Correcting Ameraucana's to SOP?

[RememberTheWay]

Ok- I have been looking for quality Ameraucana's in my area for quite some time and am having terrible luck finding anything suitable.

My question is for those of you Breeding Ameraucana's for a while.in the pictures below the fluff on the thighs and bottoms of these hens seems too loose and fluffy for my liking. The whole body actually seems a little off to me. I don't like the thickness and looseness of the neck and hackles either. I see this in lots of lines though with the hackles and necks.. what I'm wondering is how difficult it is to correct these things in a line and how long it would take? How you would do it if it is fairly simple? And would I have to source a bird with the correct type to even begin to correct this?

In my head and what is appealing to me would be the type and look of birds from Lindsay Helton at Once in a Blue Moon Farm, if your familiar with her birds. I quite like the head she breeds for, muff beards their overall shape/type and the look of their neck/hackles and the transitions, also tail positions. I like it all!

 

[SourRoses]

From what I understand, Ameraucana are not supposed to be hard feathered (what you seem to be looking for, like a leghorn),
or soft feathered (like a mix hen I recently posted).

They're supposed to have an intermediate, medium feather.
Roosters are supposed to have a full Hackle. A majority of Ameraucana roosters actually don't have enough.
Look up major show winners to get an idea of the standard.
You can also have a look through here: Ameraucana.org Photos

 

[RememberTheWay]

From what I understand, Ameraucana are not supposed to be hard feathered (what you seem to be looking for, like a leghorn),
or soft feathered (like a mix hen I recently posted).

They're supposed to have an intermediate, medium feather.
Roosters are supposed to have a full Hackle. A majority of Ameraucana roosters actually don't have enough.
Look up major show winners to get an idea of the standard.
You can also have a look through here: Ameraucana.org Photos

Lindsays birds do win shows and I think maybe I'm not explaining what I mean quite right?

These birds look various level of "right" to me, of course some of them have things I would change and some I like more then others.

The hens in the photos I originally posted do not look anything like these birds, so my question is is it possible to take a bird like the ones first posted and transform that line into something like the second set of photos? If so how would I do that?

Reason I'm asking is because I am not going to purchase birds from that line if it isnt easy fixed. I will just wait for better birds to come along. If it is not a big deal then maybe I purchase a few now and keep looking for better?

 

[NagemTX]

Ameraucana are medium in everything if you read the SOP.

 

[NagemTX]

Lindsays birds do win shows and I think maybe I'm not explaining what I mean quite right?

These birds look various level of "right" to me, of course some of them have things I would change and some I like more then others.

The hens in the photos I originally posted do not look anything like these birds, so my question is is it possible to take a bird like the ones first posted and transform that line into something like the second set of photos? If so how would I do that?

Reason I'm asking is because I am not going to purchase birds from that line if it isnt easy fixed. I will just wait for better birds to come along. If it is not a big deal then maybe I purchase a few now and keep looking for better?

Some of the birds pictured here are bantams and not LF Ameraucana. Bantams will look a bit different from the LF. Breeders sell the imperfections and keep the best back for further breeding if you are buying juveniles or adults. If you're buying chicks you have to do the evaluation on your own and cull what is the worst of the lot you have. This is what all breeders have to do.

 

[NagemTX]

The hen in your pictures does look a bit to fluffy. I have one black that a kept and she was the better of the lot I had. She is still a little too fluffy I think.

I have a silver LF the I think as the right amount of fluff.

 

[RememberTheWay]

I ended up purchasing birds from Russell Blair this week. I got 4 different colors to work with. They are all bantams. Wheaton, Lavender Silvers, Blue (with actual lacing), and blacks (silver based) to correct color in my Ermine Project and LF lavender birds I have here. Here is a video clip of the some of the breeders:

 

[NagemTX]

I ended up purchasing birds from Russell Blair this week. I got 4 different colors to work with. They are all bantams. Wheaton, Lavender Silvers, Blue (with actual lacing), and blacks (silver based) to correct color in my Ermine Project and LF lavender birds I have here. Here is a video clip of the some of the breeders:

Jealous of those lavender silvers. Congratulations on the purchases.

 

[RememberTheWay]

The

Jealous of those lavender silvers. Congratulations on the purchases.

lavender Silver isn't an APA/ABA accepted variety (yet - but I am uncertain if anyone is actually working towards it I know these birds came from John Blehms line directly to Russel Blair and then after him working on them I think over the last year- they are now here. He of course still has plenty he's keeping) TBH- I don't know why they don't get more recognition because they are absolutely stunning! I can't quit staring and swooning over them! They are silver Ameraucana with lavender bred over it instead of being on extended black. So similar to Isabella but without the gold gene which personally I think makes them absolutely gorgeous birds. They still have a pink/peachy Brest but it's much more subtle then Isabella and the lavender color because of the white and silver base on them just is so smooth and blended. Spectacular job these guys have done on them really. SO excited to work with them!!!! I also am excited about the blues though. It's super hard to even find blues with appropriate Andalusian lacing period and then to have decent type birds too. I'm thrilled. Of course these guys aren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but they are a perfectly suitable start and foundation flock definitely. I'm also glad to I let Russell choose the mates for one another bc he breeds outstanding birds and at least what I hatch at first will be started from his eye and then as time goes by I can start to hone in on my particular style of bird and breeding selections. I think the Wheaton and lavender ones are my favorites though. Russell has really dialed in a perfect blend of color on both varieties. I believe he's held ribbons for his Wheaton birds for several years running actually and now that I own some of his line I can definitely see why. The ladies are my favorites in both colors. I really like the seamless blending of color on both. I need to brush up on bantam Ameraucana SOP traits though so I can remember points to consider as do I evaluations of their chicks later.

 

[NagemTX]

Silver Ameraucana are my favorite and I would love to have both Silver blue and silver lavender. Russell and John are both my favorite breeders of Ameraucana. I've read alot of their posts on the club forums.

I'm working on the Silver line through GypsyHen and maybe one day on golden blues.