Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[just2rosey]

First I have to say, Wow! Taking pictures of chickens is hard.

The don't cooperate at all. We have hatched out chicks from a few different breeders trying to start a flock of potential show chickens. These are the chicks from my first hatch, they are 6 wk old. When do you start to cull them for lacking certain breed chacteristics like beards and muffs? Do they go through a phase where they appear to have no muffs or beard as their feathers are coming in? There is a big poultry swap near my home in two weeks and I would like to sell all the little roos who won't make the cut. I would appreciate any thoughts you have on the pullets. Thanks for any help.

Splash Roo 6 wks old, doesn't seem to have any beard or cheeks, I think I should cull this one.

Black Roo 6 wks old, had muff and beards as a chick, and the feathers are just now coming in. I think I will keep a hold of him for a bit longer.

These last few are of pullets. I think I will keep all the pullets for egg laying, even if they aren't BQ. I want to know what you all think about the pullet on the right. This one had great muffs and beards as a chick, and you can see them coming in in this pic, but she has a longer tail than my others, is it to long?

I love the looks of this blue pullet, I think her coloring is very pretty, but she has always been clean faced.

I saved the best for last. This is my favorite pullet, I think she is just what I hoped for. I love her face!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
Six weeks is not a good time to cull for beards/muffs, IMO. Unless they NEVER had anything, even as a fluff ball. During their ugly adolescent stage they tend to lose their facial "accessories" (though not quite ALL of them do this). So I don't like to make decisions regarding beards/muffs until they are more mature.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I second that. Plus it will be really hard to replace any with ones of similar maturity. Don't ever have less than 2 roos- if you do you will lose your only one- Murphy's law!

 

[just2rosey]

Thanks, you two! I will hold on to them a while longer, and see how they turn out. I have 6 more chicks coming up to eventually go in with these guys. I have two blues/lavs, not for sure which yet, but I am thinking blues, that are 3 wks old, my favorite 2 chicks, just love them.

It looks like one is a roo and the other is a pullet going by their combs. Then I have 4 more straight black that are just 2wks old, which judging by the combs I suspect I have 3 roos and one pullet. Knowing my luck they will all be roos.

 

[La Mike]

Quote:
I fully agree with the murphy law. As soon as you get to 1 roo something will surely happen to it. Lol as long as it knows it has a replacement it will live forever

 

[TK Poultry]

I agree culling for beards and muffs should be the LAST thing you cull for IMO. I would wait until their first real molt. not just baby molts. But that is just me. I like to sit on my hands waiting... just to see.

On a side note. I candled all of my Brown Red eggs and 100% fertility!!

 

[cliffsdad]

Great! Thanks for the info. I should have known they'd be falsely advertised! I guess since the blue wheaten chix in the ABC link above have yellow legs I thought that was something that happened later. I just got them for the cute cheeks and blue eggs so I'm not disappointed!

Thanks, again!

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
Who did you get the brown red hatchingeggs from? Are they bantam or LF???

 

[Illia]

So, just had to share. . .


This is my now re-homed an no longer owned blue cock, Poseidon. Pardon the crate he's in, but I had to take the photo - He was standing magnificently. I'll really miss him!

He is now owned by Cloverleaf Farm. This, though, is a male I use as a visual and physical goal for my Buffs. I miss picking him up and feeling the amazing meat on his chest.

And, my ONLY Ameraucana male left. . . A buff cockerel I purchased from Pips&peeps a while ago, he's gone through some long rough patches but finally now has his own place to live and shares it with my buff pullet. His name is Set, but sometimes I regret naming him that. As mythologies goes, Set was infertile. As history goes - Set the Ameraucana has yet to breed anyone. But at least he's trying to court now and then, and he does crow.

He looks weird now, but he'll be much more attractive after he molts next year. He's blinking here, and he has a pretty beat-up tail.

 

[jeremy]

So far I have 6 BW X BW chicks from Wayne Meredith in the brooder, with another drying in the incy. We lost one of the little guys earlier today, I'm unsure why.

I'm hoping for at least a couple more.

ETA: Illia, Poseidon was very handsome, I've always loved seeing pictures of him!