Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Manningjw]

There is a really neat thread for Barred EE's but it doesn't see a lot of activity. They may have the photos you are looking for.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/94095/barred-easter-egger

Mine were pretty obvious. Except for puffy cheeks & green legs, they looked like barred rock chicks. They are the black ones with white head spots and puffy cheeks found at the bottom of this photo.

Thanks for linking the thread, perfect! It takes a few weeks for the barred feathers to start showing right? It has been a long time since i had a barred chicken to remember.

 

[JekkaLynn]

I had a black EE chick that had a bit of barring but lost it as he grew up.

 

[JekkaLynn]

So I entered my new Ameruacana rooster, my black Ameruacana hen, my splash Ameruacana hen, and a black EE hen. I just guessed on which black hen was the purebred and which was the 3/4.
My friend was with the judge during the judging and apparently the judge couldn't tell either because then got first bad second place for the Ameruacana rooster hens and one was Standard Breed Champion!!
My rooster won first for the Ameruacana roosters and the judge got all excited when he found out they were owned by the same person.
My splash didn't place but I didn't expect her to since she isn't a recognized color.

 

[dstokely]

So I entered my new Ameruacana rooster, my black Ameruacana hen, my splash Ameruacana hen, and a black EE hen. I just guessed on which black hen was the purebred and which was the 3/4.
My friend was with the judge during the judging and apparently the judge couldn't tell either because then got first bad second place for the Ameruacana rooster hens and one was Standard Breed Champion!!
My rooster won first for the Ameruacana roosters and the judge got all excited when he found out they were owned by the same person.
My splash didn't place but I didn't expect her to since she isn't a recognized color.

Congratulations on your wins. Sorry about the splash...they are my favorites.

 

[WendyF]

@JekkaLynn That is so exciting yours did so well! Splash is also my favorite; it's a shame it's not a recognized color yet...

 

[jajeanpierre]

I need some advice from those with a lot of experience with roosters/cockerels.

I have to cull some males. This spring I grew out five cockerels (seven until last week when a predator took two). They are currently seven months old. Along with the five cockerels are four pullets from the same hatch. I currently have another rooster (nineteen months old) who is a real jerk with people, and me in particular. Everyone free ranges in my front yard (almost two acres).

The birds have divided themselves into two flocks. The laying hens (two LF Polish, a bantam Plymouth Rock, an Ameraucana hen and the one laying Ameraucana pullet) stick close to the older rooster. He protects them from the rude cockerels who are extremely aggressive to the laying hens.

I think most if not all of these young cockerels are really bad with hens and should be culled for their behavior. If a laying hen is separated from her flock (protected by the older cock bird), they will chase her as a pack with her running and shrieking for her life. She'll run behind the older cock bird and his presence stops them. I have not seen him fight or spar with the younger cockerels although I have seen the younger cockerels flare at the pullets and the laying hens on occasion. I've been surprised at some of the really aggressive behavior that doesn't seem to be breeding behavior exhibited by some of these cockerels toward the hens and pullets, chasing them down, biting them, pecking but not trying to mount.

To me, this is abnormal breeding behavior. I am trying to determine which cockerel is the worst offender. The chase is really bad--the cockerel puffs up with wings dropped and a bit open. It looks like very aggression to me not breeding behavior, and if it is twisted breeding behavior, it is not the kind of behavior I want to subject my hens to. The cockerels seem to target just the laying hens. The three Ameraucana pullets who have not started laying still hang out with the group of rowdy boys. Occasionally the rude cockerels have very roughly mounted the pullets, but in general leave them alone, focusing on the laying hens.

Last year I grew out five cockerels from the same breeder and like this year there was too many cockerels for the number of pullets. I kept putting off culling the unwanted cockerels. I didn't get any of this rapist/aggressive behavior even by the time I culled at eleven months. I just had three cockerels who didn't bother anyone (bottom of the cockerel pecking order) and two people-aggressive birds (one in the freezer and one still alive protecting the laying hens from the rowdy boys). Both people-aggressive birds were fine with the hens and other cockerels.

