Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[jerryse]

Here is a example of leakage in a lavender split.He has excellent bloodlines but is going to freezer camp.Selection must be constant to maintain the breed.Only 1 has showed up.I know the bloodlines involved and can say nobody has used a rooster like this for breeding.Yet here is a unwanted trait.Even good bloodlines will have an oddity on occasion.Breed only from the best.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Here is a example of leakage in a lavender split.He has excellent bloodlines but is going to freezer camp.Selection must be constant to maintain the breed.Only 1 has showed up.I know the bloodlines involved and can say nobody has used a rooster like this for breeding.Yet here is a unwanted trait.Even good bloodlines will have an oddity on occasion.Breed only from the best.

Thanks for the picture. I'm new to chickens (my oldest are not quite 5 months) but not new to breeding and exhibiting animals (dogs for decades). Chickens are unique because it is very easy to breed many generations and individuals and cull (via freezer camp) unsuitable animals. I still have to get up the courage to send my first chicken to freezer camp, but he is biting me whenever I try to pick him up and I am moving him in and out of an outdoor pen morning and night. I'm surprised at how unpleasant a bite is from an itty bitty Silkie is--I have big parrots, so thought a chicken bite was a non event. Wrong--they are fast and startle me which I think is probably worse than their bite.

I have a question on combs. I have a nice blue wheaten (I'll try to send pictures today) that might be a good bird. He is almost 4.5 months old. The center bead of peas has a little detour in it. The "peas" all line up in a straight line, but the raised whatever you call it that the peas develop from takes a small little jog. How serious a fault is this? Will it get worse as he matures?

Thanks for your help.

 

[delisha]

Quote: http://keippercooping.com/poulty.htm

I made my own, however there are tons of places that make them

You have to transport the birds in a cage of some sort....cages are already lined up in *groups* for you to put your birds in. Find your group, ask questions if you are not sure what to do or where to go and someone will guide you at the show. Most shows are the same. They usually have guidelines for *times* that the birds need to be caged. If they are being judged starting at 9 am they usually want the birds all caged an hour before. I will mist the cage with Oxine, and make sure it is clean. I do not take my birds out until the whole show is over. It is rude and disrespectful to the Judges who are working, to remove the birds after your group has been Judged.

It can look like this....

or this

 

[jerryse]

Thanks for the picture. I'm new to chickens (my oldest are not quite 5 months) but not new to breeding and exhibiting animals (dogs for decades). Chickens are unique because it is very easy to breed many generations and individuals and cull (via freezer camp) unsuitable animals. I still have to get up the courage to send my first chicken to freezer camp, but he is biting me whenever I try to pick him up and I am moving him in and out of an outdoor pen morning and night. I'm surprised at how unpleasant a bite is from an itty bitty Silkie is--I have big parrots, so thought a chicken bite was a non event. Wrong--they are fast and startle me which I think is probably worse than their bite.

I have a question on combs. I have a nice blue wheaten (I'll try to send pictures today) that might be a good bird. He is almost 4.5 months old. The center bead of peas has a little detour in it. The "peas" all line up in a straight line, but the raised whatever you call it that the peas develop from takes a small little jog. How serious a fault is this? Will it get worse as he matures?

Thanks for your help.

On combs.The crocked comb is hereditary.If he is all you have you could use him and select only straight combsSince it sounds like a mild case he likely has straight comb genes also.In which case some chicks would be straight.If you have a better bird use him.Yes it may get worse as he matures.

 

[Shaffer]

On combs.The crocked comb is hereditary.If he is all you have you could use him and select only straight combsSince it sounds like a mild case he likely has straight comb genes also.In which case some chicks would be straight.If you have a better bird use him.Yes it may get worse as he matures.

Jerry is the crocked comb: Recessive, dominant or intermediate? Or are there different types genetically?

 

[jerryse]

Jerry is the crocked comb: Recessive, dominant or intermediate? Or are there different types genetically?

I am thinking dominat but not sure.

 

[jerryse]

Can someone tell me how to edit a post.I have seen notes that say edited.Can I do this or must a moderator do this?

 

[delisha]

Can someone tell me how to edit a post.I have seen notes that say edited.Can I do this or must a moderator do this?

The pencil in the box next to the flag on the left

 

[Shaffer]

I am thinking dominat but not sure.

Yes, I have one strain that appears to be a dominant gene, this is in another breed not Ameraucanas.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Here's the blue Wheaten cockerel I was discussing earlier. He was hatched April 1 and the pictures were taken today.

I think he is a really nice bird. His blue color is gorgeous and the lacing is really, really pretty. I don't know if that shows up in the pictures below.

I spent some time looking at him today and have a few concerns. First problem is his comb.

I notice he has red/orange in the blue feathers of his chest and his fluff or stern.

He has a lot of black striping in his hackle feathers, but it seems the new feathers replacing those old feathers have little or no black striping. You can see on the comb shot, he has almost no black striped feathers. He seems to be losing the black-striped feathers from his head down. Does he have a correct shade of red/orange on his head? Should that color extend all the way down his neck?

You can't see it in these pictures, but his tail set is (I think) slightly high. Definitely not a squirrel tail, but I don't think it is correct.

His feathering is kind of ratty, but I think he is molting.

He was not at all happy being photographed in my sun room and was almost overheated when I brought him inside, so he had every reason to not be thrilled with me. That said, he is not as "nice" a temperament as the blue bird that I've sent pictures of to the group.

I have no intention of breeding Wheatens. If he were a special bird, I would raise him up and try to find him a home with a breeder. Otherwise, he goes to freezer camp. I just don't want to send a spectacular individual to freezer camp because I can't see it.

Thanks for any comments.