I'm trying to wrap my head around the 50% factor too. So AMs are a designer breed then? I still like them but now don't feel so bad that I'm going to use this girl too - she came from a blue egg, has almost black legs, and a beard/muff. She's young yet (Easter hatch) and every time I look at her, her beard gets larger. This picture is from three weeks ago.
No, Ameraucanas are no more "designer breed" than any other chicken breed is. They do not have a registry. Many breeds that do have registries allow crossing to other breeds. Example: Quarterhorses allow crosses to (approved) Thoroughbreds. The resulting foal is registered as a purebred Quarterhorse.I'm trying to wrap my head around the 50% factor too. So AMs are a designer breed then? I still like them but now don't feel so bad that I'm going to use this girl too - she came from a blue egg, has almost black legs, and a beard/muff. She's young yet (Easter hatch) and every time I look at her, her beard gets larger. This picture is from three weeks ago.
For shows all it needs to do is meet the SOPs... If I was selling birds that had been recently outcrossed, i would call them a project and clearly state what they were and what they could be hiding. Actually, I wouldn't sell any birds that didnt consistently produce SOP offspring... Not saying show quality but birds of the proper color and type unless the person was working on the same project. I currently have AMs from a breeder that looked great; large , typey, excellent color... I was pretty happy until year two when my black rooster started leaking gold... His size made me decide to keep him and try to work through it. Well, i bred him back to one of his daughters and got a clean faced cockerel... Then realized that some of the offspring had yellow feet... Two years of work down the drain. My whole flock is compromised other than my lavenders and will need to be culled eventually. I cant even sell any eggs or chicks in good conscious until i work through these issues. Luckily i dont have to rely on my chickens to pay their own way but if I did it would be a real hardship. So at worst case you should inform buyers on where your birds are if there are potential issues hiding under the surface best case wait until they are consistently back to SOP before releasing them to buyers... Just my opinion.
I'm trying to wrap my head around the 50% factor too. So AMs are a designer breed then? I still like them but now don't feel so bad that I'm going to use this girl too - she came from a blue egg, has almost black legs, and a beard/muff. She's young yet (Easter hatch) and every time I look at her, her beard gets larger. This picture is from three weeks ago.
Hmmm... Then I just need to the blue egg back... Certainly can be done but you might be forgetting a few things... Type, eye color, slate legs, white skin, red ear lobes... Just sayin.Pretty green sheen! I'm working with a white I just got yesterday. They are SOOOOO hard to find around here that I got her while I could. I'm going to keep looking for others of better quality for future generations... I'm trying to breed to white on some others and using a different breed with a dominant white gene vs the Am's recessive white gene would be faster....but I figured I need to stay with Ams to keep the blood line pure.....maybe not? I was thinking of bringing in a white Minorca or Bresse...then I just need to get the blue egg back, which might not be too hard since the blue egg gene is dominant... here's my white girl at 5 months old
Actually they are registered Appendix QH (I have two). I think once it is less that 1/16 TB it goes to the standard registry.
It's just tracked (or hidden).
Thanks - but (shock) she's EE. However, I have an EE roo that is consistent with jet black feathers and almost black legs and mostly beards! The only problem is the one with the dark legs is silver and the one with shiny black feathers has yellow legs! Time for more controlled breeding!Pretty green sheen! I'm working with a white I just got yesterday. They are SOOOOO hard to find around here that I got her while I could. I'm going to keep looking for others of better quality for future generations... I'm trying to breed to white on some others and using a different breed with a dominant white gene vs the Am's recessive white gene would be faster....but I figured I need to stay with Ams to keep the blood line pure.....maybe not? I was thinking of bringing in a white Minorca or Bresse...then I just need to get the blue egg back, which might not be too hard since the blue egg gene is dominant... here's my white girl at 5 months old
