Breeding to the SOP - Serious discussion about Ameraucanas, including project colors such as splash,

[Braxton Brigade]

May I ask why you want evaluations at this age? Normally, I won't start evaluating until 6-8 months, later for cockerels. For the best critiques, a full side profile shot is best.

I figured maybe someone could at least let me know if it was normal for them to mature so late and if everything looks like it is developing properly.

Just want to make sure I'm doing everything right and watching out for any flaws that might crop up.

Glad to finally have a general age to wait for, I didn't realize there would still be nothing to see at this age.

 

[OnceInaBlueMoon]

Hello everyone! I'm excited about this thread. Ameraucanas are one of my favorite breeds. I am working with the following color varieties:

Wheaten/blue wheaten/splash wheaten
White
Self blue/lavender
Blue/black/splash

I do not plan to add any other color varieties to our farm in the future, but instead I just want to continue working on perfecting these four....well, unless I venture into bantams.

For next season, in my wheaten pens, I will be working on cleaning up the hackles on males. One of my projects is to study the correlation between egg color and shank color.

For next season, in my self blue pens, I will be working on improving/maintaining feather quality. In one or two of my pens I plan to breed in some black splits. I am really pleased with the egg color that I am seeing from these pens.

*In regard to working with self blues and blacks split to self blue, does anyone have any experience with whether it's better to put a self blue cock over black split hens, or a black split cock over self blue hens? For instance, in the white pens, when working with blacks split to white, I have been encouraged to put a white cock over black split hens, as putting a black split cock over white hens would encourage brassiness in the males. I wondered when working with splits in the self blue variety, which one would achieve better results, or if the results would be relatively the same (given that all birds are of equal quality).

For next season, in my white pens, I would like to work on maintaining/improving fertility. Our other varieties seem to hatch out like popcorn, but in 2016 I struggled with maintaining consistent fertility in my white pens. A few roo changes seemed to do the trick. Eggs that were fertile developed and hatched easily, and the whites were some of our fluffiest babies (and also very vigorous). I have been working on growing our number of whites, and I hatched and held on to a lot for next season.

I am still in the process of narrowing down my breeders for the blue/black/splash pens.

I work with chickens because it brings a lot of joy to me. I am a perfectionist when it comes to my chickens, but I also realize that expecting all birds to be perfect is completely unrealistic, and I enjoy the challenge of breeding them, and seeing hard work and dedication pay off.

 

[waddles99]

For those of you that show- how far out do you wash your black Ameraucana? I am having trouble with them replenishing their sheen after a washing. Im wondering if I wash a week before will their sheen look better.

 

[samouw]

I figured maybe someone could at least let me know if it was normal for them to mature so late and if everything looks like it is developing properly.

Just want to make sure I'm doing everything right and watching out for any flaws that might crop up.

Glad to finally have a general age to wait for, I didn't realize there would still be nothing to see at this age.

I think different lines and different varieties develop differently, but, unless there is some compelling reason to do otherwise, I try to wait until at least 6 months, and 8 months is better, especially with cockerels.

Of course, having said that, I had a compelling reason this year to have to evaluate earlier and I'm biting my nails now to see if I've let my best youngsters off the farm. lol

At 22 weeks (edited), you can see obvious faults, but there is much that won't show up for a while. I've gone out to the grow out pens, mentally picked out a couple of keepers, and two nights later, one I had earlier ignored is at the top of the list!

So, give it some time and sit back and watch the changes they go through now.

 

[samouw]

For those of you that show- how far out do you wash your black Ameraucana? I am having trouble with them replenishing their sheen after a washing. Im wondering if I wash a week before will their sheen look better.

I usually wash about 3-5 days ahead. What are you bathing with? You might be using too harsh a shampoo.

 

[Braxton Brigade]

I think different lines and different varieties develop differently, but, unless there is some compelling reason to do otherwise, I try to wait until at least 6 months, and 8 months is better, especially with cockerels.

Of course, having said that, I had a compelling reason this year to have to evaluate earlier and I'm biting my nails now to see if I've let my best youngsters off the farm. lol

At 22 months, you can see obvious faults, but there is much that won't show up for a while. I've gone out to the grow out pens, mentally picked out a couple of keepers, and two nights later, one I had earlier ignored is at the top of the list!

So, give it some time and sit back and watch the changes they go through now.

Thank you!

In the mean time I shall learn from what other post and try to educate myself on the breed more.

 

[waddles99]

I usually wash about 3-5 days ahead.  What are you bathing with?  You might be using too harsh a shampoo.

I bathe 1-2. That's probably it. I use an all natural, aloe shampoo.

 

[OnceInaBlueMoon]

Hello. I am pretty new to Ameraucanas. My beauties are from Susan Mouw's birds and the eggs in my incubator are from Kara Ferri's Ameraucana flock. I don't consider myself a breeder, so much as a fancier. I admire the breed and believe in preserving/perpetuating the Ameraucana breed to the best of it's genetic ability. Therefore, only the very best of my stock will be used for breeding. I do not participate in shows, but I would like to create show quality Ameraucanas to make them available to those who do.

Question - which of the following is the best way to improve lacing in blues?

1) black to blue
2) black to splash
3) blue to blue
4) blue to splash

I read some where that you can predict the strength of a Blue's lacing by looking at the shade of a chick's down. The write-up said that darker blue chicks typically have better lacing. What are your thoughts and do any of you have any experience with this? Thanks.

Some do not agree, but from reading through the threads on the Ameraucana Breeders club and talking to some of the most experienced Ameraucana breeders, I would venture to say that your best blues will come out of black x splash matings, and that indeed, the darker blue chicks end up being better blues.

 

[samouw]

I bathe 1-2. That's probably it. I use an all natural, aloe shampoo.

Yep, I agree. A little more time to redistribute that oil should help.

 

[waddles99]

Yep, I agree.  A little more time to redistribute that oil should help.

Okay. I know people who bathe a week in advance. That seems long to me. I'm thinking 5 days.