Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[THeelChickinKY]

Thanks, everyone, for the info. They sound like they'll fit in nicely with the existing flock. Now I'm getting very excited about hatching some as soon as I can get some eggs!

 

[OnceInaBlueMoon]

Good luck!! I am incubating some Ameraucanas from a local breeder. Other than the two free Roos she gave us when we were there, these eggs will hatch our first Ameraucanas and we are very excited. We are on Day 8 and so far have 8 Ameraucana chicks developing well. 

Yay! That is so exciting! Keep us posted on how yours are coming along! All the eggs I incubated seem to be right there together on development, so I am hopeful that I will have a good hatch! Time will tell! Just 2 more days or so!

 

[dstokely]

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I am on day 19 of hatching my very first batch of chicks from my Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucana flock. The eggs have started to rock back and forth slightly and I think they are getting in position to hatch. I'm so excited!!! Fingers crossed that I get a good hatch rate. I love my Ameraucana chickens!

I just placed my order for my new incubator, which was not expensive but has the digital temp and humidity readouts. Getting ready. Don't know which I will do first. BBS or LAVS. Can't do them together because I will have blacks in the mix and do not want the splits to get mixed with the pure blacks. Cannot wait for March!

 

[magdelaine]

Picking up White and BBS eggs this weekend! It's almost a hatch-a-long, lol.

 

[jessicaagross]

Hi! I just subscribed to this thread. I was, wondering, sorry if it's been asked before, but would it be awful to breed my blue roo to my wheaten hen? And if so, why? I'm pretty new, last year was my first time owning true Ameraucanas, and I don't have the color genetics nailed down yet. So I'm looking for a little advice on this years breeding goals/direction.

My reasoning behind the question is the blue roo just has fantastic confirmation, and I was hoping to add some of what he's got to my wheatens. He was showed before I purchased him, and he did really well, had a couple BOBs until he lost the tip of his toe. So I would LOVE for my wheatens to look like him. But I already have a few EE's from my friends pairing down their hatchery flock, so I don't really want to add more if I can help it.

Or I do have a wheaten cockerel who looks like he'll be really nice, but I'm not sure if he'll be AS nice as the blue guy. And I have a really nice black pullet (IMO), would I be better off putting her in with the wheaten cockerel? I've read someone was using blacks to help body (and feather?) type in wheatens.

OR (lol hopefully I haven't put anyone to sleep yet) if i'm going off of the "black with wheaten idea", should I put my nice black pullet with the blue boy, and raise their black chicks to help the wheatons next year?

My Ameraucana flock consists of a 2 black, 1 blue, 1 wheaten girls, and the wheaten cockerel and the blue rooster. Needless to say I'm excited about getting these guys into breeding groups!!

Thanks for any replies!

 

[magdelaine]

Hi! I just subscribed to this thread. I was, wondering, sorry if it's been asked before, but would it be awful to breed my blue roo to my wheaten hen? And if so, why? I'm pretty new, last year was my first time owning true Ameraucanas, and I don't have the color genetics nailed down yet. So I'm looking for a little advice on this years breeding goals/direction.

My reasoning behind the question is the blue roo just has fantastic confirmation, and I was hoping to add some of what he's got to my wheatens. He was showed before I purchased him, and he did really well, had a couple BOBs until he lost the tip of his toe. So I would LOVE for my wheatens to look like him. But I already have a few EE's from my friends pairing down their hatchery flock, so I don't really want to add more if I can help it.

Or I do have a wheaten cockerel who looks like he'll be really nice, but I'm not sure if he'll be AS nice as the blue guy. And I have a really nice black pullet (IMO), would I be better off putting her in with the wheaten cockerel? I've read someone was using blacks to help body (and feather?) type in wheatens.

OR (lol hopefully I haven't put anyone to sleep yet) if i'm going off of the "black with wheaten idea", should I put my nice black pullet with the blue boy, and raise their black chicks to help the wheatons next year?

My Ameraucana flock consists of a 2 black, 1 blue, 1 wheaten girls, and the wheaten cockerel and the blue rooster. Needless to say I'm excited about getting these guys into breeding groups!!

Thanks for any replies!

I know a bit more about Marans color varieties than Ameraucanas, but I'll give this a shot because I don't think when it comes to color genetics that it's all that different.

