Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[jajeanpierre]

I'm going to try hatching some eggs. While I was out of town, my husband collected all the blue eggs and kept them on the counter in an egg carton pointy side down. I just put seven under my poor lavender Ameracuana who has been broody for weeks and weeks and weeks. When should I candle them for the first time?

I believe all the eggs are from my splash Ameraucana and my blue rooster (the only rooster in my front yard).

There is a very remote possibility they could be from the broody lavender who stopped laying a few months ago when she went broody or from the blue wheaten who as far as I know has never laid an egg. [I believe the wheaten lays internally--she is full of fluid but is quite happy poking around being a chicken. I've discussed her with an avian vet and for the time being, she is doing well, and yes, I know it won't last.]

What color would a blue wheaten bred to a blue produce? Could a blue wheaten ever produce any form of splash that could be mistaken for a proper splash from a bbs breeding?

To be sure I get only the genes for the bbs colors, I intend to only keep splash from any eggs that hatch, if any hatch. Although I am almost 100% sure all the eggs are from my splash Ameraucana, I don't want to risk introducing lavenders by keeping a blue that is split to lavender.

Any suggestions to help this lavender set on the eggs? She is very determined to stay in the nest box and has been for many weeks. Now that I want her on the nest box, I'll start bringing her food and make sure she has water set up by the nest box. She must already be a bit run down after being broody for so long before I gave her some eggs.

I intend to get rid of the blues as Easter eggers because I don't ever want to risk using them in a bbs breeding program and introducing lavender. My worry is that the blue wheaten could produce something that is indistinguishable from a splash from a bbs program.

 

[dstokely]

So I checked out Ameraucana breeder association online and the chicks looked like Silvers. The adult females look like the 2 we lost. Except they layed green as well. does anyone know where I can find a True Ameraucana breeder? I live in south Florida.

Google Ameraucana Breeders Club and you will find their website, then you can find the breeders. That is where I found the email for Paul Smith where I bought my chicks. You will probably have to wait until next year to get chicks, but there are several people on this sight that have eggs for sale.

 

[dstokely]

I'm going to try hatching some eggs. While I was out of town, my husband collected all the blue eggs and kept them on the counter in an egg carton pointy side down. I just put seven under my poor lavender Ameracuana who has been broody for weeks and weeks and weeks. When should I candle them for the first time?

I believe all the eggs are from my splash Ameraucana and my blue rooster (the only rooster in my front yard).

There is a very remote possibility they could be from the broody lavender who stopped laying a few months ago when she went broody or from the blue wheaten who as far as I know has never laid an egg. [I believe the wheaten lays internally--she is full of fluid but is quite happy poking around being a chicken. I've discussed her with an avian vet and for the time being, she is doing well, and yes, I know it won't last.]

What color would a blue wheaten bred to a blue produce? Could a blue wheaten ever produce any form of splash that could be mistaken for a proper splash from a bbs breeding?

To be sure I get only the genes for the bbs colors, I intend to only keep splash from any eggs that hatch, if any hatch. Although I am almost 100% sure all the eggs are from my splash Ameraucana, I don't want to risk introducing lavenders by keeping a blue that is split to lavender.

Any suggestions to help this lavender set on the eggs? She is very determined to stay in the nest box and has been for many weeks. Now that I want her on the nest box, I'll start bringing her food and make sure she has water set up by the nest box. She must already be a bit run down after being broody for so long before I gave her some eggs.

I intend to get rid of the blues as Easter eggers because I don't ever want to risk using them in a bbs breeding program and introducing lavender. My worry is that the blue wheaten could produce something that is indistinguishable from a splash from a bbs program.

I will let the experts respond to you, but when I asked similar questions about 3-4 pages ago, I was told that you do not mix your wheatens with anything other than wheaten, and your lavenders only with lavender or blacks but then you will get black splits which you can use to improve your lavender. The Black, Blue and Splash can be easily mixed together and depending on the pairing, you will always get black, blue or splash. Any other mixing and you will have crazy genetics resulting in EEs. Crazy Genetics is my term, not a professional one.

 

[Angelicisi]

Are the bottoms of their feet yellow?

