Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[delisha]

Quote:
Heat...
Make sure you have shade and fresh water..I also have a wadding pool with stones in it. The water just covers the rocks. Once they have been in the pool, some will even lay on the rocks.
I do not have it that hot here for days. We might get a handful of 100 degree days the whole year. The heat is hard on the birds (me too). We all rather have snow. (I was shoveling snow 12 weeks ago).

This is my first year showing this breed.

I start by getting them loving the *show* cage. (give treats in the cage). Handle them daily and put them in and take them out. Have other people put them in and take them out.
Get a scale and weigh your birds. (baby scale at a rummage sale) Get the birds to weight. I use calf manna and meat fats as a top dressing on feed. I wet feed till a few weeks before the show. I than switch to dry feed. My FF makes beards and feet stained and other birds clean them off and pull feathers. I than pull them out of the field and put them in the isolation building and start working on feathers about 6 weeks before a show. I show a white silkie and if you seen his feet and face today you would not think he was white.
I start checking birds feet and legs and undercoat. I give them all a bath and check them from head to toe. Trim nails. I have to use a hand held magnify glass to check legs for any feathers. I make myself a check list I use for the bath I give two days before the show. I sometimes forget to check between toes for feathers. My eye sight is not what it used to be. You shown dogs so you know condition of the bird is your first opportunity to get a second look. Invest in a piece of silk you can use over the feathers the day of the show. I use a soft nail brush on combs and wattles to make them clean as a whistle. Same with legs, toes and nails.You can clean them well and sometimes they get white residue in tiny cracks. Coconut oil on all combs, wattles, and legs. Some use vet RX. I also make sure I have Oxine now too. I spray the cages. I increase my garlic in my feed and make sure they have fresh vegetables and herbs. I offer tons of Oregano, spinach, cabbage and raw liver.
.cilantro too

 

[FrankiesMom]

This is for frankiesmom.While I can not answer for pip&peeps.I can give you some little known history on the whites.John Blehm started his LF whites 30+ years ago with some white bantams from me that were oversized.He used a rooster from me over white orpington hen or hens.This was the start of his LF whites.He has sold a lot of chicks over the years.Perhaps someone has added white ee and bred them up.Anyway if they breed true they are considered purebred.So I would cull the partridge pattern birds and cleanup your white line.Jean herself had barring hiding in her whites.She has since eliminated that from her flock.These things can showup when you cross color varaties and should be eliminated from your bloodline.It is best for the breed and future breeders.I hope this helps you understand.Yes your whites when bred together would only produce whites and be considered pure.When crossed with your black hen the hidden genes were revealed.

Thank you for taking the time to explain in a way I could understand. The partridge will not be used for any breeding purposes and likely to go as a pullet int he spring. I'll keep working on the whites!
Again, thank you for sharing your time and information. You were very helpful!

edited by staff

 

[rbaker0345]

I keep water bottles in the freezer for really hot days and I put the frozen bottles out in the runs with them. They will huddle next to the bottles and keep cool that way. I keep twice as many of them as I need so that I can trade out water bottles when the first ones get warm. They stay cold surprisingly long, I think all of the chicken bodies insulate them.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I keep water bottles in the freezer for really hot days and I put the frozen bottles out in the runs with them. They will huddle next to the bottles and keep cool that way. I keep twice as many of them as I need so that I can trade out water bottles when the first ones get warm. They stay cold surprisingly long, I think all of the chicken bodies insulate them.

I try doing this. But the idiots just sit there panting away wont go near them lol. At least they get the option.

 

[chick-among-us]

This is for frankiesmom.While I can not answer for pip

Thank you for taking the time to explain in a way I could understand. The partridge will not be used for any breeding purposes and likely to go as a pullet int he spring. I'll keep working on the whites! Again, thank you for sharing your time and information. You were very helpful!

Awesome useful info! Thank you!

 

[jajeanpierre]

I start by getting them loving the *show* cage. (give treats in the cage).

Do you bring your own "show" cage? Where do you buy one?

Thanks.

 

[rbaker0345]

I try doing this. But the idiots just sit there panting away wont go near them lol. At least they get the option.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Has anyone ordered Ameraucanas from Meyer? I ordered a small order of 3 chicks, 1 blue Ameraucana pullet and two Blue Copper Marans pullets. My friend pointed out the rooster they have pictured. He has light legs, wattles and no beard or muffs! They claim this is full blooded ameraucanas, I sure hope that's not the rooster they are using. I will be ******. I guess I should have looked at the roo, too.

You will get easter eggers from most large hatcheries no matter what they say.I have no experience with Meyer.

Meyer does have a small number of actual Ameraucanas--one of the only large hatcheries to differentiate EEs from Ameraucanas, as far as I know. They offer both Blue and Wheaten Ameraucanas. They don't even call their Easter Eggers "rare breeds."

I can't speak to Meyer Ameraucanas, since I only buy EEs from them. I do have three blue copper Marans that I picked up in their bargain bin last time I was there ($5 each for sexed pullets that are $20 each in the catalog, WOOT) and they are... OK. One is almost all blue, one is very pale, and one has a nice blue copper color. Can't speak to egg color yet as they're only 17 weeks old.

 

[Lilwanis]

Hello all! I haven't been on here in a while for many reasons but a set of unfortunate events leaves me only able to keep my two wheaten ameraucana boys (out of the cockerels I had). They had been slated to be culled because I couldn't find any non-sibling females to go with them. We couldn't process them ever because they are so pretty and sweet and don't crow. That last is why they get to stay and has me wondering, when to ameraucana cockerels start crowing? These guys (aka The Muppets) are 23 weeks and have not crowed! They are wheatens so were obvious boys early on and you would not mistake them for hens now as their adult feathers are almost fully in (still have a lot of white in their beards though). I guess I am wondering if ameraucanas are either slow to crow or don't crow or don't crow frequently?

* Short back story, we bought a small farm property that came with a lonely rooster. Apparently it lost its grandfather clause when we purchased it. We were given two days to eliminate cockerels from our property, over the weekend, and were not allowed to try to appeal. We had a permit for up to 25 chickens and roosters were allowed. Apparently, until a neighbor complains about crowing ( I obviously missed the fine print). Anyhow, I am recovering from a heart breaking ordeal and don't really want to discuss that part of this, just wondering when/if the boys I have remaining will crow?

 

[jerryse]

Thank you for taking the time to explain in a way I could understand. The partridge will not be used for any breeding purposes and likely to go as a pullet int he spring. I'll keep working on the whites!
Again, thank you for sharing your time and information. You were very helpful!

I must correct some of the info.John used white orpington and not ee with a oversized bantam white rooster to start his whites.I was going from memory which was faulty.I in no way meant to misinform.I only wanted to help some understand that this is a young breed and there are still some hidden genes that when found should be removed.