Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[tigercreek]

I am envious! What might you want to swap for? Just thinking, you know!

Blue, or splash. I'm thinking I'd like to make some silver blues when they grow up a bit.......

 

[Olive Oil]

I only know the wheaten. seems like you have 2 girls and 1 boy. the top one is definitely a regular wheaten. the roo (middle) is blue and the last one looks like a blue wheaten. usually when they hatch the blues are grey and the wheatens yellow.

Thanks. The wheaten/blue wheatens were all yellow when hatched. The blue was blue, the blacks black with a little yellow.

Breeding Q: If I breed 2 blue wheatens or a wheaten to a blue wheaton, will the chicks be blue wheaten, some blue, some wheaten? Also, the blue was from a group of blues, blacks, and splashes. I was told that the chicks would hatch out as one of the 3 but that there was no way to tell until they hatched. So, if I bred the blue to the wheaten or blue wheaten, how would those chicks look? Would they just look like mutts and not fit into any of the color categories for Ameracaunas? Thanks for reading!

I believe this question was asked previously here. The answer was that the wheaten/blue wheaten/splash wheaten were of one "family" of colors and they could be bread together. When I ordered mine, I was told that there was no way to tell which was which when they were a day old, so I could possibly get any of the wheaten variety. From what I understand, the blues that come from the BBS variety are of a different "family" or breeding. If you breed them to the wheaten variety, you will have EEs as they will not breed true.

I am not an expert. I have had my Ameraucanas since last spring and I am just referencing a previous posting. Good luck with your AMs. I am looking forward to having my own babies this spring which unfortunately will not include any blue wheatens as my BW roo is off color.

You should not breed the blue to a wheaten....A blue is a different variety than a wheaten, not the same as a blue wheaten....you are correct, they would be mutts...

So how do people get blue wheatens then? I just assumed you had to cross a blue to a wheaten if you didn't already have a pair of blue wheatens. I don't want the colors to be off, don't get me wrong, but I'm confused about something. If I produced chicks that were off color/didn't fit one of the color varieties such as wheaten, they would still be Ameracaunas, right? It doesn't change the breed? I hear some people say that EE's are just mutt chickens which to me is more than 1 breed, not just a mix of varieties of 1 breed.

If this is true, and I am wrong about the definition of "Ameracauna" than I may have gotten duped yet again and paid waaay too much for some birds. Because the colors may be off, not because other breeds are mixed in. She said she crossed blue wheaten roos over wheaten and blue wheaten hens and that the chicks would come out one of the following: Wheaten, blue wheaten, or splash wheaten. Sound legit? Sorry for all the Q's, I'm new to Ameracaunas and I need ALL the details!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

So how do people get blue wheatens then? I just assumed you had to cross a blue to a wheaten if you didn't already have a pair of blue wheatens. I don't want the colors to be off, don't get me wrong, but I'm confused about something. If I produced chicks that were off color/didn't fit one of the color varieties such as wheaten, they would still be Ameracaunas, right? It doesn't change the breed? I hear some people say that EE's are just mutt chickens which to me is more than 1 breed, not just a mix of varieties of 1 breed.

If this is true, and I am wrong about the definition of "Ameracauna" than I may have gotten duped yet again and paid waaay too much for some birds. Because the colors may be off, not because other breeds are mixed in. She said she crossed blue wheaten roos over wheaten and blue wheaten hens and that the chicks would come out one of the following: Wheaten, blue wheaten, or splash wheaten. Sound legit? Sorry for all the Q's, I'm new to Ameracaunas and I need ALL the details!

Only blue wheaten, wheaten, and splash wheatens should be bred together. All offspring will be pure colors. (Splash wheaten isn't yet accepted).

The color situation regarding what nonstandard colors should be called is highly debated. Some say that if a pure white is crossed with a pure blue, then it becomes an EE. Some say that it is still an ameraucana, just not a standard color. Even though splash and lavender isn't an accepted colors, people still refer to them as ameraucanas and not EEs. So it gets a bit confusing and thi is certaintly not a black and white subject.

