Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Grandmadee]

I was told by an unreliable sorce,IFA that I had an Ameracuana, so Im just checking, EE, Ameracuana or?

 

[Marthab1953]

I was told by an unreliable sorce,IFA that I had an Ameracuana, so Im just checking, EE, Ameracuana or?

That is an Easter Egger!

 

[Grandmadee]

That is an Easter Egger!

thank you, now I know. Cinderella is a beautiful little girl. Now the next question is how to tell when they will start to lay?

 

[Marthab1953]

thank you, now I know. Cinderella is a beautiful little girl. Now the next question is how to tell when they will start to lay?

Yes she is a very pretty girl. How old is she? When you see her comb start to turn red then she is going to start laying. Usually Easter Eggers start around 5 months.

 

[Grandmadee]

Yes she is a very pretty girl.  How old is she?  When you see her comb start to turn red then she is going to start laying.  Usually Easter Eggers start around 5 months. 

All 3 of them are 4 months old.

 

[Pipe Dreaming]

What is a good age to start figuring out who to keep? Mine are 3 months old and I have to part with 3 or 4 cockerels. Should I wait a little longer or is 3 months a good time to take a hard look at them?

 

[bruceha2000]

Quote:
My three 2015 EEs started at:
23 weeks, 2 days
26 weeks, 1 day
30 weeks, 5 days

So a big range. As Martha said, their combs get bigger and quite red before they lay. They will also likely start checking out the nesting boxes. Good time to put out the oyster shell.

Some girls will squat (flatten out like a pancake) when you put your hand over their backs when they are close to laying. My 2012 girls ALL did that but NONE of the broody raised 2015 girls did. Maybe the surrogate mama told them it wasn't dignified

 

[Alaskan]

What is a good age to start figuring out who to keep? Mine are 3 months old and I have to part with 3 or 4 cockerels. Should I wait a little longer or is 3 months a good time to take a hard look at them?

Now I can't remember if you said you had pure Ams or not.

However, with culling.... It is partially an ongoing process. Whenever one is clearly defective (bent back, webbed feet), clearly you can cull those whenever you want.

Slow growers, unthrifty individuals, or super bad personalities can also be culled whenever.

Once you get to "relatively good, which should I keep" then the longer that you can wait the better.

I think 6 months is minimum, a year is much better.

 

[Sylvester017]

What is a good age to start figuring out who to keep? Mine are 3 months old and I have to part with 3 or 4 cockerels. Should I wait a little longer or is 3 months a good time to take a hard look at them?

I don't breed but from all the breeder posts they recommend that the best time to judge a cockerel for breeding is after they've had their first molt--providing they have other good SOP traits like good combs, body type, posture, temperament, etc.

 

[Chicken5555]

Today has been a very good day for me. I brought home some lovely blue wheaten Ameraucanas, and some black Ameraucanas.

Will get pictures when it cools off some.