Black Americuana general temperament- this chick is draining me!

[CabritaChicks]

So I received my chicks from Meyer Hatchery, and they had to make a last-minute substitution for one of the breeds. They recommended the Black Ameraucana, explaining that despite the tiny comb, they’re still heat-tolerant and a bit slimmer than the, uh, more “robust” breeds (eh, hem). That was actually perfect since our terrain here is no joke, and this time around I wanted to be very selective about my choices—it took me months to narrow it all down.

Anyway… this little rascal has turned out to be the biggest eater of the bunch (even compared to the Opal Legbar, Basque, and Wheaten Olive Roo- and any of the others I raised), and she’s ridiculously agile (jumping fluttering on anything- and zooies in circles around my feet), clingy, and friendly. When I lean over the brooder, she—yes, her name is Kraken—launches herself straight up to my shoulder like I’m a pirate. And while we are outside- the first to come running when I call but almost does parkour.

She’s also by far the loudest chick I’ve ever raised; even her baby chirps have serious volume (not distress- which she also does, but just normal pepps). She’s just over two weeks old now, and I’ve honestly never had a chick this… intense.

I didn’t research this breed much since it was a last-second substitution—but now I’m curious: is this kind of behavior typical for Black Ameraucanas?

Thanks!

This is Kraken:

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have 7 or 8 of this breed, I got mine from Cackle, and they are .... awesome! Mine are not bonded to me as yours is to you, since I have so many, but yes they are very active, playful, energetic and cute as the dickens! I love them! I've had chickens for 15 years and these seem unlike any others I've ever had. They are about 15 weeks old now and, Yes they come a-running when I call them for afternoon treats. They are the most voracious foragers I've ever seen, which makes me very happy as I live where ticks are a problem. I've not noticed them being particularly loud, however.

 

[CabritaChicks]

I have 7 or 8 of this breed, I got mine from Cackle, and they are .... awesome! Mine are not bonded to me as yours is to you, since I have so many, but yes they are very active, playful, energetic and cute as the dickens! I love them! I've had chickens for 15 years and these seem unlike any others I've ever had. They are about 15 weeks old now and, Yes they come a-running when I call them for afternoon treats. They are the most voracious foragers I've ever seen, which makes me very happy as I live where ticks are a problem. I've not noticed them being particularly loud, however.

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! Im just looking forward to her getting older, and curious as to how her personality evolves.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I’ve had four genuine Ameraucanas and they were all very skittish. Two were dumb as a bag of hammers but one was very agile, intelligent and a bit bossy. Also adventurous. The only black one I had was partially blind so she was none of those things but skittish.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yikes I just noticed they charged you over $23 for a day-old chick? Is that because of shipping charges to your location?

 

[FrostRanger]

Yikes I just noticed they charged you over $23 for a day-old chick? Is that because of shipping charges to your location?

True ameraucanas are rare and expensive. 23 bucks per chick is actually a reasonable price for the breed

 

[BigBlueHen53]

True ameraucanas are rare and expensive. 23 bucks per chick is actually a reasonable price for the breed

I don't think I paid QUITE that much for the ones I got from Cackle, but OP is in the middle of the Caribbean so $23 is probably about right for her.

 

[FrostRanger]

I don't think I paid QUITE that much for the ones I got from Cackle, but OP is in the middle of the Caribbean so $23 is probably about right for her.

The price is the same even on the mainland us

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The price is the same even on the mainland us

Hm.

 

[CabritaChicks]

Yikes I just noticed they charged you over $23 for a day-old chick? Is that because of shipping charges to your location?

No, shipping is 90 bucks extra.

I wasn’t impressed with Cackle. Their customer service was terrible, and after a full month of back-and-forth, I went to finalize my order—only to be told they don’t deliver to the Virgin Islands. When I contacted them, they said it wasn’t “legally possible.” Someone could’ve mentioned that before I spent all that time choosing breeds and building my cart. I had to start over with a different hatchery (and different selections based on availability).

Thankfully, Meyer Hatchery was the complete opposite. They were fantastic—actual phone conversations, quick email responses, and great communication throughout. When substitutions had to be made, they immediately refunded the difference. They may be a little pricier than some other hatcheries, but it was absolutely worth it. I adore my new skuddle-butts.

If you think 23 bucks is bad... Ouzo was quite a bit more- hehe.
She is the 'slower' one and I had to google the crap out of her feather structure as is it quite different than other chickens - it had me worried. I need to take special notice of her during our training sessions as she is slow to react.