- Jan 13, 2013
- 55
- 11
- 99
Hi All,
I don't use forums often and am not sure if I am posting correctly or not. I have been reading all of your posts. I LOVE your birds! And I hope I am in the right place.
I am looking for some feedback and help. I do not breed for show etc. I am a middle aged small farm type woman who just has non-standard color Ameraucanas and a few EE's which I let breed and allow the hens to go broody to be surrogate broodies to the best blue eggs they lay which I collect and place under them to hatch. I know that these breeds/types are made up of many genetics one of which goes way back to the Auracana. So I can see where this would pop up here and there. Never thought it would be with my birds though! LOL!
My first rooster came from a long line of farm raised country birds, I kept one of his son's who is now my current rooster in his first summer of breeding. My first shock began in late spring when I realized some of my babies were tailless (not sure if I should make that one word or two). So far I have had fourteen babies without tails. Of the oldest ones, three started growing little butt tufts at about three months old, around when the hormones started coming up. These two cockerels tails are very short and curl under. The oldest little pullet has a short little fan tail which is also growing down towards the ground. I have one grey boy though who I think is lovely and still has not grown any real tail feathers. The rest are still a bit too young to tell if they will have them or not yet. The hens have not thrown ANYTHING like this before and with all the different colors of these little ones, I think they are coming from more than one hen. They are definitely NOT Araucana. They do not have tufts. So far they have all developed muff and beard. Very late though I thought they would be smooth and they do have tail nubs - is it called a parson's nose?
What would you call this variation of bird? What are the odds of this popping up? Do the South American ancestors have tail that are below the horizontal?
What the heck kind of genetics does my rooster (named Kahn) have? His tail is upright and pretty much "normal". The hens have normal above the horizontal tails.
The muff and beard gene I believe is considered dominant? Is this tail less thing dominant? If I keep the little grey will he pass on the no tail trait?
I am intrigued with this genetic pop up and like the little buggers. Would it be wise to breed the little grey back to the hens and tailless pullets?
Is there anything anyone can add or warn against or would like to comment on? I am open to it all.
the pics are of my current, one and a half year old rooster with orange mane, the little red cockerel, silver type cockerel the little grey I like and another youngster who does not have any tail yet.
Thank you!
I don't use forums often and am not sure if I am posting correctly or not. I have been reading all of your posts. I LOVE your birds! And I hope I am in the right place.
I am looking for some feedback and help. I do not breed for show etc. I am a middle aged small farm type woman who just has non-standard color Ameraucanas and a few EE's which I let breed and allow the hens to go broody to be surrogate broodies to the best blue eggs they lay which I collect and place under them to hatch. I know that these breeds/types are made up of many genetics one of which goes way back to the Auracana. So I can see where this would pop up here and there. Never thought it would be with my birds though! LOL!
My first rooster came from a long line of farm raised country birds, I kept one of his son's who is now my current rooster in his first summer of breeding. My first shock began in late spring when I realized some of my babies were tailless (not sure if I should make that one word or two). So far I have had fourteen babies without tails. Of the oldest ones, three started growing little butt tufts at about three months old, around when the hormones started coming up. These two cockerels tails are very short and curl under. The oldest little pullet has a short little fan tail which is also growing down towards the ground. I have one grey boy though who I think is lovely and still has not grown any real tail feathers. The rest are still a bit too young to tell if they will have them or not yet. The hens have not thrown ANYTHING like this before and with all the different colors of these little ones, I think they are coming from more than one hen. They are definitely NOT Araucana. They do not have tufts. So far they have all developed muff and beard. Very late though I thought they would be smooth and they do have tail nubs - is it called a parson's nose?
What would you call this variation of bird? What are the odds of this popping up? Do the South American ancestors have tail that are below the horizontal?
What the heck kind of genetics does my rooster (named Kahn) have? His tail is upright and pretty much "normal". The hens have normal above the horizontal tails.
The muff and beard gene I believe is considered dominant? Is this tail less thing dominant? If I keep the little grey will he pass on the no tail trait?
I am intrigued with this genetic pop up and like the little buggers. Would it be wise to breed the little grey back to the hens and tailless pullets?
Is there anything anyone can add or warn against or would like to comment on? I am open to it all.
the pics are of my current, one and a half year old rooster with orange mane, the little red cockerel, silver type cockerel the little grey I like and another youngster who does not have any tail yet.
Thank you!
