Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[PapaChaz]

I'm having a hard time deciding which one to keep! I like the looks of the first one, which is the same as the one on the left in the second pic or the one in the very last pic. But then, the ones with the dark hackles and lighter body are great looking as well. Heck, maybe I'll keep them all if I can't get a few dollars out of a couple of them, LOL

 

[Percheron chick]

If you want to breed, than hold on to all of them. Select the best @ 6 months and sell the rest.

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm having a hard time deciding which one to keep! I like the looks of the first one, which is the same as the one on the left in the second pic or the one in the very last pic. But then, the ones with the dark hackles and lighter body are great looking as well. Heck, maybe I'll keep them all if I can't get a few dollars out of a couple of them, LOL

@GaryDean26 on the Breda thread says he is trying to breed his Blue Bredas to a darker color. He seems to prefer the darker rather than lighter Blues. Personally I think breeders try to keep the darker Blues so the color/pattern doesn't wash out over the following generations. I've had a very dark Blue Ameraucana pullet and didn't care for the darker shade but our lighter Blue Breda cockerel was gorgeous with the contrast of his black hackles and saddle feathers against the lighter Blue. I think color is a matter of preference for a backyarder but as a breeder genetics will dictate what owners keep or sell. I'm not a breeder but it seems I read on one of these threads that breeders will use a BBS Black roo to infuse deeper blues into their line/strain if the blues start looking washed out. I tried to study genetics of breeding and it was more info than I needed to know but for breeders genetics is serious business. You've got some pretty boys but the lightest one will probably be considered PQ - don't you know he'll probably turn out to be the sweetest personality and you won't have the heart to cull/sell him? The Blue Breda boy we rehomed with friends is so sweet and he's taken over the household's dog bed! IMO Bredas and Ameraucanas remain two of the sweetest breeds - especially if they aren't penned with combative assertive breeds like the heritage dual-purpose or egg-layer breeds.

 

[PapaChaz]

@GaryDean26 on the Breda thread says he is trying to breed his Blue Bredas to a darker color. He seems to prefer the darker rather than lighter Blues. Personally I think breeders try to keep the darker Blues so the color/pattern doesn't wash out over the following generations. I've had a very dark Blue Ameraucana pullet and didn't care for the darker shade but our lighter Blue Breda cockerel was gorgeous with the contrast of his black hackles and saddle feathers against the lighter Blue. I think color is a matter of preference for a backyarder but as a breeder genetics will dictate what owners keep or sell. I'm not a breeder but it seems I read on one of these threads that breeders will use a BBS Black roo to infuse deeper blues into their line/strain if the blues start looking washed out. I tried to study genetics of breeding and it was more info than I needed to know but for breeders genetics is serious business. You've got some pretty boys but the lightest one will probably be considered PQ - don't you know he'll probably turn out to be the sweetest personality and you won't have the heart to cull/sell him? The Blue Breda boy we rehomed with friends is so sweet and he's taken over the household's dog bed! IMO Bredas and Ameraucanas remain two of the sweetest breeds - especially if they aren't penned with combative assertive breeds like the heritage dual-purpose or egg-layer breeds.

Have to agree, I like the darker head/hackles against the lighter back. I may breed to sell some eggs, and regenerate my own flock, but I don't have any plans to breed to sell chicks. At least for now I don't. But I may follow the advice above and keep them all and see what comes along.....

 

[Sylvester017]

Have to agree, I like the darker head/hackles against the lighter back. I may breed to sell some eggs, and regenerate my own flock, but I don't have any plans to breed to sell chicks. At least for now I don't. But I may follow the advice above and keep them all and see what comes along.....

Keep a record of what breeds to who. It's so easy to lose track with just memory alone

 

[Galinha]

Keep a record of what breeds to who. It's so easy to lose track with just memory alone

What method do most breeders use for record keeping? I'm used to dog breeding with very detailed pedigrees where every dog is named. I'm guessing this doesn't work for chickens! Is it pencil and paper (I have seen breeders who do that) or is there some software or app that breeders prefer?

