Bantam Ameraucana Thread!

[jerryse]

Is that the old English game? If so we have both bantam and full size here, not 100% sure on the bantams of Orp and plymouth rock, but i will make enquires and do some digging to see if i can find either of those, we have bantam wyndottes, will keep an eye out out the local show next month, as there's several classes for the bantam wyns, so i should be able to find a few breeders. There are also classes for the OE

Yes bantam Old English game. Also look for Belgian D'Anvers. I used Black OEG and black D'Anvers with the white ameraucana to start the black line. Tail angle is high on the Belgian but Mike Gilbert added black Wyandotte later. Our project lavenders were started by John Blehm using both OEG and Belgian in lavender.

 

[TwistedFeathers]

Awesome. I'll keep a look out.
Might help breeding to the standard a generation quicker I'm in contact with a lady who has lead the breeding for the full size guys in new zealand, and she said with the wee tufted girl i have atm it would take several years to get any offspring that are true to type, so i'm hoping i can get some help from outside breeds to get the traits i need.
Also, when using other breeds, is it better to use hens or roosters? Currently my plan is to breed back to my rooster, as i've had great feedback about him, but i'm not 100% sure on the best way to go about breeding out for traits then back in.

Also, i have found 2 EE pullets a couple of hours away from me, that are clean faced, but show a strong, nearly pure blue color, have slate legs, and look to have correct(or very nearly so) tail carriage, would they be any good for helping to bring the conformation closer to standard?

 

[jerryse]

It should make no difference which way the cross is made. Myself I usually used roosters of the new breed. Surplus roosters are easy to find and can cover many hens, Hens usually have to be bought with a rooster and you are limited to the eggs she can produce. Our club history says we used araucana to develop Ameraucana. However anything that laid a blue egg was called araucana at that time. What was available at the time were from large hatcheries. Often called araucana the Easter egg chicken in the catalog. So the blue egg gene came from what are now called Easter eggers. Ear tufts were hard to find and bearded birds very common. We chose bearded because ear tufts are lethal in pure form and rumples results in fertility problems. A mechanical problem as the hen has trouble lifting feathers up to allow better contact. Pea comb was chosen because the blue egg gene likes to travel with the pea comb. This was our reasoning at that time. Here is a time saving tip. Cull single comb chicks in the second generation early as most of these will not carry the blue egg gene.

 

[TwistedFeathers]

Awesome. Will keep all that in mind. Have been talking to the breeder a couple of hours away from me, she has some really nice birds, and says hers are often a little bit smaller than most. She does pure breeding of full sizes, and ee crosses as well. Has said i'm more than welcome to go visit, so think i will make a trip up there one day soon and have a look at her birds, and see if any might complement my intended breeding program.

And yes, roosters are very easy to find. I may wait a bit till i have a few girls i think will contribute nicely, and look out for a second rooster. I will have to put up a second pen, but i have big section, so space isn't too much of an issue.

I'mcurrently developing a plan in my head right at this moment, it will get much more refining and tweaking i'm sure, but once i have enough girls i want to breed from, i will split them in two groups. Group one will be put with my current rooster and consist of girls that i feel are not too lacking in standard conformation,, and the others will have a second rooster that will compliment them, while bringing in needed traits more strongly.
And my other 5 pullets, that look like pekin crosses will be my eating eggs, and brooders

 

[ClickerChick]

Hey, y'all! I'm here to join this thread! I show chickens in 4-H, so I have been fortunate enough to acquire a wheaten Ameraucana Bantam chick, as well as two eggs (wheaten and chocolate) from pipsandpeeps (which means show quality chicks!

). The chick is doing really well, and the eggs are doing great, too! (the wheaten one I can see the chick spot and the blood vessels going out from it! The chocolate seems to be incubating a day behind the wheaten)

 

[ClickerChick]

Here is my approximately-two-week-old Bantam Wheaten Ameraucana! So cute... And almost old enough to tell the gender!

 

[happybooker1]

Here are my 4.5 week old Lavender Am's. I'm thinking (hoping!) pullets.

 

[ClickerChick]

Time for an update! This little Wheaten is now 4.5 weeks old, and I don't know what to think in terms of gender. I read somewhere that when the breast feathers come in they will be either black or buff/cream, depending on the gender (referring to their adult coloration). If that is true, this is a female, if it is not, I'm looking at the comb and wattles that are turning pink... :/ I absolutely LOVE the juvenile coloring!!! Chick camo! XD

 

[pips&peeps]

looks like wheaten cockerel

 

[ClickerChick]

Yep, that's what I've been thinking. Thanks for the input!

@pips&peeps - BTW, this is the one I got from you! If it isn't a female, at least it's show quality!