Bantam Ameraucana

[I Like Turkeys]

There’s a hatchery near Kansas City that holds traveling chick days events in small towns in MO, KS, AR, OK. And they were going to be in our area the next day after I removed her eggs.
So I stopped by and got 6 bantam EE chicks, I chose all greys. I put them under her that night, and she happily adopted them, I was thrilled.

So that’s what I’ve got, they are now 6 weeks old. 3 are girls, I’m happy with that, the boys will go to the swap.

Because you told us about your chicks and coccidiosis, I have been giving them a preventative dose of Amprolium in their water (after Mom hated the medicated feed and pulled it all out of the feeder). So far so good.
So not bantam Ameraucanas after all. But we’re pleased with them.
How about yours? Any new pics?

Well.. bantam easter eggers are better than nothing. I’m glad she was able to get chicks, and the easter eggers are a cute soft gray. It’s a shame you didn’t get the lavender ameraucanas, but the Easter eggers will lay just as well, probably better, and you’ll still get blue/green eggs.

My birds are doing fine. The original trio is going on great- they’re all friendly, and the cockerel is crowing daily. They’re the tiniest bantams I’ve ever had, but that’s not saying much because my bantam cochins are fat. I’m probably going to exhibit the BW pullet in November, just for fun. It’s something I want to get into, just for fun.

As for the hatch of 10, all are still alive. I’m glad I went with the medicated feed, just to save me from sparse numbers again. Out of the hatch of 10, 8 are pullets. Of the 2 cockerels, one has crossbeak and is out of the breeding picture. At a month and a half old, the other cockerel went haywire and started relentlessly trying to kill crossbeak boy(he has been safely relocated to my bantam cochin pen, where he’s getting on fine). I’m still shocked because he’s a sweetheart to me, and it’s so young for such aggression to start.

Yeah, so that’s what my pen looks like. I’m going to be drowning in eggs once they start laying.

 

[Chey1214]

hey just wanted to touch base on your girls and guys…curious how big they are to your hand? Mine are going on 3-4 months and are so tiny still!!

 

[I Like Turkeys]

hey just wanted to touch base on your girls and guys…curious how big they are to your hand? Mine are going on 3-4 months and are so tiny still!!

Mine are small too. Probably not the greatest photo but the only one I’ve got with my hand in frame. They fit in a single hand with ease. This is one of the June hatched pullets. The february hatched birds aren’t much bigger. The major difference between them is just how much they’ve filled out. The february pullets and cockerel are thicker, and only slighter taller. It made me forget the June hatched chicks’ age for a while lol.

Left is a June pullet, right is a February pullet.

Yours are absolutely adorable. I’m loving the tiny bantam size that bantam ameraucanas seem to have.

 

[Chey1214]

I absolutely love them, they are honestly like pets…so friendly!!

I bought more eggs from her haha she has everything I love and there is nothing like her birds!

(These are large sized Ameraucanas and others)

 

[Chey1214]

Mine are small too. Probably not the greatest photo but the only one I’ve got with my hand in frame. They fit in a single hand with ease. This is one of the June hatched pullets. The february hatched birds aren’t much bigger. The major difference between them is just how much they’ve filled out. The february pullets and cockerel are thicker, and only slighter taller. It made me forget the June hatched chicks’ age for a while lol.
View attachment 3642716

Left is a June pullet, right is a February pullet.
View attachment 3642718

Yours are absolutely adorable. I’m loving the tiny bantam size that bantam ameraucanas seem to have.

Are you going to hatch more?

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Are you going to hatch more?

Will I be buying more shipped eggs from a breeder? Nah.
Will I be hatching eggs from my own birds once they start laying? Absolutely. That won‘t be until next year at the earliest though, maybe in the spring, but probably won’t be until summer because of how young most of the birds are.

Now that I’ve got a foundational flock, with enough birds to select from to choose my breeders, I’m going to keep to my own birds and start my own breeding program. With this, I’ve heard it’s better to line-breed animals Rather than constantly outcross To different lines.

 

[NagemTX]

Next year I hope to get bantam Ameraucana hatching eggs. I love my bantams that I have now. Will also be looking for a few silver sebrites.

 

[Chey1214]

Will I be buying more shipped eggs from a breeder? Nah.
Will I be hatching eggs from my own birds once they start laying? Absolutely. That won‘t be until next year at the earliest though, maybe in the spring, but probably won’t be until summer because of how young most of the birds are.

Now that I’ve got a foundational flock, with enough birds to select from to choose my breeders, I’m going to keep to my own birds and start my own breeding program. With this, I’ve heard it’s better to line-breed animals Rather than constantly outcross To different lines.

Same, after these next couple hatches I’ll be done for awhile. I just wanted to add a few more rainbow layers, marans, and beautiful big Ameraucanas and I’m done!

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Next year I hope to get bantam Ameraucana hatching eggs. I love my bantams that I have now. Will also be looking for a few silver sebrites.

Bantams have been delightful for me so far. They’re easier to handle and delightful. Will you be going for brown reds or another color?

 

[Chey1214]

I originally fell in love with the self blue, but I think I’ll keep the blue wheaten going. So so beautiful. I do have a bantam dying right now, I don’t know what happened I should cull her but this one is hard!