Is this a pure ameraucana?

[McSpin]

You'll never know if it's an ameraucana. Even if it looks like one, acts like one, lays a blue egg like one, it may still turn out to be an easter egger. For example, here is what happened to me. I bought a line of ameraucanas from a very well known ameraucana breeder who posts here regularly. They were sold as amerauacanas. I've had them for 3 generations and wouldn't you know, some of this year's pullets just started laying and I got some pink and green eggs from them. The previous generations were laying only blue eggs, but all of sudden my birds morphed into easter eggers overnight. These are penned birds that have been kept pure. Moral of the story: Even those who think they have ameraucanas, probably don't - at least according to the ABC.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
If it was a licensed judge, he/she is SUPPOSED to be familiar with all recognised breeds and their standard. If one feels taht a placement is incorrect, one can challenge it--there is a procedure detailed within the Bantam Standard, and I also imagine the Standard of Perfection, althouguh I do not own one. As far as the breed club goes, you are correct, there is more to it than matching the standard. As far as the ABA or APA are concerned, matching the standard is ALL that is required.

With regard to your question, the answer depends on what you mean by "a mixed flock". If they have a male and female Ameraucana and that bird came from a direct mating of those two birds, then it's a Blue Ameraucana. If either parent was not an Ameraucana then it is an Easter Egger and thus will not reproduce itself nor will it lay a Blue egg - both of which are required to be an Ameraucana.

God Bless,

Whether or not it will breed true depends on the specific genes inherited, not the purity of a parent. If it inherited a blue eggshell gene from either parent, it will lay a blue eggshell (assuming it is a female

) If it inherited any brown eggshell genes, then the eggs laid would be green.

For example, say you crossed a leghorn or other white egg laying bird with a true ameraucana who lays the bluest of blue eggs. Undoubtably the offspring would be EEs, althoug in a first generation cross I personably would be more likely to name the cross: leghornXameraucana. There are no brown egg genes to inherit, so all offspring will lay blue eggs. If you breed those offspring back to the ameraucana parent some percentage of the offspring will inherit sufficient genes to meet the ameraucana standard and to lay blue eggs.​

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
If it was a licensed judge, he/she is SUPPOSED to be familiar with all recognised breeds and their standard. If one feels taht a placement is incorrect, one can challenge it--there is a procedure detailed within the Bantam Standard, and I also imagine the Standard of Perfection, althouguh I do not own one. As far as the breed club goes, you are correct, there is more to it than matching the standard. As far as the ABA or APA are concerned, matching the standard is ALL that is required.

With regard to your question, the answer depends on what you mean by "a mixed flock". If they have a male and female Ameraucana and that bird came from a direct mating of those two birds, then it's a Blue Ameraucana. If either parent was not an Ameraucana then it is an Easter Egger and thus will not reproduce itself nor will it lay a Blue egg - both of which are required to be an Ameraucana.

God Bless,

Whether or not it will breed true depends on the specific genes inherited, not the purity of a parent. If it inherited a blue eggshell gene from either parent, it will lay a blue eggshell (assuming it is a female

) If it inherited any brown eggshell genes, then the eggs laid would be green.

For example, say you crossed a leghorn or other white egg laying bird with a true ameraucana who lays the bluest of blue eggs. Undoubtably the offspring would be EEs, althoug in a first generation cross I personably would be more likely to name the cross: leghornXameraucana. There are no brown egg genes to inherit, so all offspring will lay blue eggs. If you breed those offspring back to the ameraucana parent some percentage of the offspring will inherit sufficient genes to meet the ameraucana standard and to lay blue eggs.​

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
If it was a licensed judge, he/she is SUPPOSED to be familiar with all recognised breeds and their standard. If one feels taht a placement is incorrect, one can challenge it--there is a procedure detailed within the Bantam Standard, and I also imagine the Standard of Perfection, althouguh I do not own one. As far as the breed club goes, you are correct, there is more to it than matching the standard. As far as the ABA or APA are concerned, matching the standard is ALL that is required.

