Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[poularde]

I have just two wheaten Ameraucanas right now. I just love them. My little pullet is not laying yet. I am considering working on these birds. I am still undecided. This is my blue wheaten cockerel He is about 26 weeks old now. Does he have anything about him that says I can not use him for breeding? I adore him and hope he may be usable. Again not sure if I am going to breed these wonderful birds. Just curious.







Here is my little pullet.




Critiques please.

I have been looking at the Ameraucanas quite a bit and I still am not sure about good type.

 

[Reyvaughn]

I am selling this as an EE. I need some opinions on gender. It has a lot of girly tan on the body, but the hackles are coming in dark. The comb is small like the sister's but pinker. It also has thicker yellow legs and the sister's are smaller and slate. So I'm going back and forth on this one. What do you think? I did try on the EE thread so you guys didn't have to see the ugly yellow legs and no one commented.

Oh it's 7 weeks old.

Pullet - just has a lot of ticking! And yellow legs, as you know.

 

[Lrkel]

This is from the byc member that you had a bunch of problems with Bobbi. I don't know if you remember that conversation. I had 4 hatch. 2 dropped dead at a week old. One looks good and this one has yellow legs...

 

[Reyvaughn]

Yep, I remember the conversation. I was wondering if these were from her. So far, it's the only person I know of on BYC that has those yellow and willow legs come up.

ETA: I ended up with one with yellow legs, one with willow legs, one with slightly crooked toes and one with severely crooked toes. I sold all 11 of them and decided never, ever again.

 

[dfdesigns]

"White" Wheatens: I have four young wheatens right now, and one of them is a super-light almost white. I had assumed it was a pullet, but now I'm not so sure... the tail looks different than the other pullets.

His tail looks like a pen, while the pullets look like a blunt paint brush. (He's in the middle here):




Side view:



And one more side view:





Well, I think even I'm convinced now that it's a boy. Has anyone else even seen a Wheaten Am cockerel this light? What should I do with him? Sigh.


Okay, different subject!

Here's some out of a different hatch, from Peachick's line. They are beautiful girls, and are very close to POL.








And now just for fun (and for Christie)... this is a Blue Andalusian x Black Ameraucana pullet. I do love the coloring, but she heavily favors her Andy mom. I have a full sister to this one who should be laying any day now, and I'll be very interested to check the egg color.

 

[Ray_n_Debi]

I have just two wheaten Ameraucanas right now. I just love them. My little pullet is not laying yet. I am considering working on these birds. I am still undecided. This is my blue wheaten cockerel He is about 26 weeks old now. Does he have anything about him that says I can not use him for breeding? I adore him and hope he may be usable. Again not sure if I am going to breed these wonderful birds. Just curious.







Here is my little pullet.




Critiques please.

I have been looking at the Ameraucanas quite a bit and I still am not sure about good type.

I love the Wheaten pullet! She is so clean, I don't see any ticking!
The roo is at that straggly, stage I like to decide around 8 months. I don't show so I can't speak out loud.

 

[unkadan]

"White" Wheatens: I have four young wheatens right now, and one of them is a super-light almost white. I had assumed it was a pullet, but now I'm not so sure... the tail looks different than the other pullets.

His tail looks like a pen, while the pullets look like a blunt paint brush. (He's in the middle here):




Side view:



And one more side view:





Well, I think even I'm convinced now that it's a boy. Has anyone else even seen a Wheaten Am cockerel this light? What should I do with him? Sigh.

A few months ago I posted a pic of a pullet with that same "white" coloring the answer was "it's an odd genetic flaw that occasionally is showing up in some lines of the W/BLW birds these days." I then asked if anyone had ever bred these birds forward to see what the offspring or descendents might be. Never got an answer, since then I have talked to a couple major breeders here in the Mid West. Both hatch over 1,000 chicks a year and only see a "white" rarely, maybe 1-3 a year. They both thought my idea had merit, if nothing else to help determine what is causing this flaw in the W/BLW to appear.

In any event,,,if you were closer I would be interested in that bird, esp if is a cockerel. I am keeping my "off white" pullet and will use her for OE's if nothing else.

Dan B

 

[dfdesigns]

Dan, thanks so much for your response. So no one knew the genetics behind the color? (I'm specifically wondering if these birds are some expression of splash.) I really am unsure what to do with this guy... right now he and his sisters are growing up in my Blue Isbar pen, and that won't be able to continue much longer. I had really hoped it was was a pullet, and would just go into my layer pen.

Are you sure you don't want a nice winter trip to San Diego to pick him up?

 

[unkadan]

Dana,

maybe Jean, Jerry, or someone will chime in on the genetics , it was Jean that gave me the initial answer, Wayne Meredith and I talked about the anomaly.

Splash perhaps, but not as splash has been explained to me,,,,the slight Wheaton markings throw that out


and yes I would really like a winter vacation,,,but it's not a budgeted item at this point,,,,lol

 

[Goose and Fig]

It could be a really light splash wheaten, or one of the white wheaten anomalies. Fairly certain it is a cockerel. I would give him more time, and if he still appears off, then move him to an olive egger or project pen.

As for the other wheaten pullets, maybe its because they are not laying yet, but they appear to have very pinched tails. And the one has an odd hood, but it may just be the angle of the pic.