Lavender Ameraucana Breeders .... UNITE

[buckabucka]

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Yes- that's a cockerel. He looks like he's got great potential. Watch the comb doesn't get too big. Lovely hen too 

Thanks for the reply! I am really hoping cockerel.

I will have a lot to learn from this thread. I just wanted a few true Ameraucanas. I had not planned on breeding.
First I was sold a bird that was not a true Ameraucana, due to my own ignorance.

I decided to buy hatching eggs and try some wheatens after that. I think they are pretty birds. Only one hatched, and it turned out to have splash coloring and yellowish legs covered in black dots, which I've since read is a gene that can be passed on.

Then I arranged to buy some wheatens from someone else's hatch, but she ended up with mostly cockerels and didn't have any to sell.

And then the opportunity to buy these lavenders came along, with an offer from someone else to throw in a cockerel. So now I have these very nice birds, and I feel like it would be a waste to not try to preserve them.

 

[dak]

I have found that it is best not to get in too much of a rush to judge eye color.

I also have found that the size of muffs/beards in young chicks is not always a good indicator if they are homo vs. hetero for muffs/beards. I haven't had any clean faces pop up yet, which I would have expected if that was the case.

 

[Goose and Fig]

The iris being the wrong shape is what threw me for a loop. Haven't had any issues with color except being slightly lighter than bay here and there.

 

[dak]

This was my 2010 Shaffer cock, the bird I used on my 2010 Smith Black hens last year and grandsire to the resulting Lavs from the splits.

 

[Muggsmagee]

I have a gorgeous Blue Wheaten roo that has perfect colored bay eyes...he holds the standard for which I judge and can compare the color of my lavs to. By comparison, my lavs tend to have more of a rust or cinnamon colored eye. No problems have arisen with the retinas or pupils in my blacks or lavs.

Harry, you bring up white earlobes...while I have not seen this personally in any of my fellow Ameraucana breeder's flocks or mine, but I remember a post on the ABC forum John or Michael mentioned an original and old-time breeder being adamant about keeping white earlobes in the description and part of the breeding plan on Ameraucanas as they were putting together the original SOP. They turned that idea down, and I don't remember it being explained as to why the idea was rejected?? John or Michael briefly mentioned they should have listened to him. Can anyone chime in on this?

 

[Goose and Fig]

Wow- I have never seen that either. I wonder if Christie in HI will end up with any from her andalusian crosses.

 

[Muggsmagee]

Thanks for the reply! I am really hoping cockerel.
I will have a lot to learn from this thread. I just wanted a few true Ameraucanas. I had not planned on breeding.
First I was sold a bird that was not a true Ameraucana, due to my own ignorance.
I decided to buy hatching eggs and try some wheatens after that. I think they are pretty birds. Only one hatched, and it turned out to have splash coloring and yellowish legs covered in black dots, which I've since read is a gene that can be passed on.
Then I arranged to buy some wheatens from someone else's hatch, but she ended up with mostly cockerels and didn't have any to sell.
And then the opportunity to buy these lavenders came along, with an offer from someone else to throw in a cockerel. So now I have these very nice birds, and I feel like it would be a waste to not try to preserve them.

Something I would like to encourage you to do...get yourself some quality blacks to breed your lavs back to. It's a fool proof plan if you get drawn into breeding/improving the lavs. The Lavs still have a ways to go. Paul Smith is known to have exceptional blacks. There are a few well known breeders who breed solely black birds and have great lines you could utilize for your Lav program. I am into my 3rd year with the lavs and got a great start by acquiring Lav hatching eggs from Harry, and Black and Lav chicks from Blehm. Generation to generation, you can see the changes. Start off with quality, you won't be sorry. I'm glad the lavs "fell" into your lap. They are the only variety I am still passionate about, after all this time. I hope you enjoy them. :0)

 

[jerryse]

I have a gorgeous Blue Wheaten roo that has perfect colored bay eyes...he holds the standard for which I judge and can compare the color of my lavs to. By comparison, my lavs tend to have more of a rust or cinnamon colored eye. No problems have arisen with the retinas or pupils in my blacks or lavs.

Harry, you bring up white earlobes...while I have not seen this personally in any of my fellow Ameraucana breeder's flocks or mine, but I remember a post on the ABC forum John or Michael mentioned an original and old-time breeder being adamant about keeping white earlobes in the description and part of the breeding plan on Ameraucanas as they were putting together the original SOP. They turned that idea down, and I don't remember it being explained as to why the idea was rejected?? John or Michael briefly mentioned they should have listened to him. Can anyone chime in on this?

As I recall we had a prominant leghorn breeder in the club then.Mickey Hickman or Higman if my memory is correct and he pushed for white earlobes.I feel we should have went for mottled white earlobes in hindsight.The reason being we used red ear lobed brown egglaying breeds to bring in colors and had to fight green egg color.Some white egg layers in the mix would have helped get the green out quicker.A mottled red and white lobe would have been easy.We took the hard route and got there but are still fighting green tint in some colors like lavender.

 

[Muggsmagee]

As I recall we had a prominant leghorn breeder in the club then.Mickey Hickman or Higman if my memory is correct and he pushed for white earlobes.I feel we should have went for mottled white earlobes in hindsight.The reason being we used red ear lobed brown egglaying breeds to bring in colors and had to fight green egg color.Some white egg layers in the mix would have helped get the green out quicker.A mottled red and white lobe would have been easy.We took the hard route and got there but are still fighting green tint in some colors

Thank you for making sense of this for me Jerry. Oh to have been a fly on the wall in those early days!

 

[dak]

The juvie pen. Yes, I use peepers. I intend to show these this fall and they are naughty about picking. Also, I can't judge and cull for tail faults if they are picked at. Once I hace culled down the keepers this fall they will be removed.