Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[klf73]

Ok, I have been waiting and watching my pullet ee's....roo is blue wheaten from Jean and hen probably is splash ameraucana from Gary Ramey....now here is where I am stumped(yes, I know this is the ameraucana thread)...2 of the EE's look like pure splash

I was expecting some red leakage, or leakage of any sort (I know its more likely in cockerals) but what gives? I have to band them to make sure they go to the laying pen once I shuffle my pens for winter. Anyone have any ideas? I will get pics after this storm goes by...

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Dear Illia,

Just wanted to double check to see if you viewed the chickens he is keeping. They are listed on a separate page than the ones for sale. They are just under Ameraucanas. He has 2 roosters he wants to use for breeding: a brown red (I think he's at the very bottom of the page) and his blue wheaten (he's also at the bottom). He had a blue (actually 3 of them) hen but we're keeping a young one instead because she has better coloring. He's more interested in his un-named colored ones.

We'll definitely ask our chicken judge friend tomorrow what he thinks about the Ameraucanas.

If it turns out to be true, then I'm sure I'm going to have to allow my son to break the rules about not bringing home any new animals, if he needs to upgrade his breeding stock.

I find it hard to imagine that our chicken judge friend would give an incorrect opinion. Also, our 4H leader came out to see his chickens and give her opinion (and she's a chicken person but no judge).

We'll put it on the table to investigate.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention to explore and to confirm or refute your opinion.

By the way, if you are a chicken judge, your opinion would bring a little more credibility.

If you are a breeder, I hope you're just trying to be honest and not malevolent towards others breeding the same kind. Some tend to try and build themselves up by tearing others down.

I think I've interacted with you on the hybrid thread right ?

Anyways, we'll get back to you about his Ameraucanas. He'll be arriving home in just about another hour and a half.

Hope he won't be too heartbroken to hear that someone on here thinks his Ameraucanas are not Ameraucanas but just EE.

He's actually getting ready to enter some real chicken shows coming up after having the experience of showing at the county fair. He's so excited to go.
I guess it's better to find out now than before he enters ? Maybe choose another breed ? He just loves his chickens.

Thanks,

Illia is not trying to tear you down. She is just trying to help educate a new chicken person on what they really have. Even I was 99.9% sure you had EE's when I looked at your website......and EE's and Ameraucanas are not birds I have a lot of experience with.


Most of us aren't chicken judges, but a lot of us do know our chicken breeds and what makes a good bird.

 

[averytds]

May or may not be the same thing, but all the replacement layers I hatched this year were intentionally black sex links. All of the barred birds have long since been processed and were indeed 100% barred cockerels. The pullets that I expected to all be black with gold leakage in the hackles, well some have a lot, some have a minimal amount and some have absolutely none at all, 100% black. This is true even with the same cock and hen for parents.

 

[BovieVei]

Just wanted to inform everyone I just got two 2 1/2 month old pullets in the mail last Tuesday! Will post pictures soon!

 

[Goose and Fig]

Quote:
I had this happen last year with a BW over a blue cochin. Kept them for a few months but re-homed them since they were all roos. No leakage at all, but two were cannibals and it was horrific. Fortunately I don't have the same birds to make that cross again - what a bloody nightmare.

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

As you all may know, I do not have internet at the farm - it's just too far out for anything but satellite and that's too expensive so I'm off the net on weekends and evenings. I came in today to ask some advice from a trusted friend I can only contact via internet and check for my Ameraucana Thread cyber friends’ suggestions on my situation.

I see we have been joined by Judge Bob.

I want to say to you that I apologize for offending you and thank you for your service to the chicken community. BTW I don’t recall EVER typing “Honky Judge”. I went back over my posts and did not see that term. If I used that word I was way out of line and sincerely apologize.

The BYC forum is a place for all to come and share their experience and knowledge. I'm sure Judge Bob, that you will be a valuable asset to our community. As you continue to be a part of our community you will see that we all don't just agree with things posted and carry on lively discussion on the subject - often more than 1 subject at a time. Experts and laypeople ( those without a current SOP) carry equal weight here as everyone has something to say and all people are treated as equals. You will find, if you have an issue with health, showing, breeding, building coops, protecting our flocks or what have you, that the ideas will pour in. After a while you will develop friendships and trusts of certain people who give you advice and guidance that turns out true, never discounting newcomers or other people since all opinions are good, more is better. To hash out a problem requires all of us to put our heads together and hear what others think. I had a problem - That's what I did. I could have a conversation the WIC. I am just 1 of many and she was either too busy or didn’t want to hear anything after “No, I do not have a current copy of the SOP”. The community mostly recommended to me that I speak with other people and the judge - that's what I tried to do. I am still awaiting a call from the President or Vice President when they have time to clear up this "banned for life" thing and we as a community are very curious about it - to see if it is true. I spoke briefly with the President last night by accident. When I figured out who he was I told him I had wanted to speak with him about somehting and asked if he had time - He said no so I said OK I will await your callback when you get around to your messages.

