Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[UrbanFarmOC]

Such a beautiful flock! Love the colors!

 

[PapaChaz]

Such a beautiful flock! Love the colors!

thanks! I didn't get a pic of the 5 week old darker one, but that one has the best 'lacing' on the edges of the feathers. I think we've pretty well determined as well as we can right now anyway, that I have 4 hens and 4 roosters. Time will tell for sure though

 

[Sylvester017]

Got my Blue Breda along w/ a Blue Ameraucana from CO by USPS last Wednesday. As expected the Amer is a kooky spooky jittery juvenile but coos (or complains) when she's held. The Breda juvenile is way more calmer unafraid and not at all spooked and already ate treats from the hand. I hope this Breda will be a good integration into the flock which will comprise 2 Silkies, 2 Amers, and 1 Breda. The Breda is very stately, almost regal in her stance and behavior.

The Blue Am is beautiful and she has the same jittery alert demeanor of our BWAm and is just as melt-in-your-arms as our BWAm. When we first got Amers (one of 2 sisters passed) we thought we made a mistake getting such hyperactive birds. But as time went on and the remaining sister adjusted to us, being handled, in new surroundings and flockmates we grew to love her. We had to rehome some assertive and aggressive Marans and Leghorns but we kept her. She is submissive and kind to the Silkies and she never engages in conflicts. I've never had such a unique breed as Amer. When the Silkies chest-bump her she just ignores it or walks away. She could easily throttle them but is non-combative. So far the new Blue Amer displays the same temperament so we hope we have 2 winners in these Amers.

 

[PapaChaz]

Got my Blue Breda along w/ a Blue Ameraucana from CO by USPS last Wednesday. As expected the Amer is a kooky spooky jittery juvenile but coos (or complains) when she's held. The Breda juvenile is way more calmer unafraid and not at all spooked and already ate treats from the hand. I hope this Breda will be a good integration into the flock which will comprise 2 Silkies, 2 Amers, and 1 Breda. The Breda is very stately, almost regal in her stance and behavior.

The Blue Am is beautiful and she has the same jittery alert demeanor of our BWAm and is just as melt-in-your-arms as our BWAm. When we first got Amers (one of 2 sisters passed) we thought we made a mistake getting such hyperactive birds. But as time went on and the remaining sister adjusted to us, being handled, in new surroundings and flockmates we grew to love her. We had to rehome some assertive and aggressive Marans and Leghorns but we kept her. She is submissive and kind to the Silkies and she never engages in conflicts. I've never had such a unique breed as Amer. When the Silkies chest-bump her she just ignores it or walks away. She could easily throttle them but is non-combative. So far the new Blue Amer displays the same temperament so we hope we have 2 winners in these Amers.

I'm not so sure it's 100% breed, or if a lot of it is individual personality. Out of my 8 blues, when I enter the coop or the run, 1 immediately comes to me, 2 others will come over, but do it in a very nonchalant manner, 2 run screaming the other direction and the other 3 act pretty much apathetic. The one will give me time to sit down and get settled, then she's (or he, haven't determined that yet) will be climbing up my leg and settling in for a few minutes in my lap.

 

[johnderosa1]

After reading a few of the posts regarding the color of eggs, I thought I would post a pic of the eggs I just started getting from my girls. I added a few from the "other" ladies for contrast. This is their first lay season and I just love their color. Hopefully it comes out ok.

Showoff!!!! Great color.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

After reading a few of the posts regarding the color of eggs, I thought I would post a pic of the eggs I just started getting from my girls. I added a few from the "other" ladies for contrast. This is their first lay season and I just love their color. Hopefully it comes out ok.

Beautiful eggs!!

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm not so sure it's 100% breed, or if a lot of it is individual personality. Out of my 8 blues, when I enter the coop or the run, 1 immediately comes to me, 2 others will come over, but do it in a very nonchalant manner, 2 run screaming the other direction and the other 3 act pretty much apathetic. The one will give me time to sit down and get settled, then she's (or he, haven't determined that yet) will be climbing up my leg and settling in for a few minutes in my lap.

