Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Goose and Fig]

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Wow, we just sold some Ameraucana purebred 6 wk or so old chickens to someone who is using them for backyard chickens. They did not have their beard or muffs yet. Also, one of them was born in Jan and hated to let her go but she had not gotten a beard. Wanted to use her for showing in the fall. We got the parents (rooster and 2 hens) from Paul Smith in late summer 2010. We incubated the eggs this winter/spring and have lots of chicks. We just thought the chicks would get their beards as they mature. Do you suppose that this may be the case or may be the heterozygous gene? If so, that's bad.

If you cannot see the "cheeks" at hatch- they are most likely going to always be clean-faced. That is a major fault and you'd never want to show it. Breeding is a matter of personal choice, but if you plan to sell birds you think might be clean- faced, you should disclose that to the buyer.
Some birds may go through a period where the beard is barely there, or you might have a "picker" in the flock- those cases wouldn't really count. Doesn't matter how good you think the breeder is- these things do pop up.

 

[roysnider]

Here is our pics of our Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas and their Wheaten and Blue Wheaten babies:

Above are our Adult Blue Wheaten chickens at a show. We bought them from Paul Smith. This was the first show we took them to. Now they have been to several shows.

Above is their babies born this year. Aren't they so cute! Sweetest breed! It is hard to decide which ones will be the show birds and which ones we need to find a good home for.

P.S. The yellow bands are EE's.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

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awww

 

[Goose and Fig]

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Very nice. I love how with one variety you can have such a colorful flock.

 

[roysnider]

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

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awww

We also have Black Ameraucana chicks that we got from Wayne Meredith just past a week ago.​

 

[BuckWildChickens]

Awsome pic's folk's!! I've got 3 pullets, 12 weeks old, and 4 cockerals, 8 weeks old.. Gunna see which of the roo's are the best behaved, combined with the best attributes, then keep the best 2 and rotate them out and see how they do.. I will post pic's of them as soon as i'm alloted.. Look forward to future post's on here!!

 

[Goose and Fig]

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Good plan. I've said it before, and I will say it again- ALWAYS keep more than one roo if you plan on breeding.

 

[jsimon]

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Wow, we just sold some Ameraucana purebred 6 wk or so old chickens to someone who is using them for backyard chickens. They did not have their beard or muffs yet. Also, one of them was born in Jan and hated to let her go but she had not gotten a beard. Wanted to use her for showing in the fall. We got the parents (rooster and 2 hens) from Paul Smith in late summer 2010. We incubated the eggs this winter/spring and have lots of chicks. We just thought the chicks would get their beards as they mature. Do you suppose that this may be the case or may be the heterozygous gene? If so, that's bad.

Its not an end of all things either. Just save a pullet and cockerel that are clean faced. Breed the birds you want to use first to the clean faced birds and see if all the chicks have beards. If they do the one you were planning on using is fine. If any have a clean face, that means that the bird was heterozygous and should not be used. Obviously the birds from the test mating cannot be used either way. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but in one generation you completely instill the bearded gene.

 

[TK Poultry]

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Good plan. I've said it before, and I will say it again- ALWAYS keep more than one roo if you plan on breeding.

Always try to keep two roosters that way you always have a backup! Murphy's Law

 

[LarissaCluck]

Just ordered 25 "hatchery choice" bantam Ameraucanas from Mr. Blehm. Yay! Can't wait to see what I get.

Thought i ought to stick with bantams as space is at a premium in California.