With regard to your question, the answer depends on what you mean by "a mixed flock". If they have a male and female Ameraucana and that bird came from a direct mating of those two birds, then it's a Blue Ameraucana. If either parent was not an Ameraucana then it is an Easter Egger and thus will not reproduce itself nor will it lay a Blue egg - both of which are required to be an Ameraucana.

God Bless,

Whether or not it will breed true depends on the specific genes inherited, not the purity of a parent. If it inherited a blue eggshell gene from either parent, it will lay a blue eggshell (assuming it is a female

) If it inherited any brown eggshell genes, then the eggs laid would be green.

For example, say you crossed a leghorn or other white egg laying bird with a true ameraucana who lays the bluest of blue eggs. Undoubtably the offspring would be EEs, althoug in a first generation cross I personably would be more likely to name the cross: leghornXameraucana. There are no brown egg genes to inherit, so all offspring will lay blue eggs. If you breed those offspring back to the ameraucana parent some percentage of the offspring will inherit sufficient genes to meet the ameraucana standard and to lay blue eggs.​

A leghorn will not work in that instance. They have yellow skin and would create offspring with green legs. Also in the F2 generation the body type and eye color are going to be so far off that I do not believe any of them would conform to standard.

 

[Goldendoodles]

Wow thinks for all the info, i've learned a lot. I probably will never know for sure her exact lineage, but I don't think I'm going to show her so no harm done.

I checked the bottoms of her feet, they weren't yellow, but they were a light pinkish whitish? I'll just have to hope for beautiful eggs from her, and maybe get some more like her to increase my chances

Either way she is the sweetest bird, and just loves to be held.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
And that's what counts!!!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

pips&peeps :

Quote:
If it was a licensed judge, he/she is SUPPOSED to be familiar with all recognised breeds and their standard. If one feels taht a placement is incorrect, one can challenge it--there is a procedure detailed within the Bantam Standard, and I also imagine the Standard of Perfection, althouguh I do not own one. As far as the breed club goes, you are correct, there is more to it than matching the standard. As far as the ABA or APA are concerned, matching the standard is ALL that is required.

With regard to your question, the answer depends on what you mean by "a mixed flock". If they have a male and female Ameraucana and that bird came from a direct mating of those two birds, then it's a Blue Ameraucana. If either parent was not an Ameraucana then it is an Easter Egger and thus will not reproduce itself nor will it lay a Blue egg - both of which are required to be an Ameraucana.

God Bless,

Whether or not it will breed true depends on the specific genes inherited, not the purity of a parent. If it inherited a blue eggshell gene from either parent, it will lay a blue eggshell (assuming it is a female

) If it inherited any brown eggshell genes, then the eggs laid would be green.

For example, say you crossed a leghorn or other white egg laying bird with a true ameraucana who lays the bluest of blue eggs. Undoubtably the offspring would be EEs, althoug in a first generation cross I personably would be more likely to name the cross: leghornXameraucana. There are no brown egg genes to inherit, so all offspring will lay blue eggs. If you breed those offspring back to the ameraucana parent some percentage of the offspring will inherit sufficient genes to meet the ameraucana standard and to lay blue eggs.

A leghorn will not work in that instance. They have yellow skin and would create offspring with green legs. Also in the F2 generation the body type and eye color are going to be so far off that I do not believe any of them would conform to standard.​

I chose to use leghorn because it is a common breed that lays a white egg (which is well-known). In the 1st generation the yellow skin should not show as it is recessive; bred back to an ameraucana it still should not show (unless of course the ameraucana carries a copy of the recessive yellow skin gene). Certainly you are right about getting back to body type--with some breeds it seems to come easily, and with others not so. I don't have experience with crossing either leghorns or ameraucanas to have any sort of data as to which body type would be the more likely outcome. My point was simply that Tailfeathers answer was not accurate, and made statements that don't necessarily hold water. Your answer is much more valid. Being concerned about specific details and accurately portraying those concerns is far more helpful and even convincing that throwing up your hands and dramatically saying "it will be a disaster!"

