Black Americuana general temperament- this chick is draining me!

[AshVau22]

I love my Ameraucanas. They all have wonderful temperaments/personalities. They are more active than your average egg laying chicken. Excellent foragers. I have Blue, Black, White and Ermine Ameraucana. They are definitely my fence jumpers as well.

 

[CabritaChicks]

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

Yes, I was warned that many people try to pass off Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas. They assured me this one was the real deal—and it checked all my preference boxes (and trust me, the list was long). They told me to always look at the legs: true Ameraucanas have slate-gray legs, never pink, yellow, or green. They also mentioned that my bird would have a sleeker, more athletic build compared to the mixed bag of EE's—making her more agile and better suited for hot climates.

Honestly, they were incredibly knowledgeable. Between the five phone calls I made (yes, five!), I practically got a mini crash course in chicken genetics and breed selection. I probably drove them a little crazy—but I did manage to convince one of the employees to visit the Virgin Islands, so I call that a win.

 

[CabritaChicks]

I will add, this was the substitution for the fibro chicken. I was looking for green egg possibility. But I made my selections a couple months ago, and snatched up one of the last ones, and they couldnt fill the order

So Kraken was the recommendation- and certainly keeping me on my toes!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Training session? For the Opal?

 

[BDutch]

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.

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Im kind a flabbergasted with these price tags. I really don’t like this whole chick on transport business. Expensive and probably traumatising for the chicks. It’s not allowed where I live. Unless the buyer or seller drives or accompanies the ride.

Usually I buy hatchery eggs for €1.00 to €1.50 . The worst outcome was 1 male I sold for €5 (good looking Sulmtaler).
Several times I had 2 females and one male, after buying 6 eggs giving these to a broody.
It gave me lots of excitement, a happy broody and €9.00 (+feed) for 2 hens.

Buying shipped eggs often gives poor results. Outcomes are better if you can pick up eggs from a local breeder.

 

[CabritaChicks]

Training session? For the Opal?

For all my chickens, training starts early. I live in a wild place—rocky bluffs, dense jungle, salt ponds, sea spray, and a constant 10-knot breeze—so I can’t afford to have them wander off or get separated as there is a few acres to roam. Since they free-range, they need to respond to the sound of my voice, not just the sight of me. And when bad weather rolls in (which happens often on a tropical island the size of a pinhead in the middle of the sea), I need to be able to round them up—fast.

From a young age, I start by placing them on the living room floor and calling them from one side to the other, rewarding each response with gentle cuddles. Once they’ve mastered that, I increase the distance—then take it up a notch by hiding so they have to rely solely on my voice. Later, I add distractions to test their focus under pressure.

At the same time, I bring in safe plants and natural items from outside, teaching them what’s edible and what to avoid (even go as far as to bring in driftwood pieces with fun grasses on top so they need to jump to play with it). The living room—kept around 80°F—is their training ground. It’s safe, stimulating, and helps build their pectoral muscles, acclimating them both physically and mentally for life in the forest beyond.

Most develop the same- but Kraken is a over achiever and Ouzo is slower- lol. Making it a bit more difficult. Like teaching a 3 year old and a 7 yr old children at the same time.

 

[CabritaChicks]

Im kind a flabbergasted with these price tags. I really don’t like this whole chick on transport business. Expensive and probably traumatising for the chicks. It’s not allowed where I live. Unless the buyer or seller drives or accompanies the ride.

Usually I buy hatchery eggs for €1.00 to €1.50 . The worst outcome was 1 male I sold for €5 (good looking Sulmtaler).
Several times I had 2 females and one male, after buying 6 eggs giving these to a broody.
It gave me lots of excitement, a happy broody and €9.00 (+feed) for 2 hens.

Buying shipped eggs often gives poor results. Outcomes are better if you can pick up eggs from a local breeder.

Yeah- that doesnt work on a island with 20,000 people- on a island that is only a few miles in either direction. I have had chicks shipped, and shipped eggs that hatched. If I could, I would.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

For all my chickens, training starts early. I live in a wild place—rocky bluffs, dense jungle, salt ponds, sea spray, and a constant 10-knot breeze—so I can’t afford to have them wander off or get separated as there is a few acres to roam. Since they free-range, they need to respond to the sound of my voice, not just the sight of me. And when bad weather rolls in (which happens often on a tropical island the size of a pinhead in the middle of the sea), I need to be able to round them up—fast.

From a young age, I start by placing them on the living room floor and calling them from one side to the other, rewarding each response with gentle cuddles. Once they’ve mastered that, I increase the distance—then take it up a notch by hiding so they have to rely solely on my voice. Later, I add distractions to test their focus under pressure.

At the same time, I bring in safe plants and natural items from outside, teaching them what’s edible and what to avoid (even go as far as to bring in driftwood pieces with fun grasses on top so they need to jump to play with it). The living room—kept around 80°F—is their training ground. It’s safe, stimulating, and helps build their pectoral muscles, acclimating them both physically and mentally for life in the forest beyond.

Most develop the same- but Kraken is a over achiever and Ouzo is slower- lol. Making it a bit more difficult. Like teaching a 3 year old and a 7 yr old children at the same time.

Very cool. You do not train using treats? I use scratch and mealworms and this training takes place outside unless I am brooding chicks in the house. They learn quickly. I just train to come to my voice. They seem to know what's safe to eat and what to avoid. I like the idea of hiding though, sounds like fun!

 

[CabritaChicks]

Very cool. You do not train using treats? I use scratch and mealworms and this training takes place outside unless I am brooding chicks in the house. They learn quickly. I just train to come to my voice. They seem to know what's safe to eat and what to avoid. I like the idea of hiding though, sounds like fun!

No treats. I dont even train large parrots with treats very often. I want the reward to be attention- animals love verbal praise, and physical interaction.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

No treats. I dont even train large parrots with treats very often. I want the reward to be attention- animals love verbal praise, and physical interaction.

I have 18 chicks right now, about 15 weeks old. Not practical for me to cuddle each one. Treats work and will have to do. Nice if you can do it though.