Lavender Ameraucana Breeders .... UNITE

[ChickNmamma]

A black x split will give you 50% black and 50% Split and you won't know which is which.

I believe you make the quickest improvement by breeding split x split. You only get 25% Lav chicks and the blacks that hatch are an unknown and I cull them, but you bring in a higher concentration of the "black" genes with this approach.

If you want to improve your stock use this method. If you are in a hurry to produce the maximum number of lavs to sell, breed lav x lav. If you fall somewhere in between then Split x lav would be your option.

Ah, thank you - I had my math mixed up.

I guess my approach will depend on what birds I end up with. I would prefer to use any bird with good type, black or lavender. I don't like knowing if the blacks are splits or not, that's why I chose lav x split crosses. At least there all of the black ones are splits.

Is there any "recommended" cross to test for lav genes on a black possible split? Or do you just cross with a Lav and see if all the babies are black - which would mean (assuming you hatched out at least a dozen) that it is not a split. This is in case I have to re-think my breeding program due to lack of good stock in my color choices...

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: That would be the test. Breed them to a lav if all the babies are BLACK they will be splits and the breeder is black. If the are splits x Lavender you will get 50% Lavenders. Then you will KNOW.

 

[slick4591]

Is there any test to figure out which ones would be the blacks?

 

[dak]

Is there any test to figure out which ones would be the blacks?

Same. If no Lavs are produced, they're Black and you've just made a buch of Splits. But, please bredd enough that by no statistical accident you would get it wrong.

 

[DMRippy]

Is there any test to figure out which ones would be the blacks?

Breed them to a Lavender and you will know if they are splits or blacks. If you get all blacks they are black (chicks will be splits) If you get even 1 Lavender it is a split not black.

 

[slick4591]

Gotcha! Was hoping there was a quicker way as I have a black cockerel in with split pullets. I've already hatched a couple of eggs from them just for the heck of it, but I'm really wanting a pen of blacks.

 

[DMRippy]

Gotcha! Was hoping there was a quicker way as I have a black cockerel in with split pullets. I've already hatched a couple of eggs from them just for the heck of it, but I'm really wanting a pen of blacks.

If you are just wanting the BLACK LOOK you can keep breeding them that way and put all the chicks with your lavenders. You will get some lavs and splits when you hatch. Mostly splits.

 

[slick4591]

Gotcha! Was hoping there was a quicker way as I have a black cockerel in with split pullets. I've already hatched a couple of eggs from them just for the heck of it, but I'm really wanting a pen of blacks.

If you are just wanting the BLACK LOOK you can keep breeding them that way and put all the chicks with your lavenders.  You will get some lavs and splits when you hatch.  Mostly splits.

I am wanting a separate pen of the pure blacks so I know exactly what I have. I know I need the splits but I don't want to keep many of them.

 

[jerryse]

Seperated some lavs and a split for breeding yesterday.Getting the urge to set eggs.Still too early for me.Have my smith split hen in there.Hope to get a nice cockerel from her to use later in the year.Will make a hatch of splits later.

 

[emrldgrn1]

I started setting Lav X Lave eggs about five months ago. I was having really bad hatching rates, only one or two chicks per setting of 18ish eggs at a time

. This last time i set 18 and had 11 hatch

. Like a lot of the others I was seeing development clear into the last couple of days and then they just would'nt hatch

. The only change I made with this hatch was using the dry hatch method and using distilled water in the hatcher at lock down. I was setting other eggs at the same time and was getting a pretty good hatch on all the other breeds but not the Lavs. I will try another dry hatch in a month or two and see if I can repeat the hatch rate.