Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[n.smithurmond]

Quote:
I'm pulling this from this thread way back when because I'm curious about the leg color... Green legs are a fault (DQ?) or they don't occur at all in purebred Ameraucanas?

 

[Goose and Fig]

n.smithurmond :

Quote:
I'm pulling this from this thread way back when because I'm curious about the leg color... Green legs are a fault (DQ?) or they don't occur at all in purebred Ameraucanas?

Those are Easter Eggers. I think the last hen was a welsummer. If I remember correctly, we were talking about small shows/fairs in which you are allowed to enter EEs because the people running it don't know any better. Lots of mis-information out there about ameraucanas.​

 

[n.smithurmond]

Ok, thanks. So there wouldn't be any purebred Ameraucana lines out there throwing green legs?

 

[pips&peeps]

n.smithurmond :

Ok, thanks. So there wouldn't be any purebred Ameraucana lines out there throwing green legs?

no​

 

[SteveH]

n.smithurmond :

Ok, thanks. So there wouldn't be any purebred Ameraucana lines out there throwing green legs?

The Ameraucana is a young breed and many recessive traits continue to crop out , including green legs on occassion ; plus not evey breeder or seller is completely ethical so crosses can occur whether by accident or intent .​

 

[n.smithurmond]

Thanks for clarifying. I didn't intend to show or focus on Ameracaunas in the breeding pen at any rate, but I'm still curious to learn! The friend I bought these two birds from purchased her hens from two separate, well-known sources and her rooster from a BYC member and I felt pretty safe in saying they're purebred. Are all Ameraucanas that don't meet the standard considered EE's?

 

[halo]

Purebred is not a good term in describing chickens, I dont think. There have been many crosses made in many different breeds to bring in desirable characteristics, and errant gene characteristics will show up more than people really want to admit. There is no "pedigree" on a breed of chicken, just the bird standing in front of you. As long as the bird resembles the definition in the SOP, then you probably have that bird. You really wont know the background of the bird if it came from unknown sources, and as a breeding bird, it can produce anything. The bird that wins Best of Breed could have any background, but as long as it looks as defined by the SOP, its good to go as that breed.

By definition, Ameraucanas do not have green legs. Thats not to say, if your rooster has slate legs, that you couldnt hatch eggs and end up with babies that fit the definition. Its really only important if you plan on showing, or plan on selling hatching eggs or producing babies. If you do produce babies, you will now know what to look for.

 

[pips&peeps]

I have never seen an ameraucana with green legs since I started breeding. I have seen birds that have almost white legs with no color at all, mostly in the wheaten based birds which includes buff.

I have seen some young wheaten juvenile birds that the legs appear green for a couple weeks but darken with age.

The hen you have is not purebred. I wouldn't use it for breeding; she also appears to have alot of white feathers on the top of her head.

 

[n.smithurmond]

Just for semantics sake; if I have a green-legged throwback whose parents were from reputable breeders of Ameraucanas and bred her to an Ameraucana rooster, the chicks who looked basically like the standard would be called Ameraucanas? Would you always market birds that are not exhibition quality as EE's or as non-exhibition quality Ameraucanas?

Again, I didn't ever intend to breed show quality Ameraucanas, just curious.

The feathers on her head are the same as the lighter blue on her body.

 

[halo]

Are the bottom of her feet yellow? I have some blue rocks that have turned up with white on the bottom of their feet, probably a throwback to when orps were used to produce them. When bred to my yellow legged rocks, I seem to get mostly white feet. So it seems the white is dominant to the yellow.