Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Miss Ameraucana]

...

My very first dive into Ameraucanas (as hatching eggs) and got three dramatic cross beaks out of 24 eggs.  I kept the one that could eat reasonably well and never bred any of the batch.  I have not delved back into the breed but hope to hatch a few quality birds this year.
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Our very first chicks were EEs from our local Orscheln store & 1 of them developed cross beak at about 2 weeks of age. Of course a female. Her beak was so far out of line that we had to cull her. Even though it's all a part of the cycle of life it's still sad to see. Especially being our first & starting out with only 5 to begin with. And she had such a strong little will to live!

 

[Miss Ameraucana]

...

My very first dive into Ameraucanas (as hatching eggs) and got three dramatic cross beaks out of 24 eggs.  I kept the one that could eat reasonably well and never bred any of the batch.  I have not delved back into the breed but hope to hatch a few quality birds this year.
[/quote)
Our very first chicks were EEs from our local Orscheln store & 1 of them developed cross beak at about 2 weeks of age. Of course a female. Her beak was so far out of line that we had to cull her. Even though it's all a part of the cycle of life it's still sad to see. Especially being our first & starting out with only 5 to begin with. And she had such a strong little will to live!

 

[jerryse]

So this feather leg issue seems to be recessive . I know only know of two breeds with recessive feather leg gene .All the rest are dominant feather leg . Langshan and Brahma are the 2 breeds I know of . I know of one breeder who used black Langshan 30 + years ago . I know of 1 breeder who had Light Brahma in some early white 30 + years ago . Both breeders are reputable and eliminated this gene . However someone else may have added these genes in the past . Since it is recessive test breeding is the best tool to eliminate it . Breeding back to one of these feather leg birds with a clean leg bird from that line will tell you if it is a carrier . Any feather leg chicks means the clean leg is a carrier . This is a way to get a breeder that is not a carrier .

 

[mirandaleecon]

Quote: Yea, I am sad that I will have to cull the little ones. We have only had to cull one chick before and that was because it had an unabsorbed yolk sac and was suffering. These don't seem to suffer now, although I know they might in the future. Getting into breeding I prepared myself to have to cull but I always imagined we could at least allow them to get old enough for us to eat. Doesn't seem as sad that way, and not such a waste of a life...

 

[scflock]

Yea, I am sad that I will have to cull the little ones. We have only had to cull one chick before and that was because it had an unabsorbed yolk sac and was suffering. These don't seem to suffer now, although I know they might in the future. Getting into breeding I prepared myself to have to cull but I always imagined we could at least allow them to get old enough for us to eat. Doesn't seem as sad that way, and not such a waste of a life...

Last year was my first breeding, and that's the toughest hurdle to cross. It is never easy to end the life of a fluffy, peeping baby, but after trying to nurse several that were destined to fail, I make the decision much earlier now. If you are incubating and hatching a lot of chicks for sales, it is a drain of money, time, and emotion to try and save one that isn't born vigorous. It never really gets any easier, but you learn that it needs to be done so that you can focus on the strong ones you have


ETA: Crossbeak is an immediate cull for me. I've only had two, and they were from hatchery birds, but chances are it will be a slow starvation, or a bird that is always special needs. The first one died at 8 weeks old. The second was culled at hatch. That's not a trait you want to pass on

 

[Percheron chick]

My wife actually prefers the name Easter Egger.

I find the spelling variations of ameriaucana to be such tongue twisters. Easter egger is so much easier to say.

 

[samouw]

So this feather leg issue seems to be recessive . I know only know of two breeds with recessive feather leg gene .All the rest are dominant feather leg . Langshan and Brahma are the 2 breeds I know of . I know of one breeder who used black Langshan 30 + years ago . I know of 1 breeder who had Light Brahma in some early white 30 + years ago . Both breeders are reputable and eliminated this gene . However someone else may have added these genes in the past . Since it is recessive test breeding is the best tool to eliminate it . Breeding back to one of these feather leg birds with a clean leg bird from that line will tell you if it is a carrier . Any feather leg chicks means the clean leg is a carrier . This is a way to get a breeder that is not a carrier .

Yes, I did some research last year when this first cropped up. This is known as PT3, not the more common PT1 and PT2 that Marans, etc have. Of course, since neither parent had it, I knew it was recessive, but had a hard time figuring out what breed it actually came from - thank you for that!

It did also crop up in some whites I had last year, but I ended up culling that entire line - for other issues.

I had written Wayne Meredith last year; as the creator of the wheaten/blue wheaten, I thought he could shed some light on it. I culled everything that had a feathered leg, and culled that cock bird and the two hens that were out of the line I had introduced two years earlier, and went back to my foundation stock. I'm hoping I got it all, but I'm not afraid to cull more deeply if I have to.

 

[scflock]

Yes, I did some research last year when this first cropped up. This is known as PT3, not the more common PT1 and PT2 that Marans, etc have. Of course, since neither parent had it, I knew it was recessive, but had a hard time figuring out what breed it actually came from - thank you for that!

It did also crop up in some whites I had last year, but I ended up culling that entire line - for other issues.

I had written Wayne Meredith last year; as the creator of the wheaten/blue wheaten, I thought he could shed some light on it. I culled everything that had a feathered leg, and culled that cock bird and the two hens that were out of the line I had introduced two years earlier, and went back to my foundation stock. I'm hoping I got it all, but I'm not afraid to cull more deeply if I have to.

Good luck tomorrow!

 

[Miss Ameraucana]

Uy

Yea, I am sad that I will have to cull the little ones. We have only had to cull one chick before and that was because it had an unabsorbed yolk sac and was suffering. These don't seem to suffer now, although I know they might in the future. Getting into breeding I prepared myself to have to cull but I always imagined we could at least allow them to get old enough for us to eat. Doesn't seem as sad that way, and not such a waste of a life...

I agree..
get some more little ones. That will make you feel better..

 

[pips&peeps]

My very first dive into Ameraucanas (as hatching eggs) and got three dramatic cross beaks out of 24 eggs. I kept the one that could eat reasonably well and never bred any of the batch. I have not delved back into the breed but hope to hatch a few quality birds this year.

Did you help them hatch???? I found early on that most of the birds that needed a little help ended up with cross beak.