Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[chickee]

Which rooster would be better to keep to breed to lavender pullets. The smaller, shorter lavender rooster chick or the black Lav split rooster chick that is tall and very big? 8 wk old rooster chicks from pips&Peeps eggs and the pullets will be from Shaffer's lines.

 

[Tailfeathers]

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I've quickly read thru some of the recent posts regarding Splash varieties. The above is not exactly true. Actually, Splashes as Jean and perhaps others have pointed out do breed true an within the specific variety they actually do look quite similar. For example, I breed and show WBS Ameraucanas. The Splash Wheaten pullet/hen looks just like the Wheaten and Blue Wheaten except where there would be black or blue there is white. The cockerels/cocks are mostly white with red in their hackles, saddles, and wingbutts. There is some variation in the SW males but no more than there is in a W or BW. No two birds of any same breed or variety always look alike. So, just as no two Dalmations, for example, look exactly alike neither do any two Chickens.

Also, as Jean said, I believe there are approved Splashes in the ABA but like her I am not very knowledgeable in the bantam Fancy.

With regard to Ameraucana vs. EE, I consider an EE to be the cross of a true Ameraucana (or an Araucana) and something else. If one were to breed, for example, a true BBS Ameraucana to a true WBS Ameraucana, the result would be a full, true Ameraucana. However, because the genetics of the two different varieties are not compatible, the resulting offspring would not breed true and therefore would not be recognized as one of the approved existing 8 varieties. As long as one breeds within the variety, one is ok. At least that is my understanding for the reason that breeding two Ameraucanas from two different varieties should not be done.

Now, I've got to go get some work done. Need to finish up early today so I can get to washing those gorgeous Ameraucanas for the show on Saturday!

God Bless,

 

[Goose and Fig]

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Do both! Well- that's what I'm going to do. Increase my numbers of lavs first, then put the girls in with a nice black roo for splits, and then in with a split roo. The more birds you have to work with the better. It's not like extra ameraucanas are really hard to sell off

 

[Illia]

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You do realize most of the Easter Eggers out there are actually Quechua crosses, which are technically not Ameraucanas, right?

That odd brown and black coloring comes from the fact that most EE's started out from the original Quechua, before even Ameraucanas came around as a breed. From there, they were crossed with different production layers and some quite possibly later on with Ameraucana, (such as Ideal Hatchery's stock) but most of it is from the original "Easter Eggers" brought here.

I would consider EE's as any cross of a blue egg laying parent, which includes anything from South America that has such as well as something with Cream Legbar in it.

 

[Harris5]

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Yup! Works great; they don't fight it at all....sneak in when they are roosted at night with a flashlight and a DH helper and get them all done at one time with minimal stress. They go right back to bed.

I want to get a scale and weigh these eggs, too, because I am pretty sure they fall into the "large" category.
They are bigger than those laid by my Rhode Island Red and Australorp hens.

Thanks for the tips!! Looks like a trip to Walmart is in order...very frightening this time of year!

 

[chickee]

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Do both! Well- that's what I'm going to do. Increase my numbers of lavs first, then put the girls in with a nice black roo for splits, and then in with a split roo. The more birds you have to work with the better. It's not like extra ameraucanas are really hard to sell off

But, is the body type wrong on the black lav split rooster? To me the lavender roosters confirmation looks more balanced.

 

[Illia]

Chickee - I see a better looking black prospect there than the Lavender (except his head), but as another would say - I'd try both, but of course separately.

So then you can see how either turn out.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Quote:
Do both! Well- that's what I'm going to do. Increase my numbers of lavs first, then put the girls in with a nice black roo for splits, and then in with a split roo. The more birds you have to work with the better. It's not like extra ameraucanas are really hard to sell off

But, is the body type wrong on the black lav split rooster? To me the lavender roosters confirmation looks more balanced.

I actually like the split. They both look like they have filling out to do still.
Either way- you'll need some black in there to improve egg color and feather type- so it wouldn't hurt to use both.

 

[chickee]

Thanks everyone for your input!

They are only 8 weeks old so they have awhile before their true potential shows I guess. So, you don't think the black colored Lav split/split chicks legs aren't too long and his body too upright? I have so much to learn!

 

[Tailfeathers]

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Looks like a Wheaten cockerel to me.

God Bless,