Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[heatherscooby77]

X2...Well said. I wanted to speak up but didn't know quite how put it since it is a sensitive subject. If I hatch a Wyandotte with a straight comb and both of its parents were rose comb it is still a Wyandotte, but it is a cull Wyandotte. You could breed that straight comb back to the parent and have it breed true at least 50% of the time.

This is a very sensitive subject. I have several breeds of chickens. I understand everything you are saying about the culls etc. Imagine if someone took all the culls from your breed and marketed them as a quality birds, and then a whole lot of people lied, were misled, etc. about the "quality". Not cool. What would make it even more interesting, is what if they breed those culls together, and marketed those birds as quality birds too.

I have experimented with my breeds, listed in my signature. Almost everything about an Ameraucana is dominate over other breed characteristics. So a lot of chickens can be bred to "look" like Ameraucana, but they will not breed true 50% of the time.

The reason I believe the club has this statement is because the integrity of the the breed is in jeopardy. Quality can become poor, from the SOP stand point. Most people don't care where there chickens "come" from. Whether it is location, or genetically. Especially if you are talking about people who order from a hatchery in the first place. Most of them have listed that they are not show quality birds.

I would not expect any else. I was duped. Most of us had EE as our first AMs. I don't know it gives me a headache after a while. I know that the ABC isn't trying to be "special". Just trying to stop people from thinking that any chicken that lays a blue or green egg is an Ameraucana. (Royce I know you got yours to lay white to remove the brown egg genes, I am just being broad about the statement).

Its like this, very simple, if you have chicken A, it lays a brown egg and is a Wyandotte. Then you have chicken B and its an Orpington, it lays a brown egg. What if people started calling both chickens Brownie Eggers??? That would not be fair would it.................................Each chicken has its own distinguishing characteristics. So if a chicken doesn't fit the SOP, and because most Ameraucana traits are dominate (phenotype), just because it looks like one doesn't mean it is one. With this breed the genotype, color, and ability to reproduce it, is part of the breed description.

 

[soonerdog]

Since she has some salmon in the breast she is just a cull silver.She is reportedly from my eggs.Which appears to be correct.A blend of John Blehm,Curtis Beck and others.Thought she might have been silver penciled as some showed up in a early hatch but the salmon in the breast says no.Blending different lines sometimes produces surprises.Johns silver bantams sometimes have a little red in the male shoulders.Curtis Becks silvers are always clean shouldered but produce some white tips in the breast of the male.Crossed the two hoping for good black breasts and clean shoulders.Got some but also got some with a little red in shoulders and speckled breasts.Variation in hen color also.Silvers have always been rare.Which is why bantam silvers have been created 3 times that I know of.Two times by myself and once by Mike and John as a joint effort as I recall.Their efforts are what is currently available.I have been concentrating on male color.I will have to post some pictures.Yes I also have a birchen project.This bird is not from that projectn

Jerry,
Still curious about Cookie. Could it be possible that she is a bit birchen based? I've read on the ameraucana forum where both John and Curtis have in the past bred Birchen into their Silver ameraucana stock. Not certain, but I think Curtis told me he bred blacks with silvers and then to brown red to create a birchen line for the purpose of breeding with his silvers. I think trying to enhace the male silver line for reducing red shoulder.
I purchased some Black Ameraucana from John around 2002, that had a tendency to produce silver in the saddle and hackle areas. I crossed them into my Birchen line to help with inbreeding problems. John's blacks had some fancy tails and I'm still having this occurr which is a bit too much tail for the type I feel.
Anyway, I was just curious. Thanks, Johnny

 

[jerryse]

Jerry,
Still curious about Cookie. Could it be possible that she is a bit birchen based? I've read on the ameraucana forum where both John and Curtis have in the past bred Birchen into their Silver ameraucana stock. Not certain, but I think Curtis told me he bred blacks with silvers and then to brown red to create a birchen line for the purpose of breeding with his silvers. I think trying to enhace the male silver line for reducing red shoulder.
I purchased some Black Ameraucana from John around 2002, that had a tendency to produce silver in the saddle and hackle areas. I crossed them into my Birchen line to help with inbreeding problems. John's blacks had some fancy tails and I'm still having this occurr which is a bit too much tail for the type I feel.
Anyway, I was just curious. Thanks, Johnny

Yes it is possible.I used white that were based on black.Both times that I created silver bantams I used white.Trying to get back to something close to my old line.A tip I got from Fred Jeffery writings.Fred felt the best silver duckwings were carrying white.I get some dark females mostly dark hackles.I watch the wing bows in case they throw a crow wing [birchen] So far no problem.I have sold eggs in hopes that more people will raise silver bantams.In the past I did not sell much and feel that was a factor in losing the variety.When disaster struck I could not find a source.

 

[checoukan]

I lost my cock silver LF last fall. I just seems you don't see many raising the silvers. I really like them, and I hope to find a silver cock somewhere. Really don't want to get chicks right now as I will lose almost a year that way.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Great, thank you!



I think mine turned out pretty good, I'll have to post pics today and ya'll can tell me what you think.



Thanks!

 

[Chicken Tenders]

Thank you for all the links & responses to my Sex-linked traits questions. I am taking it slow through all the site recommendations. Very much appreciate the insight & wisdom!

Sarah & Gabey

 

[benisarooster]

This is my ameraucana rooster named eddy: hes giving you the evil eye.



Here is another pic of him

 

[Fyremare]

Really beautiful bird! I'm not an expert, but he looks great in every way, even his comb! NICE ONE!

 

[roostersandhens]

OMG! he is sooooo cute! eddy is adorable! cutest chicken ever! love him!!!!!

 

[benisarooster]

Thanks