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Just because she came from a peson who has a mixed flock does not mean that she did not come from a purebred breeding pen. If you looked at ALL my birds you could say I have a mixed flock, but the reality is that I am quite selective about which birds I choose to hatch from and with whom they are penned. And for the ones from whom I do not hatch? They are mixed in together based upon who gets along with each other, not by breed. So, I have a buff silkie pen, and yes, it has some non-buff and non-silkies--they are youngsters--far from breeding age. And I have my chocolate pen; and my partridge pen, and my blue/splash silkie pen. etc. There is also the Neverending Coop that houses the laying flock plus a few roos to keep them company, and the yard patrol flock who have pest control duty on a regular basis and include a mix of all sorts of birds, etc.

 

[Goldendoodles]

I know what you mean, but all my neighbors birds run together. She's got standards, bantams, and a whole crowd of roosters. I think I even saw a silver sebright

She's got the wildest assortment I've ever seen. she gave me the chick while trying to downsize. that's why I was so surprised this chick looks so much like an actual ameraucana, and not just an EE. She's a little mystery.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
If it was a licensed judge, he/she is SUPPOSED to be familiar with all recognised breeds and their standard. If one feels taht a placement is incorrect, one can challenge it--there is a procedure detailed within the Bantam Standard, and I also imagine the Standard of Perfection, althouguh I do not own one. As far as the breed club goes, you are correct, there is more to it than matching the standard. As far as the ABA or APA are concerned, matching the standard is ALL that is required.
Whether or not it will breed true depends on the specific genes inherited, not the purity of a parent. If it inherited a blue eggshell gene from either parent, it will lay a blue eggshell (assuming it is a female

) If it inherited any brown eggshell genes, then the eggs laid would be green.

For example, say you crossed a leghorn or other white egg laying bird with a true ameraucana who lays the bluest of blue eggs. Undoubtably the offspring would be EEs, althoug in a first generation cross I personably would be more likely to name the cross: leghornXameraucana. There are no brown egg genes to inherit, so all offspring will lay blue eggs. If you breed those offspring back to the ameraucana parent some percentage of the offspring will inherit sufficient genes to meet the ameraucana standard and to lay blue eggs.

A leghorn will not work in that instance. They have yellow skin and would create offspring with green legs. Also in the F2 generation the body type and eye color are going to be so far off that I do not believe any of them would conform to standard.

I chose to use leghorn because it is a common breed that lays a white egg (which is well-known). In the 1st generation the yellow skin should not show as it is recessive; bred back to an ameraucana it still should not show (unless of course the ameraucana carries a copy of the recessive yellow skin gene). Certainly you are right about getting back to body type--with some breeds it seems to come easily, and with others not so. I don't have experience with crossing either leghorns or ameraucanas to have any sort of data as to which body type would be the more likely outcome. My point was simply that Tailfeathers answer was not accurate, and made statements that don't necessarily hold water. Your answer is much more valid. Being concerned about specific details and accurately portraying those concerns is far more helpful and even convincing that throwing up your hands and dramatically saying "it will be a disaster!"

Actually, my answer was accurate. It may have been a bit incomplete but it was accurate. There is more to being an Ameraucana that just the outward looks. One may be able to fool a judge and that don't make it right. Also, I can't speak to the ABA because I don't raise, breed, or show bantams. However the APA does state that in order for a breed to be accepted it must breed true a certain percentage of the time. I don't have the Standard in front of me but I believe it is 50% and that has to be over the course of 5 years with 5 separate flocks and a certain number of birds. So, whereas one might bring a bird to a show that "looks" like an Ameraucana, as I said, it still don't make it so.

Depending on how detailed we want to get my comments about a direct mating from two Ameraucanas making it an Ameraucana is not completely and totally accurate. I wrote that with the intention that one would naturally assume it was from two of the same variety. The fact that they don't "necessarily" hold water does not make them inaccurate. I never intended to cover every scenario.

God Bless,