Araucana thread anyone?

[hennesseyt]

I am trying to develop a line of good white bantams.  Unfortunately, all of my best were killed by a feral cat while we were on vacation 2 years ago.  These were irreplaceable- being based on Steve Waters' line of bantam whites which no longer exist.  Now I am breeding from the few culls I had in the yard into some of Steve's good black bantams, trying to get back good tufts and leg color.  It is an uphill battle.  I have perhaps 2 showable whites and several showable blacks out of this years' hatch.  I have also lost many good double tufted chicks to Marek's in spite of vaccination.  The clean faced chicks are fine, of course.  I still get off colors popping up because some of my cull whites came from 2 other araucana breeders who were not breeding for color.  I generally sell or give these away as fast as possible.  I do have some decent blues, but would like to get out of these as most of the off-colors come from them.  I wish I could find someone to work with, but find most araucana breeders want only tufts without consideration of color.  This is fine for the person who is not interested in serious exhibition, but the kiss of death for someone looking for that Best of Show.

That's so sad I'm sorry that happened to you. You had such beautiful birds. I wish all the luck to you on perfecting your line.

 

[smoothmule]

That is Garys hen and she is lovely. Here is another pic of her.

Here is a few larger ones of my hens.
Mine are a darker shade of cinnamon than Garys, but mine also have the required black in the primaries. His hen is closer to the correct color although I think the hackle is to light because the standard calls for Dark Reddish Chestnut. With mine the head and neck look correct but the chest is too dark, it should be light cinnamon. Everyones I have seen also has the gold in the neck, I wonder why, possibly influence of columbian.

Lanae,
Here are some pullets from last year. Rudy was the dad to the ones on furthest right and left. I have some of his hens eggs in the bator now.

 

[Stacykins]

So eggs from an egg 'stash' I found finally began hatching last night! I had no idea how long they'd been hidden, but it was better than wasting them since I wasn't keep on trying to eat eggs of unknown age. Only six eggs developed, and three hatched (others were dead in shell). All three are tufted, one is a splash chick and the other two chipmunk type chicks!

I just slipped them under a black copper marans who has been broody for a while. She was a great mom last time she raised a chick, so hopefully she takes good care of these three!

 

[smoothmule]

Stacykins,
What a find, lol, that's very cool.
Cathy

 

[cashdl]

Cathy,

The hen on the left is the nicer of the two. She looks to be maybe a blue wheaten, but doesn't have other stuff going on like the hen on the right. What was the color of the hen she came out of.


Stacy,

That is awesome. What are the odds that would happen?


Lanae

 

[smoothmule]

Lanae,
After looking the photo over, I'm pretty sure that girl is the one I sent to you. All the others were pullets but she just happened to be in that pen. I'm going to take some photo's of the chicks in the grow out pen today. I'm trying to decide if it would be safe to ship Monday if I offered some for sale. Looks like it should be 89 to 90 next Monday but I'll have to be sure both ends are cool enough to ship so I'm still holding off putting ads up

 

[cashdl]

Lanae,
After looking the photo over, I'm pretty sure that girl is the one I sent to you. All the others were pullets but she just happened to be in that pen. I'm going to take some photo's of the chicks in the grow out pen today. I'm trying to decide if it would be safe to ship Monday if I offered some for sale. Looks like it should be 89 to 90 next Monday but I'll have to be sure both ends are cool enough to ship so I'm still holding off putting ads up

Thats funny, I was thinking of putting her in my wheaten pen and see what I get. Now I need to go look real close at her. It probably is the same bird.

Lanae

 

[smoothmule]

Thats funny, I was thinking of putting her in my wheaten pen and see what I get. Now I need to go look real close at her. It probably is the same bird.

Lanae

LOL

 

[Ksane]

This is a picture of the chick who I'm not sure what color she is. I thought Wheaten until you all posted Wheaten pics and this one is way too light for that.
Maybe this one isn't any sort of standard color for an Araucana, does anyone know? He/she's 2 1/2 wks old now. It's the one in front with the brownish tan tips to its feathers.

 

[smoothmule]

Looks like a wheaten chick to me. No stripes on the back? no eye stripe, pale creamy white. Pullet?
Lanae is working on Wheaten, so she can tell you better.