Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[shyBadger]

If your purchased them with a variety/color specified, you got their Ameraucana. If color/variety was not specified, you got their Easter Eggers. Hatchery Easter Eggers are not mixes, they just haven't been selectively bred to meet a breed standard.

I specified Black Ameraucana and that is what they marked off as what they sent me. Because in their listings they have:

Ameraucana ("Easter Eggers") (MISC) A mixture of types and colors. These are not exhibition stock, but are very good sized and make a hardy dual purpose fowl. While we select for all breeders to have beards (muff of feathers under the chin), occasionally, some chicks will not. Egg color will vary between pale green, olive green, occasionally brown, or olive green with brown spots.

And I ordered:
Black Ameraucana (MISC) We were fortunate to obtain two different blood lines from show quality stock. These are pure black birds with beards and they lay greenish blue eggs.

(from http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/chickens.html#ameraucanas )

Can't the single comb (since it's recessive) be a throw back from the introduction of another color, like when chocolate or lavender was introduced. I've also heard that someone somewhere brought in sumatras at one point to improve the blue edging in Ameraucanas. Isn't it just a DQ fault if all the other parts of the bird fit the SOP?

ETA: Like if an Ameraucana has brown eyes, it's not in the SOP but it doesn't turn an Ameraucana into an EE if it's eyes are brown. You just wouldn't breed those birds.

This was my line of thinking. The little I know about other breeds, the wrong comb would mean it was a bad representation of the breed and shouldn't be bred.

 

[pamperedamber]

Can anyone post a few pictures that are labeled to show me what the differences are between the BBS chicks when they are fluffy?

Here are my hatchlings currently 3/17 have hatched.

 

[Chicken5555]

Can anyone post a few pictures that are labeled to show me what the differences are between the BBS chicks when they are fluffy?

Here are my hatchlings currently 3/17 have hatched.

CUTE!!!! Super cute chicks. Good luck with the rest of your hatch! In your second picture, the chick hiding under momma hen's neck looks like it could be black.


My babies were less than 48 hours old in this picture. It can be hard to tell the difference between very dark blues and the blacks. My lightest blue chicks was difficult too.


My one and only splash had a slight hint of light silvery blue on it's back and head, but was otherwise completely light yellow. The lightest blue had the same color patterns as the other blues, but much lighter. Again, I had no idea what this chick was so I asked and people had different answers. Wing and tail feathers are starting to growing though, and this one is definitely a blue.


Notice the yellow on this chick's chest and underside? The muffs are yellow and the beak has some lighter coloring toward the tip.


This chick has a bit of jet black down on it's forehead and the chest down is more of a silvery-yellow than actual yellow. The beak is solid black. These clues hinted that this chick was most likely black. When wing feathers started growing in they were in fact black.

 

[pamperedamber]

CUTE!!!! Super cute chicks. Good luck with the rest of your hatch! In your second picture, the chick hiding under momma hen's neck looks like it could be black. My babies were less than 48 hours old in this picture. It can be hard to tell the difference between very dark blues and the blacks. My lightest blue chicks was difficult too. My one and only splash had a slight hint of light silvery blue on it's back and head, but was otherwise completely light yellow. The lightest blue had the same color patterns as the other blues, but much lighter. Again, I had no idea what this chick was so I asked and people had different answers. Wing and tail feathers are starting to growing though, and this one is definitely a blue. Notice the yellow on this chick's chest and underside? The muffs are yellow and the beak has some lighter coloring toward the tip. This chick has a bit of jet black down on it's forehead and the chest down is more of a silvery-yellow than actual yellow. The beak is solid black. These clues hinted that this chick was most likely black. When wing feathers started growing in they were in fact black.

Thank you so much. Those are so helpful!! Do Splash and Lavender look the same as chicks or is there a difference in the yellow down?

 

[FowlStuff]

Here are some of the ribbons and rosettes junior exhibitors are eligible for at the Ameraucana National Meet, October 15th, in Lebanon, IN.
Over $2,000 in awards (mostly cash) is available to Alliance members between the open show and junior competition!
Entries must be postmarked by October 3rd. Go to our Meets page for more information.
http://ameraucanaalliance.org/Meets.html

 

[Catandherchicks]

@Chicken5555 Nicely done reference information! Visuals are always helpful.

 

[Chicken5555]

Thank you so much. Those are so helpful!!

Do Splash and Lavender look the same as chicks or is there a difference in the yellow down?

From what I've been told, lavender chicks look a lot like the very light blue I have, except they have a more even distribution of light silvery blue color. The lavender gene is completely different from the blue gene so, unless the birds have been mixed with lavender, there is no way to get a lavender from a BBS breeding. Sorry I can't be more helpful with that question.

 

[pamperedamber]

From what I've been told, lavender chicks look a lot like the very light blue I have, except they have a more even distribution of light silvery blue color. The lavender gene is completely different from the blue gene so, unless the birds have been mixed with lavender, there is no way to get a lavender from a BBS breeding. Sorry I can't be more helpful with that question.

You answered it perfectly. Thank you.
I have 5 lavender eggs under Dash with the 12 BBS eggs.

 

[Ravynscroft]

You answered it perfectly. Thank you.
I have 5 lavender eggs under Dash with the 12 BBS eggs.

Here's a lavender to compare...

 

[Saris]

Basil's tail makes me think of a feather duster! So many feathers!!!