I would rather not say my view on the subject. If you look back through this thread you will see it debated a few times.

Going off your description it sounds like you got real ameraucanas. Just post some pictures as that is the easiest way to tell

 

[dstokely]

So how do people get blue wheatens then? I just assumed you had to cross a blue to a wheaten if you didn't already have a pair of blue wheatens. I don't want the colors to be off, don't get me wrong, but I'm confused about something. If I produced chicks that were off color/didn't fit one of the color varieties such as wheaten, they would still be Ameracaunas, right? It doesn't change the breed? I hear some people say that EE's are just mutt chickens which to me is more than 1 breed, not just a mix of varieties of 1 breed.

If this is true, and I am wrong about the definition of "Ameracauna" than I may have gotten duped yet again and paid waaay too much for some birds. Because the colors may be off, not because other breeds are mixed in. She said she crossed blue wheaten roos over wheaten and blue wheaten hens and that the chicks would come out one of the following: Wheaten, blue wheaten, or splash wheaten. Sound legit? Sorry for all the Q's, I'm new to Ameracaunas and I need ALL the details!

Blue wheatens come from only the wheaten variety.

Blue Wheaten X Blue Wheaten = 50% Blue Wheaten, 25% wheaten and 25% splash wheaten
Blue Wheaten X Wheaten = 50% Blue Wheaten and 50% Wheaten
Blue Wheaten X Splash Wheaten = 50% Blue Wheaten, 50% Splash Wheaten
Wheaten X Splash Wheaten = All Blue Wheaten
Wheaten X Wheaten = All Wheaten
Splash Wheaten X Splash Wheaten = All Splash Wheaten

When you get to the Blue, Black and Blue/Black Splash, you have another series similar to the above. To make it even more confusing, the Splash from the Wheaten variety and the Splash from the BBS line are totally different colors/variety. Also, the splashes of both these varieties are not recognized by the ABC. I think they can be shown, but the are not officially Ameraucanas.

The Ameracauna is a relatively new breed. I think 20-30 years and took much work from the breeders to reach the standards that were set and agreed to by them. Therefore there are only specific colors/standards and to change this, much work/consensus is required. They have to go through several generations of breeding and get to the point where they breed true. Even then, as genetics work, there are some abnormalities. My Blue Wheaten roo that I bought as a day old chick from a well respected breeder is off color. He has red where he should have blue so he is basically an EE. I cannot use him to breed Ameraucanas. One of my Blue roos has gold leakage. Guess he might be considered Ameraucana, but I can only responsibly use him to breed EE's. You can go to the official ABC website and see the recognized colors at www.ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html.

There are some of the original breeders on this forum and they can tell you all sorts of genetic facts, but it makes my head spin. I am happy to know what makes what and what not to mix. I got my first real AMs last year, but I have learned so much from this forum and also from the ABC website. Do not be afraid to ask questions because that is how you learn. I love my fuzzy faced flock and the blue eggs they lay.

 

[jerryse]

So how do people get blue wheatens then? I just assumed you had to cross a blue to a wheaten if you didn't already have a pair of blue wheatens. I don't want the colors to be off, don't get me wrong, but I'm confused about something. If I produced chicks that were off color/didn't fit one of the color varieties such as wheaten, they would still be Ameracaunas, right? It doesn't change the breed? I hear some people say that EE's are just mutt chickens which to me is more than 1 breed, not just a mix of varieties of 1 breed.

If this is true, and I am wrong about the definition of "Ameracauna" than I may have gotten duped yet again and paid waaay too much for some birds. Because the colors may be off, not because other breeds are mixed in. She said she crossed blue wheaten roos over wheaten and blue wheaten hens and that the chicks would come out one of the following: Wheaten, blue wheaten, or splash wheaten. Sound legit? Sorry for all the Q's, I'm new to Ameracaunas and I need ALL the details!

