usually male........... any advice wpould be great...she said she ain't good at picking pullets either....... Good day all ..Kim

 

[Christie Rhae]

Don't ever, ever put just one roo back into the bachelor pad. Sometimes even adding two is risky, but not as bad. I try to play musical coops all at one time so everybody is confused, and nobody is really in a position to be top guy. And always do it at night, and roos of similar sizes.

It WORKED!!
Yesterday I caught up 5 ameraucana boys, trimmed their nails a bit, made sure their beaks were filed smooth and put them into a new pen. Then when it got dark I caught three more cockerels. One is a HUGE black rock..he is just huge, 1 blue rock and 1 naked neck turkan,(these three lived together) did the same with their nails and beaks and popped them into the pen with the Ams. The reason I put the 5 Am cockerels in first is because they are a little smaller than those giant Plymouth Rocks tho they are the same age so wanted to give them a small advantage. I waited till it was really dark out. At first there was some confusion and fussing and I had my husband turn off the porch light so it would be even darker.
I was really nervous for morning but this morning they were all standing around acting like they had always been together. These are 8 cockerels with hormones raging so there are small scuffles here and there. I decided to go in this morning and harass them all again. I caught up each one and held him, petted him or hung him upside down for a few seconds (depending on attitude) just so they all knew that there was someone bigger than them in this town. Then I kinda chased them around the pen a bit. I wanted them all to feel like they barely escaped alive. lol! So they would sorta bond or something. I dunno. lol
But I have to say...the pullet pen is so peaceful! The boys and girls are separated by 2 pens so they can't get a riled up with girls right next door.
Aahhhh peace....
Since I was in the bullying mood I decided to go harass two older cockerels that are in a pen with some hens. The other day one of these boys had attacked my leg. This is my first time ever getting tagged by a chicken. I grabbed him and carried him around on my hip for about 10 minutes. He got to watch me give water to the pig, pick some greens for the chickens, I even gave him a tour of the kitchen and explained to him that this is where I cook chicken soup.

Then when I brought him back to the pen he started getting all feisty again so I hung him upside down until he calmed down. It only took about 20 seconds and then I laid him down in the straw. He jumped up all flustered and has been keeping his distance from me since then.
I had no idea I would have to be a chicken psychologist when I started this! Lol, That's ok cuz I have had a lot of practice with my kids.

 

[GhostRider65]

It WORKED!!
Yesterday I caught up 5 ameraucana boys, trimmed their nails a bit, made sure their beaks were filed smooth and put them into a new pen.  Then when it got dark I caught three more cockerels.  One is a HUGE black rock..he is just huge, 1 blue rock and 1 naked neck turkan,(these three lived together) did the same with their nails and beaks and popped them into the pen with the Ams.    The reason I put the 5 Am cockerels in first is because they are a little smaller than those giant Plymouth Rocks tho they are the same age so wanted to give them a small advantage.  I waited till it was really dark out.  At first there was some confusion and fussing and I had my husband turn off the porch light so it would be even darker.   
I was really nervous for morning but this morning they were all standing around acting like they had always been together.  These are 8 cockerels with hormones raging so there are small scuffles here and there.  I decided to go in this morning and harass them all again.  I caught up each one and held him, petted him or hung him upside down for a few seconds (depending on attitude) just so they all knew that there was someone bigger than them in this town. Then I kinda chased them around the pen a bit.  I wanted them all to feel like they barely escaped alive.  lol!  So they would sorta bond or something.  I dunno. lol
But I have to say...the pullet pen is so peaceful!  The boys and girls are separated by 2 pens so they can't get a riled up with girls right next door.
Aahhhh peace....
Since I was in the bullying mood I decided to go harass two older cockerels that are in a pen with some hens.  The other day one of these boys had attacked my leg.  This is my first time ever getting tagged by a chicken.  I grabbed him and carried him around on my hip for about 10 minutes.  He got to watch me give water to the pig, pick some greens for the chickens, I even gave him a tour of the kitchen and explained to him that this is where I cook chicken soup.       Then when I brought him back to the pen he started getting all feisty again so I hung him upside down until he calmed down.  It only took about 20 seconds and then I laid him down in the straw.  He jumped up all flustered and has been keeping his distance from me since then.  
I had no idea I would have to be a chicken psychologist when I started this!  Lol, That's ok cuz I have had a lot of practice with my kids.  

:yuck yuck
but very good sound advice for dealing with pushy naughty young roosters, been thier, done that, mine are gentlemen, or they know they will be stuffed and roasted... even showed em the big turkey roaster and they sometimes get treats off the platter to remind them hehehehe.hehehe