I'm just getting started in Ameraucanas so apologies if this is a super dumb question!

 

[Sylvester017]

What method do most breeders use for record keeping? I'm used to dog breeding with very detailed pedigrees where every dog is named. I'm guessing this doesn't work for chickens! Is it pencil and paper (I have seen breeders who do that) or is there some software or app that breeders prefer?

I'm just getting started in Ameraucanas so apologies if this is a super dumb question!

I don't breed but I do keep track of maintenance on my chickens and I use a posted calendar to jot who layed on what day of the week, when I wormed, when I started a medicine treatment and when I stopped and for which chicken, etc. But for breeding I'm certain the journals are more tedious and hope someone who breeds will answer you!

 

[Reyvaughn]

Someone did have chicken keeping programs for sale a long time ago on here.
If you can get numbered leg bands or you get your birds tested, I'd just keep a spreadsheet on your computer.

Personally, I don't have many birds, so I am not worried about keeping paperwork. I only have one variety of Ams, but the bantam Cochins can get tedious with the project color crossings. Still, I have under 40 birds, so...

 

[PapaChaz]

What method do most breeders use for record keeping? I'm used to dog breeding with very detailed pedigrees where every dog is named. I'm guessing this doesn't work for chickens! Is it pencil and paper (I have seen breeders who do that) or is there some software or app that breeders prefer?

I'm just getting started in Ameraucanas so apologies if this is a super dumb question!

I haven't banded them yet, but I do have the bands to put on the legs. Then it's just a matter of record keeping, yellow band and green band together for _________ or something like that.

The thing is, I do realize that breeding a blue rooster and a blue hen won't necessarily give me blue chicks, there's a 25% chance of black and splash possible as well. Would still be interesting to see which ones turn out the prettiest chicks though. I only have one coop and run, guess I'll have to make a few breeding pens.

I bought 8 chicks and have four and four, what's the suggestion sylvestor, pair them for a week at a time, once they're of age, two weeks? longer? I have no idea how to start.

I don't breed but I do keep track of maintenance on my chickens and I use a posted calendar to jot who layed on what day of the week, when I wormed, when I started a medicine treatment and when I stopped and for which chicken, etc. But for breeding I'm certain the journals are more tedious and hope someone who breeds will answer you!

ok now that I see this response, I can see that keeping 4 pairs separate would be easy enough, but once the eggs go in the incubators, LOL keeping up with what chick came out of what egg would be dang near impossible. Almost need 4 incubators to keep them separate, then for the next batch pair them differently and start again?

 

[Sylvester017]

I haven't banded them yet, but I do have the bands to put on the legs. Then it's just a matter of record keeping, yellow band and green band together for _________ or something like that.

The thing is, I do realize that breeding a blue rooster and a blue hen won't necessarily give me blue chicks, there's a 25% chance of black and splash possible as well. Would still be interesting to see which ones turn out the prettiest chicks though. I only have one coop and run, guess I'll have to make a few breeding pens.

I bought 8 chicks and have four and four, what's the suggestion sylvestor, pair them for a week at a time, once they're of age, two weeks? longer? I have no idea how to start.

ok now that I see this response, I can see that keeping 4 pairs separate would be easy enough, but once the eggs go in the incubators, LOL keeping up with what chick came out of what egg would be dang near impossible. Almost need 4 incubators to keep them separate, then for the next batch pair them differently and start again?

Some breeders actually mark on the hatching eggs themselves just what they are, i,.e., A = one set of parents, B = another set of parents, and so on with a journal specifying who A parents are, who B parents are, etc. I suppose whatever works best for you but I'm always hearing breeders that get their hatches mixed up. I would think marking the eggs at collection immediately would eliminate that problem before putting them into an incubator. There must be a BYC thread on how to journal and hatch chicks which is not my thing.