I have a group of seven June chicks I am growing out but their father is the nasty people-aggressive cock bird, so I don't think I want to keep one of those cockerels (there are three I think). I want to get the young group out of their small pen in the back yard and out in the front but I just can't subject them to the kind of abuse the rude cockerels will dish out. I could let the young birds out in my back yard with the bantam flock, but I had wanted them with the LF flock.

My plan had been to cull the nasty older cock bird and replace him with two of the younger cockerels. Now I am not so sure I want to keep any of these young seven-month old cockerels. I've decided to cull for temperament first, conformation second. Fortunately the birds I think have the nicest temperaments also are also the better birds. The fox culled the only bird I was positive I would be culling (cross beak) and a very nice cockerel that might have been one of the nastier (to the hens) cockerels in the group.

I've had surgery on both hands, so culling will have to be put off for at least a week.

I would really appreciate some thoughts on the behavior of these young birds. I'm pretty sure I know which cockerel is the rudest and roughest to the hens. Over the next week, I'll really try to identify who is the worst offender and he will be first to go. I'll cull one bird at a time, spaced at least a week apart. I'm not sure how my hands will hold up to cleaning a seven-month-old cockerel. The eleven-month-old birds last year were INCREDIBLY hard to clean.

I also think I need to keep extra males because I seem to have a fox problem. I've lost three birds in about two weeks, a Silkie hen from my back yard and two really big strong LF Ameraucana cockerels from the front-yard flock. I've been traveling, so there hasn't been as much of a human and dog presence on the property when I am away. Any thoughts on my fox problem would be greatly appreciated. I don't think electric netting will work because I have so many deer crossing my property. (My neighbor feeds the starving deer, so there must be forty or fifty that call my property and her's home. They will trash the netting.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I need some advice from those with a lot of experience with roosters/cockerels.

I have to cull some males.  This spring I grew out five cockerels (seven until last week when a predator took two).  They are currently seven months old.  Along with the five cockerels are four pullets from the same hatch.  I currently have another rooster (nineteen months old) who is a real jerk with people, and me in particular.  Everyone free ranges in my front yard (almost two acres).

The birds have divided themselves into two flocks.  The laying hens (two LF Polish, a bantam Plymouth Rock, an Ameraucana hen and the one laying Ameraucana pullet) stick close to the older rooster.  He protects them from the rude cockerels who are extremely aggressive to the laying hens.

I think most if not all of these young cockerels are really bad with hens and should be culled for their behavior.  If a laying hen is separated from her flock (protected by the older cock bird), they will chase her as a pack with her running and shrieking for her life.  She'll run behind the older cock bird and his presence stops them.  I have not seen him fight or spar with the younger cockerels although I have seen the younger cockerels flare at the pullets and the laying hens on occasion.  I've been surprised at some of the really aggressive behavior that doesn't seem to be breeding behavior exhibited by some of these cockerels toward the hens and pullets, chasing them down, biting them, pecking but not trying to mount.

To me, this is abnormal breeding behavior.  I am trying to determine which cockerel is the worst offender.  The chase is really bad--the cockerel puffs up with wings dropped and a bit open.  It looks like very aggression to me not breeding behavior, and if it is twisted breeding behavior, it is not the kind of behavior I want to subject my hens to.  The cockerels seem to target just the laying hens.  The three Ameraucana pullets who have not started laying still hang out with the group of rowdy boys.  Occasionally the rude cockerels have very roughly mounted the pullets, but in general leave them alone, focusing on the laying hens.

Last year I grew out five cockerels from the same breeder and like this year there was too many cockerels for the number of pullets.  I kept putting off culling the unwanted cockerels.  I didn't get any of this rapist/aggressive behavior even by the time I culled at eleven months.  I just had three cockerels who didn't bother anyone (bottom of the cockerel pecking order) and two people-aggressive birds (one in the freezer and one still alive protecting the laying hens from the rowdy boys).  Both people-aggressive birds were fine with the hens and other cockerels.

I have a group of seven June chicks I am growing out but their father is the nasty people-aggressive cock bird, so I don't think I want to keep one of those cockerels (there are three I think).  I want to get the young group out of their small pen in the back yard and out in the front but I just can't subject them to the kind of abuse the rude cockerels will dish out.  I could let the young birds out in my back yard with the bantam flock, but I had wanted them with the LF flock.

