Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[samouw]

Yesterday was the first day I was able to put chicks outside in the "new" (read "old", but redone) grow out pen. I am getting such a kick out of going out there and just sitting and watching them, so I thought I'd share a few pics. The wheatens/blue wheatens and 4 of the smaller blacks hatched 2/29. The other five blacks hatched 2/18.

I called them, not sure if they'd come or not since they have this big area to play in, but here they all came



My lone little blue wheaten pullet out of that hatch


And, one of the two blue wheaten cockerels from that hatch


The blue wheaten pullet and one of the black pullets, seeing whether I have treats or not



and, deciding I do



and, a couple of other misc. pics...

 

[MrsBachbach]

Genetically modified. Just put some Ameraucana DNA in a petri dish and add the correct amount of lacing...

Yeah, if it was only that easy.

 

[MrsBachbach]

My blacks. The one I think is promising has a gap in his beak. It lines up just doesn't close completely which I think would make him a cull...sadly..I'll start with him.

Love your chicken playpen, btw!

 

[LaPoulet]

How old are they when there beard/muffs get fluffy?

 

[DnDFarm]

Yesterday was the first day I was able to put chicks outside in the "new" (read "old", but redone) grow out pen. I am getting such a kick out of going out there and just sitting and watching them, so I thought I'd share a few pics. The wheatens/blue wheatens and 4 of the smaller blacks hatched 2/29. The other five blacks hatched 2/18.

I called them, not sure if they'd come or not since they have this big area to play in, but here they all came



My lone little blue wheaten pullet out of that hatch


And, one of the two blue wheaten cockerels from that hatch


The blue wheaten pullet and one of the black pullets, seeing whether I have treats or not



and, deciding I do



and, a couple of other misc. pics...

Pick one of the big black cockerels and start calling him Sammy...

 

[MrsBachbach]

How old are they when there beard/muffs get fluffy?

Well, it could be six or seven months before they get their fullest.

 

[Miss Ameraucana]

They look like they are coming along well!  But I think they are wheatens.  The one in picture #6 looks like a blue wheaten though.  Or is that supposed to be a blue?  Because if that is a blue, something isn't right.  I see brown in the feathering.  I was going to comment on your second set of pictures of blues and mention I see brown in a blue.  Didn't know if it was my monitor, some lighting or what, but you shouldn't see any brownish or reddish color in blues.

Wow! Then I probably only have 1 blue wheaten... So I would need to keep the blue wheaten cockerel if I want to get any blue wheatens? If he breeds with Eve (purple backdrop shot) can they produce blue wheaten offspring? That's kinda disappointing since I ordered all blue wheatens..

 

[LaPoulet]

I'm new to this breed and my chicks are about a month old. They are growing in their feathers but I noticed that the little beards they had earlier are not so pronounced now.

 

[DnDFarm]

I'm new to this breed and my chicks are about a month old. They are growing in their feathers but I noticed that the little beards they had earlier are not so pronounced now.

The down can be very fluffy, then it all but disappears as they start to grow their adult feathers. Like MrsBachbach said, they will be pretty full at 6 months. They will start growing back in around 8 weeks. Mine seemed to hit a growth spurt right around 4-5 months. The cockerels looked grown, but they just kept filling out more and more in that 6-8 month timeframe. I didn't know that, and sold off a few I really should have kept. Now I know to hang on to some extra roosters as long as possible

 

[Miss Ameraucana]

Love your chicken playpen, btw!

Thanks!