Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[FVRM]

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!

I like cream. These girls are easter eggers, they won't fit into the ameraucana varieties.

 

[FVRM]

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.

He's beautiful. I need this guy for my easter egger flock.

 

[dstokely]

He's beautiful. I need this guy for my easter egger flock.

He's got two EE girls and then the general laying flock. I may be looking to rehome him later.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

X2 Easter Eggers. They will most likely give you mint green eggs (egg color can vary from green to brown, to pink). EE's are great birds, but will not breed true.

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!

 

[Olive Oil]

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

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.

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 .

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.

Thank you everyone! This has been very helpful. Here are the pics. they are only 5-8 weeks. 5 of them 5 weeks, the larger black is 8 weeks. I have always loved the blue wheaten color. The wheatens and the blues too! Happy to know that at least the wheaten varieties can be bred together and that I could get 3 accepted varieties out of them! Well, not the splash maybe, but they are still pretty. 2 accepted varieties! Guess I'll just have to buy more blue pullets if I want them. Don't worry, I'm not the type to breed what could be considered EE's and sell them to some unsuspecting person as Ameracaunas. It's happened to me one too many times! This is why I ask so many questions. I can tell that you have all have put some effort into breeding/creating some nice show quality birds. Those hatcheries are so frustrating!

To anyone who has bought "Ameracaunas" that were actually Easter Eggers, I would definitely recommend writing the hatcheries they came from and informing them of what an Ameracanua is. I'm sure a lot of people breed their EE's and sell them as AM's not knowing.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Thank you everyone! This has been very helpful. Here are the pics. they are only 5-8 weeks. 5 of them 5 weeks, the larger black is 8 weeks. I have always loved the blue wheaten color. The wheatens and the blues too! Happy to know that at least the wheaten varieties can be bred together and that I could get 3 accepted varieties out of them! Well, not the splash maybe, but they are still pretty. 2 accepted varieties! Guess I'll just have to buy more blue pullets if I want them. Don't worry, I'm not the type to breed what could be considered EE's and sell them to some unsuspecting person as Ameracaunas. It's happened to me one too many times! This is why I ask so many questions. I can tell that you have all have put some effort into breeding/creating some nice show quality birds. Those hatcheries are so frustrating! To anyone who has bought "Ameracaunas" that were actually Easter Eggers, I would definitely recommend writing the hatcheries they came from and informing them of what an Ameracanua is. I'm sure a lot of people breed their EE's and sell them as AM's not knowing.

You have your heart in the rigt place, wanting the hatcheries to right their wrongs. But they don't care. I know some who have written them and I know a lot more. If you have seen hatchery stock of any breed you know they are in it for the money and not the quality or closeness to the SOP. Since the spell it will an I thy really aren't selling them as ameraucanas, therefore it is ok. And many people do breed these "americanas" and sell them as the real deal. When brought to there attention many do not care and get defensive. It is an ongoing problem. People can be very ignorant and feel no need to change. I am glad to hear that you want to actually breed ameraucanas and not fool people. Welcome to the breed and good luck.

 

[draye]

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.

That is beautiful. I have gotten SeE's that color. I always called them Blue Tailed Red.

 

[dstokely]

That is beautiful. I have gotten SeE's that color. I always called them Blue Tailed Red.

Sorry, but what is an SeE? Blue Tailed Red describes him perfectly.

 

[draye]

Sorry, but what is an SeE?   Blue Tailed Red describes him perfectly. 

An SeE is a very special..............well typo. Lol.
I meant to type EE as in Easter Egger.

 

[dstokely]

An SeE is a very special..............well typo. Lol.
I meant to type EE as in Easter Egger.

Oh, a new typo chicken!

Blue tailed red fits him perfectly and he does have some EE girls.