Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Blue Hill Farm]

Oh darn... I got dupted... My ameraucana's are starting to show some birchen(?) Color bleeding through in their hackle feathers. The breeder I bought them from was very clear about the difference between an Easter egger and a "true" ameraucana. Can this happen in pure blues and blacks just as an unlucky coincidence?

Yes, it can happen and should be selected against. Autosomal red (AR) can be the dickens to get rid of, but it is possible.

Quality also depends on the breeder and how intense of selection pressure they use on their birds. I would hazard a guess and say the birds your seeing the leakage on are probably males. Do you have any pictures? And where did you get them from? You can PM me if you like.

 

[summersfarm]

They are not EEs but purebreds, just an unrecognized color from what I understand.  Like white Boxers or German Shephards - not recognized for the breed show ring (yet) but still purebreds.  EEs are like designer dogs - mutts that are cute.  Do I have that right? 

I considered the lavenders and splashes and colors like that pure Ameraucana tell a couple days ago. The Ameraucana breeders sure don't. I have been chastised many times in the last few days. The whole calling a pure bird like a lavender or a splash an Easter Egger is ridiculous in my opinion. Just because they are not one of the 8 breed standard colors does not mean they are not pure and lay true 50% of the time. I always considered Easter eggers anything that was crossed with an Ameraucana. With the Ameraucana breeders you could cross 2 different color national champion Ameraucana's together and not have an Ameraucana chick. That is crazy. But those are the standards they want and I will have to live by if I want my boys to show and be able to win the big prizes in the shows. Because I do love this breed. I also love the Easter eggers and all their colors.

 

[Blue Hill Farm]

Not trying to ruffle any feathers, but I have to wonder why so many folks on here get hung up on whether their birds are 'pure bred' or not...the better question in my mind is are the birds up to standard.

A breeder I greatly respect and admire once wrote, "Names are labels. Types are breeds. Strains are what is in your backyard." And I couldn't agree more....

Am I alone in feeling this way? :/

 

[summersfarm]

Not trying to ruffle any feathers, but I have to wonder why so many folks on here get hung up on whether their birds are 'pure bred' or not...the better question in my mind is are the birds up to standard.

A breeder I greatly respect and admire once wrote, "Names are labels. Types are breeds. Strains are what is in your backyard." And I couldn't agree more....

Am I alone in feeling this way? :/

Except when you want to show them. Then you have to follow the breed standard rules. Like a person said a couple posts before, the breed standard says any bird that meets the Ameraucana standard and breeds true 50% of the time is an Ameraucana. But everyone is misreading that or does not understand it. I have some splash colors that breed true and I consider Ameraucana but everyone else calls them Easter eggers no matter what. I just gave up and am going all black.

 

[Blue Hill Farm]

Except when you want to show them. Then you have to follow the breed standard rules. Like a person said a couple posts before, the breed standard says any bird that meets the Ameraucana standard and breeds true 50% of the time is an Ameraucana. But everyone is misreading that or does not understand it. I have some splash colors that breed true and I consider Ameraucana but everyone else calls them Easter eggers no matter what. I just gave up and am going all black.

I think you may have misunderstood me, or I didn't explain myself very well.

Because if you want to show, (and that's fantastic btw ) the SOP is the only thing that matters. Same goes when breeding to standard. Or it should anyway...

I raise the splash variety, and call them Splash Ameraucanas.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Ok Thank you. I will look into it. Im bummed the seller knew to begin with when I specifically asked if they were pure.  Those are the same pictures I was sent. 

Thanks for the info! Guess I should have done my research first. 

Alot of sellers believe their birds are pure. Most that I see on craigslist are advertised as pure and they are all kinds of crazy colors.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Yes, they can be shown. Colors that people are trying to get excepted into the breed standard are shown under the AOV (any other variety) class at a show. The highest place they can get in the show is 1st place in that class. So they are not eligible for BOB and so on.

They are shown under their variety, not under AOV. A splash is shown in the Splash Variety and a Lavender is entered as a Lavender Variety. They can win best of their respective variety but do NOT compete for best of breed.

 

[heatherscooby77]

They are shown under their variety, not under AOV.  A splash is shown in the Splash Variety and a Lavender is entered as a Lavender Variety.  They can win best of their respective variety but do NOT compete for best of breed.

Around my area there are not enough projects to do this. Usually there is one splash and one lavender. They throw them in the same class. If you have 5+ birds and 3 breeders per variety/class then they can be broken up. Like I said I have not seen a show in my region that even more then 10-15 birds for the whole breed.

 

[heatherscooby77]

I think you may have misunderstood me, or I didn't explain myself very well.

Because if you want to show, (and that's fantastic btw ) the SOP is the only thing that matters. Same goes when breeding to standard. Or it should anyway...

I raise the splash variety, and call them Splash Ameraucanas.

If somebody asks me if what varieties of Ameraucana do you raise? I say black, blue, and splash. I don't say and splash EE.......

 

[heatherscooby77]

Except when you want to show them. Then you have to follow the breed standard rules. Like a person said a couple posts before, the breed standard says any bird that meets the Ameraucana standard and breeds true 50% of the time is an Ameraucana. But everyone is misreading that or does not understand it. I have some splash colors that breed true and I consider Ameraucana but everyone else calls them Easter eggers no matter what. I just gave up and am going all black.

You don't have to go all black. You can go all splash if you want too. They will be accepted in due time. Instead of throwing your hands in the air, try and help get them accepted!!! That is the way I look at it. I love blues. The black, and splashes are a bonus!!!!