What you would have if you crossed your wheaton with a blue is an Easter Egger. Yes, it's purebred Ameraucana, yes it's got two copies of the blue egg gene, but most Ameraucana folks insist on the fact that if it's not SOP, it's not Ameraucana. From what I can tell, this is the subject of some debate, but there you have it. And they won't be SOP. With a mix between E (blue) and Ewh (wheaton), color results will be unpredictable and offspring will not breed true.

Now, the fact is that all Ameraucanas were bred out of EE stock and there are lots of folks who breed various varieties together for project colors or to improve a color. The problem is that it takes a looong time and many generations for a variety to stabilize after cross-breeding. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try it, but you should discuss the ramifications of doing this with someone experienced with "projects" and be prepared for no one to recognize them as true Ameraucanas.

For my part, I'd love for someone who knows a bit more about Ameraucana genetics to let me know if White Ams are recessive white or dominant white. I have a gorgeous splash boy I'd like to try my white girls with, but the results depend on whether they are recessive/dominant. For fun, check this out! http://kippenjungle.nl/kruisingKipFlexTree.html

 

[jessicaagross]

Thanks for the reply Magdelaine! I love Marans! I'm getting back into them this year, I lost my B.C. marans rooster last fall and most of his girls to a coon

I only have one B.C. Marans hen left. But I've Fort Knox-ed my coop. SO... If you know someone who can send some hatching eggs my way?

They wouldn't just come out as a wheaten or a blue? The two colors just don't mix that way? Even if they did make a blue or a wheaten, it still be considered an EE, or couldn't be labeled as one of those because those offspring would have the potential to throw out off colors?

What's your opinion of the black on wheaten? Same as with blue?

Thanks again.

 

[magdelaine]

Thanks for the reply Magdelaine! I love Marans! I'm getting back into them this year, I lost my B.C. marans rooster last fall and most of his girls to a coon

I only have one B.C. Marans hen left. But I've Fort Knox-ed my coop. SO... If you know someone who can send some hatching eggs my way?

They wouldn't just come out as a wheaten or a blue? The two colors just don't mix that way? Even if they did make a blue or a wheaten, it still be considered an EE, or couldn't be labeled as one of those because those offspring would have the potential to throw out off colors?

What's your opinion of the black on wheaten? Same as with blue?

Thanks again.

As soon as I can, I'm getting some hatching eggs from Brian Parks. He's a great guy, he doesn't charge a ton for his eggs (although they aren't ebay low eitther) and his birds AND his egg color are up to par. His web site is down but you can contact him through his FB page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frasier-Creek-Farm/180418442028453

The color problem has to do with the mixed genetics of those combinations. You know how EEs are usually multicolor and hatch mates all look different? That's what will happen to a certain extent when you cross varieties. I happen to have some BCM pullets that are split for wheaten and they are a mess color wise; I won't be able to use them. Other varieties, like BCM and Cuckoo Marans to make Birchen, or Black/Lav splits, can be combined to benefit and or create a new variety, but that has to do with the genetics involved. On the up side, you could call all birds that result from crosses EEs, because they are. I'm going to cross my Splash and Whites just to see what happens.

Sorry to hear about your Marans though. I would be so bummed if that happened.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I just placed my order for my new incubator, which was not expensive but has the digital temp and humidity readouts.  Getting ready.  Don't know which I will do first. BBS or LAVS.  Can't do them together because I will have blacks in the mix and do not want the splits to get mixed with the pure blacks.    Cannot wait for March!:yiipchick

You can hatch them together and manage to keep them separate. I do it all the time with my foam incubators. If that is what you have. I build a hardcloth wire fence and use it to make two separate compartments in the incubator. I will get some pics of what I'm talking about. It's very simple and effective, but easier to show than explain sometimes.

 

[dstokely]

You can hatch them together and manage to keep them separate. I do it all the time with my foam incubators. If that is what you have. I build a hardcloth wire fence and use it to make two separate compartments in the incubator. I will get some pics of what I'm talking about. It's very simple and effective, but easier to show than explain sometimes.

I would have never thought about doing that. I would love to see a picture. That means I could do wheaten/EE as well. I could have all kinds of babies and my husband would really kill me then.