INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chic-n-farmer]

yup i also fixed the brooder light it would be high then drop down to like 75 the back up to like 91 so i droped the light down a little to were its closer to the chickens (im using a 40-75 watt bulb) and i think that done the trick

The babies are adorable!
Looks like you have it under control.

 

[animallover2202]

The babies are adorable!
Looks like you have it under control.

yup im suppose to have 3 araconas 1 amber link and a California grey leghorn(but might be a brahma)

are all araconas soppose to have green shanks

 

[danand]

Well the post office called! My new babies arrived. But all is not well. I ordered 5 Millie's and 3 bantam buff brahmas. Only 2 bantams are alive and I now have 6 "filler" chicks. 2 of the fillers were barely alive and I've been holding them under a hotter light and then on a heat pad and rubbing them gently. They have now been returned to the rest. Then I went to look closer at the dead ones and one kicked so now it is on the heat pad with its own light getting massages too!! I've called Ideal and they are replacing them all. And I had them do it for the end of March and hope its warmer. I knew I was taking a chance but its still hard to see the little cute dead bodies! And so now I've had my first shipment experience.

 

[animallover2202]

Well the post office called! My new babies arrived. But all is not well. I ordered 5 Millie's and 3 bantam buff brahmas. Only 2 bantams are alive and I now have 6 "filler" chicks. 2 of the fillers were barely alive and I've been holding them under a hotter light and then on a heat pad and rubbing them gently. They have now been returned to the rest. Then I went to look closer at the dead ones and one kicked so now it is on the heat pad with its own light getting massages too!! I've called Ideal and they are replacing them all. And I had them do it for the end of March and hope its warmer. I knew I was taking a chance but its still hard to see the little cute dead bodies! And so now I've had my first shipment experience.

oh thats so sad im sorry

glad there replaceing them

 

[bradselig]

darn! So, next question, what are they bred from?

I'm pretty sure they are produced from 2 different species of guineas. I think the vulturine are a true species (the picture you posted) and those are bred to the domestic guineas commonly kept in captivity (producing the birds in the other pictures which would be infertile). From what I've read the vulturine guineas will not tolerate the cold temps we experience, thus would have to be kept end in a heated barn during winter. These hybrids are more cold hardy, but still not like the domesticated guineas.

 

[bradselig]

Well the post office called! My new babies arrived. But all is not well. I ordered 5 Millie's and 3 bantam buff brahmas. Only 2 bantams are alive and I now have 6 "filler" chicks. 2 of the fillers were barely alive and I've been holding them under a hotter light and then on a heat pad and rubbing them gently. They have now been returned to the rest. Then I went to look closer at the dead ones and one kicked so now it is on the heat pad with its own light getting massages too!! I've called Ideal and they are replacing them all. And I had them do it for the end of March and hope its warmer. I knew I was taking a chance but its still hard to see the little cute dead bodies! And so now I've had my first shipment experience.

I have ordered from Ideal last year with great results. If I had to guess it was just too cold. Sorry about the losses tough. It's never easy to find dead animals

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

yup im suppose to have 3 araconas 1 amber link and a California grey leghorn(but might be a brahma)

are all araconas soppose to have green shanks

I will check the Standard of Perfection for you and let you know. I want to say slate color because I used to raise bantam Ameraucanas from Little Ameraucana Mom's lines. (She would be the local expert) If you are planning on showing yours in 4-H you would probably list them under "All other breeds".

Hatchery Ameraucanas are usually bred for the colorful eggs and not for a breed standard. Most hatcheries call them Easter Eggers now, I believe, and that certainly makes it easier to explain.
There is a lot of argument about Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas. Most people want to label any non-standard color Ameraucana an Easter Egger. I disagree: If I let all my varieties of Wyandottes breed together until I was getting a rainbow of colors they would still be Wyandottes. The breed doesn't change just because of the color of the feathers.

"Easter Egger" is also used to describe a bird that lays a colored egg (green, pink, blue) that doesn't look like a typical EE.

I guess what I am saying is that if you want to get pure, bred-to-the-standard Ameraucanas to show, you need to find a breeder. But if you are wanting beautiful, colorful chickens that lay lovely colored eggs you can't beat a hatchery EE.

Personally, I like both.

I keep certain breeds that we show and then I have select chickens that I keep for my laying flock. I love a mixed basket of eggs!

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Well the post office called! My new babies arrived. But all is not well. I ordered 5 Millie's and 3 bantam buff brahmas. Only 2 bantams are alive and I now have 6 "filler" chicks. 2 of the fillers were barely alive and I've been holding them under a hotter light and then on a heat pad and rubbing them gently. They have now been returned to the rest. Then I went to look closer at the dead ones and one kicked so now it is on the heat pad with its own light getting massages too!! I've called Ideal and they are replacing them all. And I had them do it for the end of March and hope its warmer. I knew I was taking a chance but its still hard to see the little cute dead bodies! And so now I've had my first shipment experience.

It's always a gamble with chicks this time of year. The weather changes so quickly!

And how they are handled makes such a difference, too. I had chicks arrive from Pennsylvania last month and they were all alive on delivery. Someone from the Post Office called from Champaign and said my chicks were headed through there and that they would reach Effingham at noon if I wanted to pick them up, or they would be shipped to my local P.O. the next day. Of course my dh made the drive and I am so happy he did. 2 of the "filler' chicks were pretty weak and who knows what another day would have done to all of them.
The semi drivers usually take the boxes of chicks into the cab of the truck to keep them warmer, too

 

[danand]

I wondered if the drivers might do that! The guy at the post office said they were there when he got there to open the back door. So they were in a heated room there. I don't know if Ideal offers heat packs or not, that might've helped. Ideal did send me an email saying they had been shipped Tues AM and it said they would arrive within 72 hrs or less. So it took 48. I'm sure they would've all been dead if it'd taken 72. Still an interesting process. And the survivors are doing well. Eating, drinking and running around. And the last survivor is almost ready to join them.

 

[animallover2202]

I will check the Standard of Perfection for you and let you know. I want to say slate color because I used to raise bantam Ameraucanas from Little Ameraucana Mom's lines. (She would be the local expert) If you are planning on showing yours in 4-H you would probably list them under "All other breeds".

Hatchery Ameraucanas are usually bred for the colorful eggs and not for a breed standard. Most hatcheries call them Easter Eggers now, I believe, and that certainly makes it easier to explain.
There is a lot of argument about Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas. Most people want to label any non-standard color Ameraucana an Easter Egger. I disagree: If I let all my varieties of Wyandottes breed together until I was getting a rainbow of colors they would still be Wyandottes. The breed doesn't change just because of the color of the feathers.

"Easter Egger" is also used to describe a bird that lays a colored egg (green, pink, blue) that doesn't look like a typical EE.

I guess what I am saying is that if you want to get pure, bred-to-the-standard Ameraucanas to show, you need to find a breeder. But if you are wanting beautiful, colorful chickens that lay lovely colored eggs you can't beat a hatchery EE.

Personally, I like both.

I keep certain breeds that we show and then I have select chickens that I keep for my laying flock. I love a mixed basket of eggs!

i have 2 americanas/EE and i love them idk if the other one is laying but im grtting blue eggs from one and there really pretty but these babys are araconas so idk.. im really excited to see what they look like though