Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[scflock]

where do you find quality breeders?

It depends on what your goals are. If you want birds that have the potential to be bred for showing, look up the Ameraucana Breeders Club. Thats where I found Paul Smith's email address, and ordered directly from him. If you only want blue eggs, you may be able to find a local breeder with the breeds you want. You may even get lucky and find a good one on Craigslist, but be wary of most ads. A lot of people on CL can either be ignorant, or dishonest, but there are a few good ones too

 

[Sylvester017]

This is only my opinion, and means nothing, but I just think the ameraucanas are much, much prettier birds than the legbars. I have AMs, and a friend has CCL, and visually, at least to me, there is no comparison.
I have had chickens for 7 years now, but just in the last year started getting some purebreds to breed. Spend the money to get better birds as long as you do your homework and know that you are getting quality birds. I have a list of people waiting for me to start hatching from my AMs. I had 6 extra cockerels from my first straight run batch of chicks, and those sold in two days after posting. I've never sold any breed of rooster that fast.
I haven't made any profit, but I have broken even this year by selling eggs, chicks, and started birds. That's not bad for a hobby that I would be doing anyway

I have CLs, Ams, Marans & Bielefelders. They are all beautiful and bring a smile to my face many times a day. Ams are chatty, Cls are curious and calm. Marans are complainers, Bielefelders are quiet giants. My Splash Marans are beautiful..... my Black Am rooster gorgeous! I like them all and then I start looking at other breeds and I want them too! Chocolate laced Wyandottes! Please! Each of us are drawn to different breeds. Aren't we lucky there are so many to choose from? I do agree.... if you are interested in raising chickens find the very best you can to start out.

I totally agree, and that's why I said my opinion didn't matter. I just prefer the AMs. I have a bunch of different breeds and love them all as well

I wish I had known when I got started what I know now. Most of my flocks were started from hatchery birds, and the AMs from Paul are the first breeder quality I have ever gotten. There is no comparison, and it was much cheaper to start with quality birds than it is to try and cull and improve from a sub-par flock. It's a shame the splash aren't a recognized color, because a few of mine are absolutely stunning. Most people just want them for the eggs, anyway, so I expect those to be big sellers next year

I agree..... I have wasted a lot of money in many endeavors when I should have just went with the quality from the start. The old saying, "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" So glad you are happy/excited about your new Ams. I am looking forward to seeing more pictures. Samouw posted a pic of her Am Rooster from Clif Redden.... unbelievable. I love black Ams.

JMHO also - when looking for any "quality" birds - get a track record from the breeder about their production as well. I got a purebred Blue Wheaten Ameraucana from a show breeder who we adore for her non-combative gentle spirit in the flock but she turned out a dud as far as production. I wanted a blue gene egg layer which she is but after her 2nd year only gave us 3 eggs for the whole year. From what I understand it is 50/50 pro/con as to the productivity of this breed and I happened to get a dud layer line. Oh, what heartache we experienced getting eggs in the color or quantity we reasonably expected from our dear girl!

 

[Red Banks]

JMHO also - when looking for any "quality" birds - get a track record from the breeder about their production as well. I got a purebred Blue Wheaten Ameraucana from a show breeder who we adore for her non-combative gentle spirit in the flock but she turned out a dud as far as production. I wanted a blue gene egg layer which she is but after her 2nd year only gave us 3 eggs for the whole year. From what I understand it is 50/50 pro/con as to the productivity of this breed and I happened to get a dud layer line. Oh, what heartache we experienced getting eggs in the color or quantity we reasonably expected from our dear girl!

I don't know about chickens (haven't been at it long enough) but with dogs you couldn't have it both ways. You went for show quality beauty/perfection or you had a dog that did the job he was bred to do...... seldom if ever did you have a dog that could do his job and win in a show ring. So..... do you settle for a beautiful chicken that just looks good or a world beater egg laying chicken. Is that what happens in the chicken world too?

 

[jerryse]

I don't know about chickens (haven't been at it long enough) but with dogs you couldn't have it both ways. You went for show quality beauty/perfection or you had a dog that did the job he was bred to do...... seldom if ever did you have a dog that could do his job and win in a show ring. So..... do you settle for a beautiful chicken that just looks good or a world beater egg laying chicken. Is that what happens in the chicken world too?

Generally speaking that is the way it is . I try for a middle of the road when breeding . I do not show much but get a good win once in a while . I prefer good production . To win consistently requires some close breeding .

 

[Red Banks]

Generally speaking that is the way it is . I try for a middle of the road when breeding . I do not show much but get a good win once in a while . I prefer good production . To win consistently requires some close breeding .

I like pretty chickens...... but I want eggs. I think middle of the road is where I belong!

 

[scflock]

I like pretty chickens...... but I want eggs. I think middle of the road is where I belong!

I'm really dying to see the egg color from these birds. They are about 28 weeks now, but still not laying. Could be the time of year, but I still have hope that they will lay a few during the winter.
It's just impossible to judge egg color from pictures. I've seen some that look photo shopped blue, and some that look tinted white. I just want to put one beside my EEs and see how much difference there really is.
As far as middle of the road, I can't express enough how much money it saved ordering from Paul. His chicks were $10 each with the shipping costs, and to be perfectly honest, I can sell day old chicks for almost the same price in my area. For $150 I wound up with a gorgeous flock of 8 layers and a nice rooster of each color. I expect the egg color to be decent, but it may be better than I hope. It is my understanding that egg color can be bred for just like any other trait

 

[jerryse]

I'm really dying to see the egg color from these birds. They are about 28 weeks now, but still not laying. Could be the time of year, but I still have hope that they will lay a few during the winter.
It's just impossible to judge egg color from pictures. I've seen some that look photo shopped blue, and some that look tinted white. I just want to put one beside my EEs and see how much difference there really is.
As far as middle of the road, I can't express enough how much money it saved ordering from Paul. His chicks were $10 each with the shipping costs, and to be perfectly honest, I can sell day old chicks for almost the same price in my area. For $150 I wound up with a gorgeous flock of 8 layers and a nice rooster of each color. I expect the egg color to be decent, but it may be better than I hope. It is my understanding that egg color can be bred for just like any other trait

When I said middle of the road I meant good production with some show potential . I achieve this by mixing good show bloodlines . I find a not too inbred line to be better layers . I do get showable birds that will place well . As for egg color I have all 3 breeds mentioned and find little difference in color . That is to say I can not pick out the breed that laid them by the color . I find variation in all 3 breeds .

 

[scflock]

When I said middle of the road I meant good production with some show potential . I achieve this by mixing good show bloodlines . I find a not too inbred line to be better layers . I do get showable birds that will place well . As for egg color I have all 3 breeds mentioned and find little difference in color . That is to say I can not pick out the breed that laid them by the color . I find variation in all 3 breeds .

After starting with the most awful set of BCM I could find, I'm just happy to have pretty birds

I'm hesitant to introduce anything else into the line, because my first experience with BCM taught me how diluted a line could get, but Ravyn posted a pic of a beautiful Redden rooster on another thread. If I ever crossed my line, I think I would look for something like that

 

[Red Banks]

After starting with the most awful set of BCM I could find, I'm just happy to have pretty birds

I'm hesitant to introduce anything else into the line, because my first experience with BCM taught me how diluted a line could get, but Ravyn posted a pic of a beautiful Redden rooster on another thread. If I ever crossed my line, I think I would look for something like that

I also fell in love with a Redden Roo!

 

[scflock]

I also fell in love with a Redden Roo!

The one Ravyn showed was very nice. Big, heavy looking bird