Araucana thread anyone?

[Stacykins]

Stacy,
I'll always take eggs. So if you want to try shipping them to me, let me know. I've had someone tell me that they wondered if the x-raying at the post office might have an effect on fertility. So I wondered if you wrap the eggs in the carton with aluminum foil to stop the x-rays, would that protect the eggs and solve the hatching rate problem. Let me know if you want to try and I'll send you some money.

I'll definitely let you know next spring! My birds have all just started to molt in the past few days, so egg production is about zilch now, and will probably be slow as the days get shorter and cooler. I think this unusually cool weather (not complaining, I love it!) has sent them into an early molt. There are feathers eeeeverywhere!

 

[cashdl]

I would consider two of them to be golden duckwings. They have more red in the chest than a silver duckwing would. Genetically golden and silvers are the same except for red enhancers. A golden will have more red. The bottom pullet is a blue silver which means instead of black she has blue.

Lanae

 

[nicalandia]

Genetically golden and silvers are the same except for red enhancers
Lanae

that´s not quite correct, Golden is (S/s+) and Silver is S/S the presence of lack of red enhancers has nothing to do with either of them(golden or silver) there are pure silver birds with lots of red in them(thanks to autosomal red and mahogany) and there are golden birds that can look silver(with pheomelanin diluters like cream, Dominant dilute, lack of autosomal red)

 

[shanshan51]

I have just listed a double tufted breeding for sale. Female has been laying fertile eggs for a few months now. Both are very sweet birds.

http://www.showbirdauction.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl?category=largefowlchickens&item=1347229672

 

[cashdl]

that´s not quite correct, Golden is (S/s+) and Silver is S/S the presence of lack of red enhancers has nothing to do with either of them(golden or silver) there are pure silver birds with lots of red in them(thanks to autosomal red and mahogany) and there are golden birds that can look silver(with pheomelanin diluters like cream, Dominant dilute, lack of autosomal red)

Thank you for the clarification, now what would you classify the birds that were pictured as.

Lanae

 

[KirstenJL]

that´s not quite correct, Golden is (S/s+) and Silver is S/S the presence of lack of red enhancers has nothing to do with either of them(golden or silver) there are pure silver birds with lots of red in them(thanks to autosomal red and mahogany) and there are golden birds that can look silver(with pheomelanin diluters like cream, Dominant dilute, lack of autosomal red)

I've been working on trying to understand poultry genetics for a little while now and I haven't found a site that addresses duckwings. I know the S locus is sex-linked and so females can only be S or s+. I am thinking s+/s+ (in males) is BBR. So that would mean females could only be silver duckwing or BBR. Is this correct?

 

[cashdl]

I've been working on trying to understand poultry genetics for a little while now and I haven't found a site that addresses duckwings. I know the S locus is sex-linked and so females can only be S or s+. I am thinking s+/s+ (in males) is BBR. So that would mean females could only be silver duckwing or BBR. Is this correct?

That was my understanding also, except that golden females would have more autosomal red so would have more brown. they would still be genetically silver, but with visually more red. Birds are shown based on phenotype or looks, so the hens with more brown or gold look to them would be shown as goldens and the ones that were more silver would be shown as silver, but apparantly I was told incorrectly.

Lanae

 

[shanshan51]

I think we all need to get Lanae and the other gals together to write a book which clearly states it with colored pics and all!!!

 

[KirstenJL]

I think we all need to get Lanae and the other gals together to write a book which clearly states it with colored pics and all!!!

I think Lanae is working on a book....

But meanwhile, I've been thinking about something else. First--a disclaimer. I'm somewhat new to chickens; I worked with them for the first time in college in the 1980's, but have had my own flock just since 2010. I'm brand new to Araucanas--I have eleven chicks hatched from Debi's eggs that are 6 1/2 weeks old and six more eggs coming from Chickenscratch Poultry as I write. I've been working my way through this thread since I ordered my first batch of eggs, but I'm still on page 490-something. I have a biology background and am comfortable (and actually blissfully geeked-out) messing around with Mendelian genetics and Punnett squares, but I'm struggling to find chicken genetic info all in one place. The one copy of Crawford's Poultry Breeding and Genetics on Amazon is going for $2,800. Yes.

So I was thinking it would be helpful if we posted pics and info about our birds and then we could help each other fill in the blanks. I'm having trouble recognizing the colors I see and despite having a copy of the SOP and Rings on Their Ears, I don't think I really have a grip on what good body type looks like. At some point I'm going to have to thin the herd, and I want to make intelligent decisions. I've gone to some of the local fairs here and have seen only one Araucana-esque sort of bird, but with muffs. I'm waiting with bated breath for the Ohio Nationals to see some good Araucanas in person.

So here's what I'm talking about:

Kiwi, a blue male, hatched 7/22/12 has a single tuft and is rumpless. He has slate legs and yellow feet. At about 3 weeks he seemed to have a slightly crossed bill that now is gone or less noticeable. He seems light and slight in build compared to his hatchmates. He is friendly, forward, and in every picture! He's one of my two bravest chicks.

Genotype (based on his appearance since I don't know anything about his parents): Et/et Rp/- E/E Bl/bl C- Mo- ml/ml




Kiwi at 2 days old.




Kiwi at 4 1/2 weeks.

Maybe there's another thread for this kind of thing, but I've been spending all my time here. I understand that the genetics stuff is old hat to some of you and a black box to others, so I thought limiting it to Araucanas might make it less overwhelming and more to the point. Any thoughts?

Kirsten

 

[shanshan51]

Ughhhh I need to keep a binder and better records of my birds. hehe I know Lanae mentioned it to me before