Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[MrsBachbach]

BtW, I re-read my post, it sounded a little snappy, not meant to be taken that way. Sorry!

No problem fellow ABC member.

 

[MrsBachbach]

good morning everyone. I am asking for a little help in the sexing department. Are these cockerels? They are 9 weeks old if that helps to make a difference I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a wheaton or a blue wheaton (the "blue" is actually black) - i purchased the eggs from a breeder and hatched myself so I am still learning what to call everything. I will tell you I only purchased blue wheaton eggs and splash eggs and obviously this little guy/gal is not splash This is my little runt so pardon the messy wing feathers :-( She/He was purchased from a breeder in Tx and is a lavender for sure. This is a splash from the eggs I hatched.

First one looks like a female based on coloring from what I can see. Looks blue from the first picture. If that is it in the second picture, I do see what appears to be black. So, I'm confused. I don't have experience with lavenders and need a better picture of the comb. When trying to sex birds, it helps if you have a few more from the same variety and flock to compare with. There can be some variation of certain characteristics between flocks such as comb size and coloration so what works for one flock may not work for another. The third looks like a female based on comb, imo.

 

[dstokely]

You can get splash from mating blue x blue. Twenty five percent chance I believe.

What do you call the black that you get from a black/blue paring? What do you get with a Blue and a Wheaten....a Blue Wheaten? Then there are the Lavenders. If you pair them with anything other than a Lav, a Black or Black Split do you just get an EE? I have charts, but they don't have those parings on there. I don't even know what roos I will have, but I think 2 Blues, 1 Black, 1 Splash, 1or 2 Lavs(depends on the day how the comb appears) and possible a Blue Wheaten.

 

[dstokely]

Blue, black and splash (not splash wheaten) can be kept together and bred together and maintain purebreed status. Now splash is not a recognized color in Ameraucana but it is used to produce blues. I happen to love the splash color. Some of the hens are downright pretty if splashed evenly. I breed BBS and am starting the Wheaten/blue wheaten variety. The only way you are going to get 100% blue hatch with these colors is to mate black to splash. Black to black will produce all blacks. Splash to splash all splash. Blue to blue is 50% blue, 25% black, 25% splash. Black to blue is 50% black, 50% blue. Splash to blue is 50% blue, 50% splash. If they maintain one small pen that is likely why it is hatchery choice. Because all colors are possible with that set up and they may not be able to fullfill a one color order.

Please tell me the difference between splash and splash wheaten? In looking at my charts, I assumed(wrongly, I guess) that a splash was a splash.

 

[pips&peeps]

What do you call the black that you get from a black/blue paring? Black
What do you get with a Blue and a Wheaten....a Blue Wheaten? Easter Egger
Then there are the Lavenders. If you pair them with anything other than a Lav, a Black or Black Split do you just get an EE? Yes

I have charts, but they don't have those parings on there. I don't even know what roos I will have, but I think 2 Blues, 1 Black, 1 Splash, 1or 2 Lavs(depends on the day how the comb appears) and possible a Blue Wheaten.

To answer the next question you can get a splash bird from a blue to blue mating.

You can get a splash wheaten bird from a blue wheaten to blue wheaten mating. It has the wheaten pattern with the splash coloration where normally the blue is.

 

[MrsBachbach]

What do you call the black that you get from a black/blue paring?  What do you get with a Blue and  a Wheaten....a Blue Wheaten?  Then there are the Lavenders.  If you pair them with anything other than a Lav, a Black or Black Split do you just get an EE?  I have charts, but they don't have those parings on there.  I don't even know what roos I will have, but I think 2 Blues, 1 Black, 1 Splash, 1or 2 Lavs(depends on the day how the comb appears) and possible a Blue Wheaten.

First, I don't have experience with the lavender variety. I do know that you do not want to mate a black split from this variety with your BBS variety. You will have genes floating around in there you don't want and have to spend time to find and breed out.

Speaking of the BBS (black, blue, splash) color variety, black from a black x blue mating is simply called a black. As is a blue from a black blue mating simply called a blue. Some breeders say you get better blacks from black x black matings and better blues from blue x blue matings. Others say you get better blues from black x splash matings.

Now, the BBS color variety is different from the Wheaten, Blue Wheaten, splash wheaten variety and you do not want to mix the two unless you really, really understand the genetics and how to get back to your starting point. These two color varieties can be bred together in their own individual group but should not be mixed together or they will not breed true. In other words, black, blue splash can be intermingled and wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten can be intermingled and still breed true. However, not the two groups together. All other color varieties, white, silver,buff, and brown red do not have any other color they can be bred with and remain true.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Please tell me the difference between splash and splash wheaten?  In looking at my charts, I assumed(wrongly, I guess) that a splash was a splash.

There are two splash varieties. One within the BBS color variety and one within the Wheaten, blue wheaten variety. Pips and Peeps explained how you can get them from breeding. Look at the pics I posted earlier in this thread of my young ones. I think the very light colored one may be a splash wheaten. Picture #4 I think. Page 2405. Pips and Peeps what do you think I have in that group?

 

[MrsBachbach]

Please tell me the difference between splash and splash wheaten?  In looking at my charts, I assumed(wrongly, I guess) that a splash was a splash.

What is that third picture (splash) supposed to be? Is it from a BBS variety or Wheaten/Blue wheaten variety? I can't tell anything about it's color in that picture.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Some poor quality pics of Smith Line Chicks. The chicks are great, I am just terrible at taking pictures. The glare makes it look like the splashes, have no splashes. They were 2 months old yesterday. For some reason it only uploaded 3 of my pics, I will see if I can get that fixed.













ETA: more pics

 

[stepfaniedawn]

First one looks like a female based on coloring from what I can see. Looks blue from the first picture. If that is it in the second picture, I do see what appears to be black. So, I'm confused.

I don't have experience with lavenders and need a better picture of the comb. When trying to sex birds, it helps if you have a few more from the same variety and flock to compare with. There can be some variation of certain characteristics between flocks such as comb size and coloration so what works for one flock may not work for another.

The third looks like a female based on comb, imo.

Thanks for your help . Unfortunately I do not have any other lavenders. I ordered 3 and one didn't make it thru shipping and the other was lost in one of the freezes. This poor little one is the only one that made it :-(. I am keeping it no matter what and am going to try to hatch some lavenders in a couple months. I was just curious bc these 3 were the only ones I wasn't 100% on.