My plan had been to cull the nasty older cock bird and replace him with two of the younger cockerels.  Now I am not so sure I want to keep any of these young seven-month old cockerels.  I've decided to cull for temperament first, conformation second.  Fortunately the birds I think have the nicest temperaments also are also the better birds.  The fox culled the only bird I was positive I would be culling (cross beak) and a very nice cockerel that might have been one of the nastier (to the hens) cockerels in the group.

I've had surgery on both hands, so culling will have to be put off for at least a week.

I would really appreciate some thoughts on the behavior of these young birds.  I'm pretty sure I know which cockerel is the rudest and roughest to the hens.  Over the next week, I'll really try to identify who is the worst offender and he will be first to go.  I'll cull one bird at a time, spaced at least a week apart.  I'm not sure how my hands will hold up to cleaning a seven-month-old cockerel.  The eleven-month-old birds last year were INCREDIBLY hard to clean.

I also think I need to keep extra males because I seem to have a fox problem.  I've lost three birds in about two weeks, a Silkie hen from my back yard and two really big strong LF Ameraucana cockerels from the front-yard flock.  I've been traveling, so there hasn't been as much of a human and dog presence on the property when I am away.  Any thoughts on my fox problem would be greatly appreciated.  I don't think electric netting will work because I have so many deer crossing my property. (My neighbor feeds the starving deer, so there must be forty or fifty that call my property and her's home.  They will trash the netting.

Thanks for any advice.

Well, the behaviour from your young cockerals is actually pretty normal in my experience. They know which girls are breeding and which are not which explains why they bother the hens and not the young pullets. The wing dropping is what I call the breeding dance. I never let my group of cockerals out with the hens just for that reason. They will run them ragged. Especially if there is a group of them. One cockeral to about five hens wouldn't be too bad on them though. Heck, when I have put a young cockeral with my hens, he is usually hen pecked! Of course they were much younger than yours so that may be why. My hens either have a mature rooster with them or none at all. When breeding they go in pens. The cockerals are usually more mature by then but still more aggressive than mature roosters. There isn't much room to escape so the hens usually submit and it's over with. Then things calm down. It usually does take a few days for the hens to relax though. If there is a hen who doesn't want to be bred(and that does happen), they usually go in with a cockeral. Cockerals are very persistant and they usually will breed a hen that a rooster will leave alone.
So, the best I can tell you is chose those that are people friendly if that is your priority because that other behaviour is pretty normal for young males.

 

[Euarto Gullible]

I hatched this Blue on Friday.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Well, the behaviour from your young cockerals is actually pretty normal in my experience. They know which girls are breeding and which are not which explains why they bother the hens and not the young pullets. The wing dropping is what I call the breeding dance. I never let my group of cockerals out with the hens just for that reason. They will run them ragged. Especially if there is a group of them. One cockeral to about five hens wouldn't be too bad on them though. Heck, when I have put a young cockeral with my hens, he is usually hen pecked! Of course they were much younger than yours so that may be why. My hens either have a mature rooster with them or none at all. When breeding they go in pens. The cockerals are usually more mature by then but still more aggressive than mature roosters. There isn't much room to escape so the hens usually submit and it's over with. Then things calm down. It usually does take a few days for the hens to relax though. If there is a hen who doesn't want to be bred(and that does happen), they usually go in with a cockeral. Cockerals are very persistant and they usually will breed a hen that a rooster will leave alone.
So, the best I can tell you is chose those that are people friendly if that is your priority because that other behaviour is pretty normal for young males.

I wouldn't call the wing dropping a breeding dance--they fluff up huge, drop both wings and hold them away from their body. It looks like the same behavior as when they chase another cockerel, so it looks pretty aggressive to me. I didn't see it at all last year with my group of cockerels. I've got to cull at least two but I just had hand surgery so it will have to wait at least a week.

 

[dstokely]

I hatched this Blue on Friday.

Looks like a splash to me, and I would be delighted as they are my favorites. What were the parents?