Hobby Breeding — Steps involved to create Barred Ameraucanas?

[DarJones]

If we had any idea how much trouble and time it takes to stabilize a cross, we probably wouldn't make many crosses. Blue eggs in a barred background seems so simple. Then you realize Barred Rocks have straight comb while Ameraucanas have pea comb. And that means you have to muck with chromosome 1. Barring requires slow feathering which means you mixed in the w/z chromosomes. Blue egg requires that porphyrin (brown eggs) be turned off which means now you have to muck with chromosomes 1, 3, 7 and 10. So 8 years later you finally have a blue egg laying barred bird but there are still a lot of unstable traits. Breeding chickens is so much fun!