Poultry #4. Upon admission to a show, all entries shall be examined by the official county fair veterinarian or qualified state personnel who shall also receive and examine all certificates necessary for admission of birds to a show. Birds not in showing condition will be excused from exhibition and removed from the premises. Any fowl showing signs of illness during the fair will be removed from the exhibition grounds.

As you all can see from the post copied from Poultry #4 in the book, WIC could not have been the person who was in charge doing health checks as by the stated rules, she is not a vet or state employed official so even if she looked up their rear ends with a microscope, it still would not have satisfied the printed rules criteria. So it does not matter if she did or didn’t. It was not her job by description. I think she did a good job considering how much work was involved over so many days by just 1 volunteer (her). I offered to help her in any future shows explaining that although I know little about doing a show I know “brooms”, “crates”, “get me coffee”, “tote that thing over there”, “set that up”, “clean that up” and “ NPIP biosecurity” well enough to leave her more freedom to do what she needs to do.

I thank you all for your support and guidance. The best lesson I have learned here is:

Get a current SOP. It would not matter if you are the president of the Ameraucana Breeders Club, or just me.
If some one asks you if you have the current SOP and you can not say yes, anything you say after “No, I do not.” will be irrelevant to anything by those who have asked you the question.

 

[Cass]

Quote:
You didn't offend Anyone but Judge Bob with your choice of words....words he saw, but you didn't type. He did the same to me. I butted out of the conversation as I refuse to have a conversation with someone who invents insult where none was typed or intended. Perhaps it was better, given your gentle nature, that you didn't talk to him in person, since nothing you could say would be correct in his mind.

I do want you to know that I, and most of this community, are here to support you with whatever you decide to do in this situation. Some of us may not agree with your choices, but for the most part, everyone supports your independant choice of how to handle the things you are dealing with.

Be safe, but don't be sorry about doing what you have to do to find out the answers you seek.

 

[Goose and Fig]

We can all learn from Denise's experience here. Glad the show is coming to a close and she was able to get some recognition

 

[averytds]

For what it's worth, the "honky" comment was made, it just was not made by Denise. Open forum, so not something under her control and it was an isolated comment that I don't recall being repeated or condoned. Seemed to me the "problem" was more about issues with the show rules not being upheld in regards to bio-security and less about Judge Bob. Judge Bob just got "lucky" enough to be thrown in as an example of how the show was dropping the ball.



I do wish there wasn't such an issue with the AMs. Honestly it would be easiest if my DS would just switch breeds. We don't have near the trouble with DDs' Silkies. Since that doesn't look to be happening anytime soon, I see this same thing played out first hand time and again. Only two shows of I don't know how many so far have we not encountered any issues and that can change with the judge. The 2010 Nationals and an ABA licensed judge at a small fair open last year. I'm sure there are and we shall eventually meet many more judges that are aware of and uphold the AM SOPs and then we can decide who and who not to show under.


I 100% support Judge Bob in that he's human and mistakes can easily be made. I also know of, expect and depending upon circumstances have condoned a more lenient judging of 4-Hers and Jrs depending upon the show. Entries, competition, age, etc. I consider those "practice fields" and ask only that something is learned from the experience.

I give no quarter to licensed judges and open show exhibitors (no matter their age) as I feel "that" is the real playing field. Both parties should be well aware of the rules by then and there is a ready place to look for clarification when in doubt. When the system fails at that level is when I get aggravated. It's very difficult to play a game and especially to play it well when the rules suddenly don't apply.

I take it the open was judged properly. That's all I ever ask.


On the bio-security front, our paperwork is always checked, but we've never had our birds examined prior to cooping in. Not even at the Nationals last year. I've always kind of considered it our responsibility to look out for our birds. Sanitize our cages and inspect the neighbors before moving in. I've not encountered any problems yet with pointing out seemingly ill birds to show staff and them being removed. A 100% healthy presenting bird can be a carrier of something. There are plenty of precautions you can take to minimize the risks, but by the very act of exhibiting any bird, you are compromising it's security. I fear you may find many shows in the future with such lax bio-security. You'll have to decide whether or not you can handle it.

I personally find showing too stressful. It inhibits my enjoyment of the show. Therefore, I go as a spectator. My kids thrive on it, so they exhibit. I think some of us just aren't cut out to be exhibitors.

 

[ChicksterJo]

Just thought I would share some pics that I took today of my Am's at 17 weeks old.
Here is the friendliest of the three, Poofy. It is really hot today so they have been spending all day dustbathing. Also there's my Marans checking out what's going on.

Three in a row:

The one on the far left is Sandy, and I'm still not 100% sure if she's really a she but it's looking like it. Thanks for looking.