You did not get duped . The wheaten family is wheaten , blue wheaten and splash wheaten . The BBS family is black , blue and splash . Blue was crossed into wheaten over 40 years ago to create blue wheaten . It takes 5-10 generations of skilled breeding to stabilize into blue wheaten . Your first generation is mostly black and blues . Bred back to wheaten for several generations to get there . You fight over melanized (black/blue) wheaten for generations . Not a project for newbies . The original breeders ( I am one ) had a uphill battle to get them into the standard and distinguished from EE . To call color mixes pure Ameraucana will undo a lot of hard work . Yes it is still done by experienced breeders for improvement projects . These are not sold to newbies . Experienced breeders sell culls as EE sometimes . Some will not sell culls except as meat birds . Never selling female culls . Newbies expect purebreds to breed true . Color mixes sold as purebred only creates a confused mess for the beginner . I hope this clears up the confusion .

 

[dstokely]

Here is a picture of my "off colored" BW rooster. Might it be possible for him to change in coloring as he matures. He will be one year in April. He has added some blue feathers on his wing, some on his breast and above his legs. Am I just wishing?




As you can tell, he is the general flock rooster at present.

 

[jerryse]

dstokely your rooster will not change color . He is a throwback . This is the color you get in a blue wheaten x buff cross . This is the go to cross for bringing new blood into the buff or wheaten family . Someone did this in his past and the genes lined up just right so he looks like a first generation cross .

 

[dstokely]

dstokely your rooster will not change color . He is a throwback . This is the color you get in a blue wheaten x buff cross . This is the go to cross for bringing new blood into the buff or wheaten family . Someone did this in his past and the genes lined up just right so he looks like a first generation cross .

Thank you for letting me know why he is like this. He has produced some pretty little EEs for a friend of mine from the two EEs that I had. He will just stay with the brown egg layers.

 

[OnceInaBlueMoon]

So how do people get blue wheatens then? I just assumed you had to cross a blue to a wheaten if you didn't already have a pair of blue wheatens. I don't want the colors to be off, don't get me wrong, but I'm confused about something. If I produced chicks that were off color/didn't fit one of the color varieties such as wheaten, they would still be Ameracaunas, right? It doesn't change the breed? I hear some people say that EE's are just mutt chickens which to me is more than 1 breed, not just a mix of varieties of 1 breed.

If this is true, and I am wrong about the definition of "Ameracauna" than I may have gotten duped yet again and paid waaay too much for some birds. Because the colors may be off, not because other breeds are mixed in. She said she crossed blue wheaten roos over wheaten and blue wheaten hens and that the chicks would come out one of the following: Wheaten, blue wheaten, or splash wheaten. Sound legit? Sorry for all the Q's, I'm new to Ameracaunas and I need ALL the details!

Info from Paul Smith helps to answer this question:

Special info about blue wheatens! If blue wheaten is mated to blue wheaten they will produce 1/2 blue wheaten, 1/4 wheaten and 1/4 splash wheaten chicks-that is on the average.

If blue wheaten is continually mated to blue wheaten-without occasionally breeding in wheaten-the males will loose their lacing. Blue wheaten mated to wheaten will produce half wheaten and half blue wheaten chicks on the average.

Now, splash wheaten mated to wheaten will produce 100% blue wheaten. Splash wheaten mated to splash wheaten produces 100% splash wheaten.

Wheaten mated to wheaten produces 100% wheaten.

 

[ABlovinmychicks]

I just brought home my girls! they were all hatched 4-5 mths ago (Aug-Sept)
Would you mind helping me identify colors? (just b/c I am anal that way!)
In this picture; on the left is Cream & the right is Speckles

This is Fluffy: she is obviously closer to the 4 months old!

this is all 4 of them together

closer up of Speckles

Cream

this is the best pict I have so far of Luna the darkest at the front!