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Yay for new members!!!!!
Yay for new members!!!!!
Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds
- Thread starter hcammack
- Start date
Thank you for the PM, Cloverleaf!
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Ameraucanas don't have tufts. Tufts are characteristic of Araucanas. Ameraucanas have muffs (cheeks) and a beard. It is possible for them to hatch without muffs, and it would make me inspect the breeder a little closer, as there are lots of people breeding what they think are Ameraucanas and usually they are not. Do you have pics of your birds?
Ameraucanas don't have tufts. Tufts are characteristic of Araucanas. Ameraucanas have muffs (cheeks) and a beard. It is possible for them to hatch without muffs, and it would make me inspect the breeder a little closer, as there are lots of people breeding what they think are Ameraucanas and usually they are not. Do you have pics of your birds?
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Unless it's one of the colors not yet recognized, then you can see more anomalies because the variety is still being perfected. Right? I recently got lavs from a very prominent breeder that lacked muffs. Just figured it was part of the gamble and they were moved over to the EE house.
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chicks&kids :
Unless it's one of the colors not yet recognized, then you can see more anomalies because the variety is still being perfected. Right? I recently got lavs from a very prominent breeder that lacked muffs. Just figured it was part of the gamble and they were moved over to the EE house.
I think lavs are more likely to have anomalies in general- but you mostly hear about single combs popping up. I have bought wheatens from very respected people and surprise- no cheeks! At least cull ameraucanas have that extra *perk* of the blue egg gene. Usually.
Unless it's one of the colors not yet recognized, then you can see more anomalies because the variety is still being perfected. Right? I recently got lavs from a very prominent breeder that lacked muffs. Just figured it was part of the gamble and they were moved over to the EE house.
I think lavs are more likely to have anomalies in general- but you mostly hear about single combs popping up. I have bought wheatens from very respected people and surprise- no cheeks! At least cull ameraucanas have that extra *perk* of the blue egg gene. Usually.
chicks&kids :
Unless it's one of the colors not yet recognized, then you can see more anomalies because the variety is still being perfected. Right? I recently got lavs from a very prominent breeder that lacked muffs. Just figured it was part of the gamble and they were moved over to the EE house.
No...not exactly. I received a muffless Wheaten chick from the former Pres of the Ameraucana Club. It surely can happen. I've had friends tell me of muffless chicks they have received from other prominent breeders. Clean face pops up. I would personally cull for it. It is not an anomaly per se (I think of "freakish changes" when I think anomaly), a Lav Ameraucana should not show muffless chicks.
Unless it's one of the colors not yet recognized, then you can see more anomalies because the variety is still being perfected. Right? I recently got lavs from a very prominent breeder that lacked muffs. Just figured it was part of the gamble and they were moved over to the EE house.
No...not exactly. I received a muffless Wheaten chick from the former Pres of the Ameraucana Club. It surely can happen. I've had friends tell me of muffless chicks they have received from other prominent breeders. Clean face pops up. I would personally cull for it. It is not an anomaly per se (I think of "freakish changes" when I think anomaly), a Lav Ameraucana should not show muffless chicks.
Oh yes, I didn't mean don't cull for such things. Just that, these things do happen, especially in the colors that are still a work in progress and even top breeders have it happen.
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I think lavs are more likely to have anomalies in general- but you mostly hear about single combs popping up. I have bought wheatens from very respected people and surprise- no cheeks! At least cull ameraucanas have that extra *perk* of the blue egg gene. Usually.
I have hatched a few clean faced chicks from my lav project pens this year. Since all of the breeder birds are muffed, it means some of them are carrying only single copies of the trait, and 25% of the offspring of the male/female pair generating it should statistically be clean faced. I am culling these (the clean faced offspring) because it is impossible for them to throw any chicks with two copies for muffs. But if you had a bird that was proper color, good size, great conformation, outstanding egg color and production, and just simply outstanding in EVERY other way, I personally don't think it would be a cardinal sin to use that bird carefully in a breeding program, knowing that it can only provide, at most, offspring with a single copy of the gene for muffs. Remember, if you breed that clean faced bird to a bird with two copies for muffs, it will produce muffed offspring 100% of the time. And if you take one of those F1 muffed offspring and breed back to another bird with two copies for muffs, it will produce offspring with two copies 50% of the time and a single copy the other 50% of the time. So in two generations you have fixed the problem. A pain, but doable. I guess my point is that you shouldn't automatically assume that a breeder carefully using a clean faced bird that is exceptional in every other way is sabotaging the breed. I'm culling mine, because I want to work on obtaining birds with two copies, but I don't see anything wrong with working with single copies for muff, either. Just my humble opinion and two cents.
I think lavs are more likely to have anomalies in general- but you mostly hear about single combs popping up. I have bought wheatens from very respected people and surprise- no cheeks! At least cull ameraucanas have that extra *perk* of the blue egg gene. Usually.
I have hatched a few clean faced chicks from my lav project pens this year. Since all of the breeder birds are muffed, it means some of them are carrying only single copies of the trait, and 25% of the offspring of the male/female pair generating it should statistically be clean faced. I am culling these (the clean faced offspring) because it is impossible for them to throw any chicks with two copies for muffs. But if you had a bird that was proper color, good size, great conformation, outstanding egg color and production, and just simply outstanding in EVERY other way, I personally don't think it would be a cardinal sin to use that bird carefully in a breeding program, knowing that it can only provide, at most, offspring with a single copy of the gene for muffs. Remember, if you breed that clean faced bird to a bird with two copies for muffs, it will produce muffed offspring 100% of the time. And if you take one of those F1 muffed offspring and breed back to another bird with two copies for muffs, it will produce offspring with two copies 50% of the time and a single copy the other 50% of the time. So in two generations you have fixed the problem. A pain, but doable. I guess my point is that you shouldn't automatically assume that a breeder carefully using a clean faced bird that is exceptional in every other way is sabotaging the breed. I'm culling mine, because I want to work on obtaining birds with two copies, but I don't see anything wrong with working with single copies for muff, either. Just my humble opinion and two cents.
Remember this also, those breeder birds carrying only single copies for muffs can get together 25% of the time and produce offspring with two copies. I happen to think this is one.
Oh you're killing me with the chick pics! I'm on lockdown for one batch of lavs, then lavs, wheatens and buffs next Wednesday.... C'mon babies!
I have no problem working with culls. Or keeping them. I think Ameraucanas are a gateway breed though- I started a whole flock of marans just so I have something to do with my no-so-perfect ones
I have no problem working with culls. Or keeping them. I think Ameraucanas are a gateway breed though- I started a whole flock of marans just so I have something to do with my no-so-perfect ones
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