You're probably correct on all descriptions re Amers. Our breeder shipped us a Blue Breda juvenile around 4 m/o along w/ the Blue Amer who were hatched and raised together and coincidentally hung around w/ each other growing up. Both are so sweet I can feel the sugar dripping from them. I am accustomed to the jittery jumpy Amer nature. It's not an endearing quality, but what impresses me most is that they are non-combative in nature - our BWAm would rather flee than fight and she's been extraordinarily kind and submissive to the Silkies when they chest-bump her. She doesn't retaliate. Yet she'll throttle and chase away stray cats in the yard! She is appropriately named "Taffy" which is the male Welsh description of "leader." I believe "guardian" should be added to that description. She's not an alpha in flock politics but definitely has earned "sentinel" as her added flock descriptor.

OurFlyBabies.com says they always keep a flock of BWAms because they are nurturing and kind to flockmates and will take in orphaned chicks or injured birds into their fold without incident - not common in most breeds of chickens. So, we tolerate Amer's jittery, jumpy, alertness because of this wonderful quality and the fact that even if it's not their favourite thing, will melt in our arms and go to sleep if we hold or pet them. One thing we've noticed is that our Amers don't like to be herded, or eat a hand-fed treat, etc, unless they do it on their own time and terms. An intelligent brain is in that jumpy personality and their forte in the barnyard is used best as alert sentinel guardians. While the other breeds snooze off our Amers seem to be watchful in the coop until the door is finally closed for the night.

Getting those beautiful XL blue eggs are just a wonderful sideline bonus for us!

 

[DonumDei]

My Ams are pretty relaxed when I'm just going about my business feeding and watering. However, God forbid I try to catch one during the daylight hours! They do not like to eat out of my hand, unless it's a grasshopper (who could resist that?). They do however take in new birds very well. I added my chicks that were hatched in late february, and it looks as though they readily accepted the new members to the flock.

I guess we'll just have to continue with our current arrangement

 

[Sylvester017]

My Ams are pretty relaxed when I'm just going about my business feeding and watering. However, God forbid I try to catch one during the daylight hours! They do not like to eat out of my hand, unless it's a grasshopper (who could resist that?). They do however take in new birds very well. I added my chicks that were hatched in late february, and it looks as though they readily accepted the new members to the flock.

I guess we'll just have to continue with our current arrangement

I am so enthralled with our Ameraucanas. For all their jumpy jittery nature they have become our favourite breed and we've gone through a few in the last 4 yrs. I've never had an EE but our friends have them and say they share the same personality nature as our Amers - non-political and non-combative.

Our 2 Silkies and 1 BW Amer together in tandem squawking loudly chased off a stray cat in the yard this morning. Usually only the Amer chases off the cats but this morning her Silkie flockmates led the brigade at the front. I don't think that stray will come back for a while!

Our BW Amer is picky about what she chooses to eat out of our hand. Like you say, they pick and choose on their own terms what they eat or what they refuse. All the other breeds will at least take a bite to see what the treat is but she is more discerning. When she was a pullet she was less likely to eat out of our hand but watching the Silkies gobble treats from our hands got her into the swing of things and we have no trouble offering her treats now. The new Blue Amer juvie 4 m/o is still spooky kooky but once held will coo and relax.

Our new Blue Breda the same age as the new Blue Amer were hatched and brooder mates together and coincidentally hung around together - a bond they had since chicks. However the Breda is way more calm and easily handled than the Blue Amer and actually curious about activity going on around her. We took the Breda to the vet for checkup today and she was totally undisturbed by the fuss - in fact she amused herself pecking at the dials on the weight scales and then proceeded to groom her feathers in the midst of us all in the exam room. The Amers better watch out or Bredas may soon become our "favourites" LOL.

 

[dstokely]

Is there anyway to break a hen from eating eggs? Fortunately, it is one of my EEs and not my AMs. Will the nests that have the eggs roll out in a tray prevent this? I caught her in the act and I hope this is the only one that I have doing this. Can't really rehome her because my grandson picked her out.