Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Folly's place]

After the last chick is out, move them to either a large dog crate in the coop, or to your separate coop. I use hay in the nest box over wood chips (shavings). After about a week, My broody and her chicks get to go out of their dog crate and mix with the flock. Mama does a great job of managing everything, and I observe at first to make sure things go well. The hen doesn't count her babies, but is very aware of any chirping. Broody raised chicks will be much more integrated into the flock and wiser about danger, etc. The hen teaches them as they grow. Mary

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Shavings or hay for bedding?  I'll put hay in the tub I'll use as a nest box, but what about the floor?  I think I'll use  hay.  I just hope that last chick hatches okay.  So far, s/he is slow but it is still in the normal range.

I prefer shaving for chicks, but that's just me.

 

[MrsBachbach]

What do you think of the color of this chick? The four other blues don't have the yellow on the forehead like this chick. The second picture was taken without the flash, so maybe shows the yellow better. Is that in the normal range of color variation for a blue chick? I am 99.99% sure these chicks are all from my splash Ameraucana hen and blue Ameraucana rooster. As far as I can tell, they all came from the same hen--same shape, size and color egg. It is possible that some of the chicks are from two other Ameraucanas, but highly unlikely. One of the other possibility was the lavender Ameraucana broody who hatched them, but she was broody and had been for weeks before these eggs were laid. I'm talking pancake/stunned/disoriented broody. I don't think she laid any eggs and they didn't look like her eggs. The other possibility is the blue wheaten hen, but as far as I know, she had never laid an egg in her life. I euthanized her about a week or two ago from complications from internal laying. I just don't believe she laid any eggs. So, I am pretty sure they are all from my splash hen and blue rooster from Paul Smith. [COLOR=B42000] [/COLOR]

I think they all look like normal ameraucana chicks, even the blue. I usually see yellow on the face of black chicks instead of blue, but I'm sure it can happen to blue. Not really sure what it means, but they are usually called clown face when they have yellow around the eyes and face area. I don't raise as many chicks as some, but when I looked back at my records, I found those chicks were always females when they came from a certain hens. The other thing I noticed is the yellow areas on the face often will have some white feathers and it takes longer for those areas to turn black or in the case of blues, I guess blue. I had one last year with white all around her face, muffs, etc. A very nice looking hen, but the white bothered me, so I found her a home. Should have kept her a bit longer than six months because she lost all the white and turned black like she should. Cute chicks, btw. Btw, move the chicks and mom as soon as they are all done, especially if they are falling out of the nest. Make sure the new nest is ground level.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I think they all look like normal ameraucana chicks, even the blue. I usually see yellow on the face of black chicks instead of blue, but I'm sure it can happen to blue. Not really sure what it means, but they are usually called clown face when they have yellow around the eyes and face area. I don't raise as many chicks as some, but when I looked back at my records, I found those chicks were always females when they came from a certain hens. The other thing I noticed is the yellow areas on the face often will have some white feathers and it takes longer for those areas to turn black or in the case of blues, I guess blue. I had one last year with white all around her face, muffs, etc. A very nice looking hen, but the white bothered me, so I found her a home. Should have kept her a bit longer than six months because she lost all the white and turned black like she should. Cute chicks, btw.
Btw, move the chicks and mom as soon as they are all done, especially if they are falling out of the nest. Make sure the new nest is ground level.

Thanks. I just noticed that this chick also has a white beak, unlike any of the other blues. I'm sure you are right that the chick is just a normal variation of blue.

I put a board in front of the nest box and will move everyone this morning. The new coop is set up--I just didn't want to move them into a new coop at night with new hay they could get caught in. I can keep checking to make sure everything is okay during the day. I was imagining a chick caught in fluffy hay in a corner with a frantic mama in a strange place. I had visions of trampled chicks. I've not had chicks before so don't have any common sense about the whole thing.

Thanks for everyone's advice and thoughts.

 

[Melissa F]

Wow, its bad enough when sellers/hatcheries trick people by selling EE's as "Ameraucanas", but to go as far as saying they're a specific color variety when they're clearly not...

I'm sorry that happened to you. They're adorable nonetheless, you should get a variety of colors.

Honestly I'm not very upset. I unexpectedly was able to borrow an incubator and just wanted eggs to fill it. I'm hoping at least one of these turns out to be a pullet so I can get some colored eggs. Though it is a shame because this seller is selling a ton of these, and so I imagine lots of people think they're getting Ameraucanas. I also bought some silver laced Wyandottes off of her...now I'm wondering if that's what they really are!

 

[cyndilynn]

My 3 month old chickens. Supposed to have Ameraucanas and bared rocks. One of my Ameraucanas is an accidental roo as they were all supposed to be pullets. Are the really EEs?

 

[cyndilynn]

This is Lyle formally known as Lillith! I can't wait to see what he will look like full grown. He is 3 months old

 

[TheGeekySheep]

My 3 month old chickens. Supposed to have Ameraucanas and bared rocks. One of my Ameraucanas is an accidental roo as they were all supposed to be pullets. Are the really EEs?

Yep, those are EE's. Also I like your feeder!

 

[jajeanpierre]

Here's the housing I put them in this morning. It's a converted dog house with a secure door and lots of ventilation. A small wire-covered pen is attached (wire 1/2 by 2 inch). They are under a big oak, so lots of shade on the coop and half the pen.

Normally, I use a quail-sized bottom to the waterer (pictured), but the broody was having a heck of a time drinking from it. I've never had chicks with a hen before. Is the normal sized bottom too big for the little chicks? I put another waterer with the wider bottom outside in the pen.

This poor hen has been broody since February or March--pancake/spaced-out broody. She's about 15 months old. The rooster made a real mess of her feathers, which were delicate to begin with since she was a lavender. She had lost a lot of weight being broody before I gave her these eggs to hatch, so I hand fed her mash and sometimes hard-boiled eggs when she was setting on the eggs so she actually gained a lot of weight while she brooded. When will she have a really good molt?

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[FVRM]

Honestly I'm not very upset. I unexpectedly was able to borrow an incubator and just wanted eggs to fill it. I'm hoping at least one of these turns out to be a pullet so I can get some colored eggs. Though it is a shame because this seller is selling a ton of these, and so I imagine lots of people think they're getting Ameraucanas. I also bought some silver laced Wyandottes off of her...now I'm wondering if that's what they really are!

This kind of thing happens with this breed. I'm sure the wyandottes will be wyandottes.