Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[buckabucka]

Okay so assuming he is a he - which every indication points that way - what type of rooster will he make?  He seems very shy and skittish.  It could be because he was broody raised and never really interacted with me - or is that typical of AM cockerels?  I've had a White Leghorn that was aggressive towards everyone - people & chickens.  I don't want a repeat of that. 

For now my alpha roo is a 36 week old partridge silkie who is fighting the 19 week old WL/EE cockerel to keep that top spot.  I have two 16 week old Welsummer cockerels and I had thought keeping one Wellie to mate with this AM - which isn't happening now.

I've in the process of eliminating extra cockerels, so I'm having to make some choices in who stays and who goes.  I know the WL/EE is going and one Welsummer for sure.  But now I will have to choose between keeping the AM or the Wellie. 

What would be the better choice?

Well, I do think they are all individual, but I had an olive egger roo that was raised in isolation with a broody. When she was done raising him at about 5 weeks, I put him in with all the other 5 week old brooders chicks.
He was petrified, even after a few weeks with the others. I wanted to keep him to replace our EE roo that was attacking us, but was hesitant because he was so timid. Once I removed all the other roos, though, he rose to the occasion and has been a good rooster. He still clears a path when he sees me coming (which I like), but has no problem socializing with the hens. And he worships the two Buff Chanteclers. He was raised by one of them.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Well, I do think they are all individual, but I had an olive egger roo that was raised in isolation with a broody. When she was done raising him at about 5 weeks, I put him in with all the other 5 week old brooders chicks.
He was petrified, even after a few weeks with the others. I wanted to keep him to replace our EE roo that was attacking us, but was hesitant because he was so timid. Once I removed all the other roos, though, he rose to the occasion and has been a good rooster. He still clears a path when he sees me coming (which I like), but has no problem socializing with the hens. And he worships the two Buff Chanteclers. He was raised by one of them.

I'm thinking he might be a good choice because he is rather skittish and shy. He hasn't crowed yet, although he hasn't had a chance with all the other cockerels trying to out shine each other.

I want a rooster who will compliment the alpha silkie roo, not try to overpower him. The Wellie I'm considering is quiet, but I think even more bold than this AM. The other Wellie is definitely going. He is aggressive and he's third cockerel on the ladder behind the WL/EE mix. So I'm sure he would over power to be number one. I may just keep the one Wellie and AM for a time to see how they interact with the silkie once the two higher ranking cockerels are gone.

 

[chicknadventure]

I would keep the am because it looks lime you srent breedi g for pure so at least you will get so.e i teresti.g egg colors out of the babies including possible olive eggers.

 

[AinaWGSD]

There's absolutely no way that bird is a pullet. If you posted pictures a few weeks ago, maybe he could have been too young to tell for sure. But that bird clearly has curved sickle feathers in his tail and pointy saddle and hackle feathers. Pullets don't have those kinds of feathers. The other roo may be mounting him to show dominance.

As for what kind of rooster he'll grow into...who knows? If you know what the parent birds' temperaments were like that could give you some idea. My ameraucana rooster was a bit shy of people, but never aggressive at all. My rooster only ever looked at my toddler cross-eyed (and in his defense, my toddler was chasing the hens all over the yard not unlike a predator so in the rooster's mind the child was a legitimate threat) but backed down if my husband or I challenged him (even if the child was chasing the hens he still backed off when confronted). If he's mild with the other chickens now he may stay that way, or he may become a bit more assertive (or even downright aggressive) when the competition is gone and he's the only rooster. Then again, the same could be said for any of the cockerels you have now.

 

[flowerchild59]

Which birds or strains lay the biggest size eggs? My ameraucanas lay on the rather small side, but I have one that lays a much larger egg. I can't seem to catch her in the act to know but I have BBS and one wheaton ameraucana.
If anyone has consistently good size eggs and can lead me in the right direction, I sure would appreciate it.

 

[pips&peeps]

The silver lines lay the biggest eggs. And, as a guess I would assume your wheaten is laying the smaller egg.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Lavenders make great refs.

 

[chicken curious]

 

[ashandvine]

Which birds or strains lay the biggest size eggs? My ameraucanas lay on the rather small side, but I have one that lays a much larger egg. I can't seem to catch her in the act to know but I have BBS and one wheaton ameraucana.
If anyone has consistently good size eggs and can lead me in the right direction, I sure would appreciate it.

I recently had another breeder make an interesting suggestion: put a drop of food dye in the vent of your hen to track who is laying which eggs. You'd know who is laying your big/small/colored eggs.

 

[Tailfeathers]

I have a few W & BW's that are laying a 2oz egg. Egg size is one of the things I'm hoping to increase. One of many things I'm working on.

God Bless,