Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[scflock]

They use that name because it sells.  It is the name most people associate with the blue egg layer.  If the hatcheries would at least add some tag to their name or use their version of spelling consistantly , "Americana", that would help.  But I think what really needs to be done is 4-H shows and county fair judges need to stop accepting these EE's as Ameraucana in the shows.

My wife actually prefers the name Easter Egger. She grew up with chickens, and that's what her daddy called them. They would sell just as well without the false advertising. My EEs sell just as well as my AMs for just a little less money

 

[mirandaleecon]

Hello everyone, just out of curiosity, how many of you have had your Ameraucanas develop cross beak? I now know (after freaking out and reading everything I could find about it) that it is more common in Ameraucanas than other breeds but out of 25 chicks, I have 3 that have developed cross beak at about two weeks old, one black and two blue. That seems like a really high occurrence to me, especially since, from my understanding, the black and blue came from different breeding pens. Most of what I have read states that it's a genetic trait, but could there be anything else that would have caused this? I've never had this in any of my other birds and I'm starting to question my breed choice...

 

[samouw]

Hello everyone, just out of curiosity, how many of you have had your Ameraucanas develop cross beak? I now know (after freaking out and reading everything I could find about it) that it is more common in Ameraucanas than other breeds but out of 25 chicks, I have 3 that have developed cross beak at about two weeks old, one black and two blue. That seems like a really high occurrence to me, especially since, from my understanding, the black and blue came from different breeding pens. Most of what I have read states that it's a genetic trait, but could there be anything else that would have caused this? I've never had this in any of my other birds and I'm starting to question my breed choice...

I don't really know the genetics for it, if it is a genetic issue at all (which I suspect it is a recessive trait), but I know that I had a problem several years ago with a high incidence of cross beak. It was after I had brought some outside birds into my flock and had merged the new stock with my old stock (big mistake!). I ended up culling that entire line and going back to my foundation stock and haven't had cross beak since. I hatched out between 250-300 chicks last year and I didn't have a single case of cross beak.

Now, we don't want to talk about leg stubs.

 

[dstokely]

I don't really know the genetics for it, if it is a genetic issue at all (which I suspect it is a recessive trait), but I know that I had a problem several years ago with a high incidence of cross beak. It was after I had brought some outside birds into my flock and had merged the new stock with my old stock (big mistake!). I ended up culling that entire line and going back to my foundation stock and haven't had cross beak since. I hatched out between 250-300 chicks last year and I didn't have a single case of cross beak.

Now, we don't want to talk about leg stubs.

Leg stubs? Short legs?

 

[FowlStuff]

Leg stubs? Short legs?

Stubs are short feathers on the shanks/legs and often in the webs between the toes. They can pop up from time to time, but due to a breeder that crossbred Sumatras with Ameraucanas recently many that have birds descended from that crossbreeding are paying for it.

 

[Miss Ameraucana]

My wife actually prefers the name Easter Egger. She grew up with chickens, and that's what her daddy called them. They would sell just as well without the false advertising. My EEs sell just as well as my AMs for just a little less money

Agreed, EEs are beautiful birds. People go crazy for blue eggs. "Daddy" was right!

 

[samouw]

Leg stubs? Short legs?

LOL. No, that would be stubby legs and, at 5'3", we don't want to talk about those, either.

I mean little feather stubs on pure-bred Amerauanas...it is an old recessive that has been around forever and will pop up from time - especially on wheatens/blue wheatens. I had it in a few chicks last year and had to cull them. Also culled the rooster and the 2 hens that were producing it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this year.

Here is a picture of one of mine...

 

[dstokely]

LOL. No, that would be stubby legs and, at 5'3", we don't want to talk about those, either.

I mean little feather stubs on pure-bred Amerauanas...it is an old recessive that has been around forever and will pop up from time - especially on wheatens/blue wheatens. I had it in a few chicks last year and had to cull them. Also culled the rooster and the 2 hens that were producing it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this year.

Here is a picture of one of mine...

I understand 5'3" very well.

 

[mirandaleecon]

I don't really know the genetics for it, if it is a genetic issue at all (which I suspect it is a recessive trait), but I know that I had a problem several years ago with a high incidence of cross beak. It was after I had brought some outside birds into my flock and had merged the new stock with my old stock (big mistake!). I ended up culling that entire line and going back to my foundation stock and haven't had cross beak since. I hatched out between 250-300 chicks last year and I didn't have a single case of cross beak.

Now, we don't want to talk about leg stubs.

Well I'm going to determine who their siblings are (they are all toe punched) and cull those out. I'm hoping no more show up because I don't want to cull this entire batch. I can't justify paying that kind of money again. I'm pretty disheartened right now as I was super excited to have a hobby that could also bring in a little income...

 

[WalnutHill]

Hello everyone, just out of curiosity, how many of you have had your Ameraucanas develop cross beak? I now know (after freaking out and reading everything I could find about it) that it is more common in Ameraucanas than other breeds but out of 25 chicks, I have 3 that have developed cross beak at about two weeks old, one black and two blue. That seems like a really high occurrence to me, especially since, from my understanding, the black and blue came from different breeding pens. Most of what I have read states that it's a genetic trait, but could there be anything else that would have caused this? I've never had this in any of my other birds and I'm starting to question my breed choice...

My very first dive into Ameraucanas (as hatching eggs) and got three dramatic cross beaks out of 24 eggs. I kept the one that could eat reasonably well and never bred any of the batch. I have not delved back into the breed but hope to hatch a few quality birds this year.