Black Ameraucana question

[DFCottage]

So I picked up a new bator, and just to make sure things were going to run smoothly I did a test group of eggs, which were purchased off ebay. (I specifically was looking for eggs I wouldn't have to spend a lot on, but the seller had good feedback of successful hatches, so I knew I was getting fertile eggs). These were black ameraucanas, and the seller had a picture of a stunning rooster up as the main image, no other pictures. Before bidding I had asked her whose line they were, she said she had emailed the original breeder she got her birds from but never got a response. So I bought the eggs anyway, she had good feedback and I got 8+ for $10. Why not, I figured. They came, were incubated, all went to lockdown amazingly, 6 hatched. I watch cute black chick after cute black chick come out, and then a nice white chick pops out. uhhh.... so after everyone is dry and fluffy I get them to the brooder. I have other black ameraucana chicks right now in other brooders, and those look like normal black Am chicks.. mostly black with some cream/white patches on the head and belly areas (they are from William Morrow and Paul Smith lines). These are almost all black, 2 have white areas on the belly, not cream, no single combs.. but I am dumbfounded that they dont' look like my other black ameraucanas, and what's up with that other white chick???

To make this even more interesting, the picture she had up of what I thought was her rooster was the same black am roo pic that's up on the Ameraucana breeder's site... so are we dealing with misrepresentation here? I have not left her feedback yet, nor have I contacted her about the hatch. Thoughts?

 

[schellie69]

I have looked at auctions on ebay, I know there has been some people using other peoples pictures as their own. I would post some pictures of these chicks in what breed is this and see what answers you get. What color was the eggs that she sent you where they really blue?

 

[DFCottage]

I can't say they were really blue.. in some light they looked more green.. in some more blue. I'll try to get pics tonight.

 

[rungirl]

I'm wondering if you got a splash Ameraucana. If they are breeding Black/Blue/Splash it's possible. Couldn't have got that with a black rooster though...


Lisa

 

[DFCottage]

I've got a few splash chicks right now.. but they are all the classic grey/lavender color as chicks... this little one is a yellow fluff color.. like you'd see on a BO. Is it possible that this is just a different 'shade' of a splash chick?

 

[rungirl]

If the eggs weren't really blue, then they were probably Easter Eggers. They are often sold as Ameraucanas. I fell for that when I started out! I have Easter Eggers of all colors and just got some Blue/Black/Splash Ameraucanas. They may or may not have been from the black Ameraucana rooster, but I would bet the hens were Easter Eggers.

Lisa

 

[DFCottage]

Thanks.. yeah I wasn't especially concerned just because these were a test hatch; I have hatched ameraucanas all spring with great luck, all blue eggs, and when these eggs arrived my eyebrows kinda raised.. when I addressed the green eggs to her she didn't respond (surprise..)

If I've ended up with some EE's that fine.. they were nice size eggs and the chicks are adorable.. muffs are starting to be seen now (more so on some than others). HOnestly in the end I was just happy to have 6/8 eggs hatch! haha But still, I want to address this all with her, mainly so that if she really does have no clue that I can let her know what's up. I hate to leave her negative feedback, but if she deliberately misrepresented these, that's bad. I just am kinda disappointed that she used that roo pic from the Am breeder's site.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

DFCottage- I have had a few splash come out looking like little yellow chicks. They end up being the ones that are mostly white with just a little "splashing" on them. If you were sold black AMs though you shouldn't have any splash in there. They would have been sold as B/B/S AMs.

I'm confused about the single combs. AMs have pea combs, not single combs. If the chicks have a single comb that is a dead give away that they are not true AMs. They are likely not even EEs as it is a dominant trait over the single comb.
What color are their legs?
Do they have the fat cheeks of an AM chick?

Egg color on AMs can range from I would call green through all the intermediate shades and into blue. I have a few in my pen from the Riddick line that lay a definite teal green egg. Many of the AM breeders chose to work on confirmation and not egg color. The official standard allows for a great deal of variation in shell color so you can't really use egg color as a definitive test. I have some great pure AMs that lay an egg not much different from one of my EEs.

 

[DFCottage]

Hi City girl.. thanks for the info. Just before I saw your post I did find a few splash Am chicks online that were more 'yellow' like this little one is. And to clarify the comb question, there are no single combs in this group, all pea combs. They could still be EE's though with the pea comb, couldn't they?

Leg color is kinda all over the place.. some have a sold brownish color on the legs, others have a mix of black and an orange color.. it's not incredibly consistent. Another give-away that these are not true Am's.. wondering what I've got here... haha

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

You are very welcome. That first little yellow splash chick kinda threw me for a loop too. They end up looking really cool though.

Leg color on a black AM is really dark slate. They look almost black. If you are seeing black and orange and other colors you may have a healthy lot of EEs.

EEs have pea combs when one half of their parentage is a true AM (which is technically the only way to get an EE). However, there are lots of random birds out there tagged under the EE title, so you never really know. From my limited understanding of genetics, the pea comb will trump the single comb so no matter what the non-AM has the offspring should have a pea comb. I don't know that this is 100% true though. I think like any recessive gene it is possible to get random throw backs if the genes all fall that way. Perhaps our resident genetics gurus will hop on and post.

I do know that a black AM chick should have a pea comb, slate legs and be black with some creamy patches. If not then you have EEs or something else. Won't it be interesting to see how they feather out?