I just went out to double check... the legs look like light slate but there is a greenish cast to it. The beaks are yellow. I bought them as Ameraucana eggs on eBay (I know... but I was desperate for blue eggs next winter/spring). The  eggs were blue. The pictures of the parents were all chestnut splashed. It almost looks like the beginning of muffs and beads on their heads. I don't raise anything with muffs and beards but their heads don't look as smooth as my Spitz and Redcaps at that age. There are stray curved feathers on the ear and chin area.

The coloring  does look like the sex link picts but the leg appears to be a different color. As chicks they were not  yellow like the EE picts but the  white ones  certainly look a lot like them now.

This seems to happen a lot with birds sold as Ameaucana... they turn into mystery birds.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I will let the experts respond to you, but when I asked similar questions about 3-4 pages ago, I was told that you do not mix your wheatens with anything other than wheaten, and your lavenders only with lavender or blacks but then you will get black splits which you can use to improve your lavender. The Black, Blue and Splash can be easily mixed together and depending on the pairing, you will always get black, blue or splash. Any other mixing and you will have crazy genetics resulting in EEs. Crazy Genetics is my term, not a professional one.

I have no intention of keeping any bred outside their standard color breeding, but wanted to be sure that if there was a blue wheaten x blue egg in the bunch that I would be able to tell so as not to pollute my bbs line. I personally believe that all the eggs come from the splash bred to the blue.

The other blue-egg layer is a very broody lavender, and she hasn't laid eggs for weeks. I am assured by the breeder of my Ameraucanas that a broody will not lay an egg. Is that correct? Her chicks would be the only ones that could look like proper blues and I sure don't want to introduce a split to lavender into the gene pool.

I just hope I get some chicks.

 

[dstokely]

I have no intention of keeping any bred outside their standard color breeding, but wanted to be sure that if there was a blue wheaten x blue egg in the bunch that I would be able to tell so as not to pollute my bbs line. I personally believe that all the eggs come from the splash bred to the blue.

The other blue-egg layer is a very broody lavender, and she hasn't laid eggs for weeks. I am assured by the breeder of my Ameraucanas that a broody will not lay an egg. Is that correct? Her chicks would be the only ones that could look like proper blues and I sure don't want to introduce a split to lavender into the gene pool.

I just hope I get some chicks.

I certainly have experience with a broody hen. I have a NJ Giant that has been setting on the nest for over 2 months. There is nothing in her nest,since she has not been laying but you cannot tell by her actions. I need to put her in a coop, but they are full with my young chicks.

I am not sure what I am going to do with my wheatens and lavenders. I don't think I am dedicated enough to keep them separated so It will be much easier for me to just keep the blacks/blues/splashes. I really do not like to keep chickens up in a coop.

Good luck on your hatch.

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

Hi, I had a question about splash Am's. Do they start out with black down?
These guys were hatched out of BBS Am eggs, the breeder said they started with Paul Smith lines.
One definitely looks blue, one is all black, but the second black one has white feathers coming in on its wings.
Could I have been lucky enough to get all three colors?!

 

[maryhysong]

I am new to b/b/s breeding and have some chicks, just wondering about the color of this one. Sorry for the blurry bits I took these through the wire. Hatched April 15 so almost 6 weeks. Oh and thinking this is a little cockerel too. Just wondering is he a poor light blue or a splash? Or possibly a lavender? had a greyish body as a chick with a lot of yellow on head, neck & belly

 

[jerryse]

Hi, I had a question about splash Am's. Do they start out with black down?
These guys were hatched out of BBS Am eggs, the breeder said they started with Paul Smith lines.
One definitely looks blue, one is all black, but the second black one has white feathers coming in on its wings.
Could I have been lucky enough to get all three colors?!











The white on the wings means they have extended black . The black or blue will extend into the white area and replace the white in time . Splash hatch mostly white .

 

[speckledhen]

Hi, I had a question about splash Am's. Do they start out with black down?
These guys were hatched out of BBS Am eggs, the breeder said they started with Paul Smith lines.
One definitely looks blue, one is all black, but the second black one has white feathers coming in on its wings.
Could I have been lucky enough to get all three colors?!

No, splash looks pearly or silvery white at hatch. You didn't get a splash.