Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[junebuggena]

Here is one of my cockerels he is 4 months. Would he be a cull?
It should I keep him a little longer?

Are you sure of the age? He looks to be only about 10 weeks old. Is that barring through the tail?

 

[pips&peeps]

He's too young to do anything with. That spot in the tail looks like follicle damage to me.

So far he looks like a normal cockerel. I don't see anything in these photos that would lead me to consider him a cull at this point.

 

[seventreesfarm]

Does anyone have b/b/s hatching eggs for sale?
I breed olive eggers, but am always trying to upgrade my flock ingredients. I'd be happy with project lines, since I breed to my own standards, not for show.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Yes, the breeder's hatch rate is phenomenal. The two that did not make it to lockdown were lost because my son and I are both terribly clumsy at times. It makes sense that leakage would show up in splash birds more so than blue or black. I may use the blue for a few hatches to see what he throws. I have three beautiful black Ameraucana pullets that have just started laying and by the time their eggs are ready to be incubated I can decided then if I want to use him. His lacing is very good and he has great leg color. Thank you.

Jerry made excellent points... another thing is, you said they just started breeding their own line, yes? When crossing 2 different lines, even when neither has shown any leakage, the resulting offspring *can* show leakage... it has happened, and if that breeder hadn't grown any out long enough yet, they may be completely unaware that it is an issue...

 

[samouw]

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[Ravynscroft]

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Well said...

 

[pamperedamber]

Are you sure of the age? He looks to be only about 10 weeks old. Is that barring through the tail?

I'm sorry I went back and checked my hatch date for him and he is 14 weeks.
The baring is why I am considering him to be a cull. I have 5 cockerels to choose from and they are all good looking so far. I hatched them all so they are hard to choose from for my breeding program I am starting with my kids for their 4-H so we are going to be breeding to standard.
Thank you for all your help with this.

 

[chickenmomma16]

Are you sure of the age? He looks to be only about 10 weeks old. Is that barring through the tail?

I'm sorry I went back and checked my hatch date for him and he is 14 weeks.
The baring is why I am considering him to be a cull. I have 5 cockerels to choose from and they are all good looking so far. I hatched them all so they are hard to choose from for my breeding program I am starting with my kids for their 4-H so we are going to be breeding to standard.
Thank you for all your help with this.

I'm still new to breeding to the SOP (just got my book in the mail!) myself but I was as eager to cull boys as you are but I wanted to tell you that those tail feathers will fall out in a few more weeks. All my boys lost them for the last time around 20weeks. Maybe tag him and watch his new feathers when they come in. I had a wheaten cockerel that had a weird "bar" on a tail feather but after his last molt he was fine.

 

[pamperedamber]

I'm still new to breeding to the SOP (just got my book in the mail!) myself but I was as eager to cull boys as you are but I wanted to tell you that those tail feathers will fall out in a few more weeks. All my boys lost them for the last time around 20weeks. Maybe tag him and watch his new feathers when they come in. I had a wheaten cockerel that had a weird "bar" on a tail feather but after his last molt he was fine.

Awesome. ThAnk you. I know of only one I am keeping for sure and that's my Lavender.
All the 14 weekers are tagged as they are the first of the breeding program. The adults are not tagged.

 

[junebuggena]

Awesome. ThAnk you. I know of only one I am keeping for sure and that's my Lavender.
All the 14 weekers are tagged as they are the first of the breeding program. The adults are not tagged.

Lavender should never be bred with BBS lines. Makes breeding in future generations a real headache trying to figure which birds are lavender and which are Blue or Splash. And you could end up with birds that are both. Not good.