Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

As one of my daughter's was holding one of the new chicks, she looked up at me and said, "Dad, could any of these be roosters?" I responded with, "Well, there is that chance." What has me worried is I asked myself that same question when I picked up the chicks from the coop. I hope we haven't jinked ourselves. LOL.

The fact of the matter is that chicken sexers aren't perfect. The last I heard from the show "Dirty Jobs" who went to Murray McMurray to watch them sex chicks, it was stated that they are about 84% accurate in sexing. Even when you go into the feed stores, you will see that the "pullet" bins have cockerels in them, if you know what to look for.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Ralphie, to clarify. The rooster in your video is the supposed Ameraucana. The lady I got the chicks from said they were Ameraucana and had been sexed as pullets by a Hmong gentleman. The sex was obviously wrong, and the bird is not a SOP color variety for Ameraucana. It may still be from Ameraucana brood stock, but crossed by color variety and may be pure for the blue egg gene?
The other rooster is a Partridge Chantecler and egg gene would be light brown. He should be the larger of the two roosters.

Ed,
There are people who will argue that some mutt chickens are Ameraucanas, even when it is clear as day they are not, maybe Easter Eggers. Their justification... the person/place they bought them from said they were! It is probably my biggest pet peeve with chickens.

 

[jbenson]

Ed,
There are people who will argue that some mutt chickens are Ameraucanas, even when it is clear as day they are not, maybe Easter Eggers. Their justification... the person/place they bought them from said they were! It is probably my biggest pet peeve with chickens.

I always call my mixed birds that hatch with at least one blue egg gene parent Easter Eggers and even then DH gives me crap (cause he doesn't understand egg color genetics and is convinced I can't know which birds carry those genes, though I most certainly do - I produced a pullet last year from two parents I know have blue egg genes and when she began to lay, her eggs were just as blue as I expected.). Easter Eggers is a really good catch-all name for birds of a variety of feather colors where the hens can lay one of a variety of colors of eggs. In my case, it would be blue, blue/green, green, cream or what looks like pink only it's really some form of tan. It is most certainly not pure bred by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it would seem most Ameraucanas from hatcheries are really EEs.

 

[jbenson]

Just realized I need to find some more brooder space in the next week - we have our re-ship coming from Welp. Just broke out the plastic totes from the last couple years' brooders. Might have to break out the big one to have enough space (It's like a 35-40 gallon plastic tote). My little 15 gallon long aquarium brooders are great, but not for more than a week or so even for bantams. DH wants me to keep all the polish I bought last weekend.

Seriously, he told me so last night. I was planning to offer to sell some of them this weekend to people I know who want chicks now that they are all stable and thriving (buying shipped birds from the farm and garden can be touch and go - these guys are real troopers). I was gonna keep a few, but not all 15. I think he may have forgotten we have 36 birds coming on Thursday.

Oh yeah, and I'm about to refill the incubator with EEs to be hatched in 3 weeks. Maybe I should wait until Sunday after I've sold most of the EEs I have now so he doesn't freak out about hatching more. I think he wanted me to quit hatching when our shipped birds arrive. We all know that's not gonna happen.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I always call my mixed birds that hatch with at least one blue egg gene parent Easter Eggers and even then DH gives me crap (cause he doesn't understand egg color genetics and is convinced I can't know which birds carry those genes, though I most certainly do - I produced a pullet last year from two parents I know have blue egg genes and when she began to lay, her eggs were just as blue as I expected.). Easter Eggers is a really good catch-all name for birds of a variety of feather colors where the hens can lay one of a variety of colors of eggs. In my case, it would be blue, blue/green, green, cream or what looks like pink only it's really some form of tan. It is most certainly not pure bred by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it would seem most Ameraucanas from hatcheries are really EEs.

That is part of the problem that bugs me, big hatcheries label Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas. In small print they say they are "Easter Egg" type chickens. So, people buy them under the premise that they are in fact, Ameraucanas. I have Ameraucanas, I also make/have Easter Eggers, so when people ask me if I have Ameraucanas, I always clarify what they are looking for and 9 times out of 10, they are going to be Easter Eggers. It is hard to explain to people sometimes what a purebred is even, then to explain the difference between these can be like banging one's head into a wall.
We can't be 100% certain what color a bird is going to produce when we cross two breeds who lay different color egg genes, but we can come pretty close when you know what both parents are carrying. To make Easter Eggers is pretty easy though, you take a rooster who carries blue egg genetics (there have been discussions lately about it not really being a gene but something that attaches to the genetic coding that influences the egg color, which I still feel is genetically passed), and put that rooster over a hen(s) who lay either white or some shade of brown, and you should get blue or some shade of green from the offspring females. That is how so many people are able to sell Olive Eggers now, take an Ameraucana rooster, put him over Marans or Welsummers and your offspring females should lay an olive color egg. Now, I have olive eggers that I don't know how they got that way for sure, but I don't really care because I don't sell them as olive eggers, all of those crosses are sold as Easter Eggers.
Here is a fun little cross, I have a little barred hen that was supposed to be an Easter Egger a couple of years ago from eggs I bought from a breeder. She lays light brown eggs. She is a bantam too. The only bantams I have are Silkies and Salmon Faverolles, so I put her in with some of my bachelor bantams. She started with just a White Silkie rooster. I have started hatching her eggs and the offspring are just cute as can be, and some of them are barred like their mom, but I think all the barred ones are males, unfortunately. They still have 5 toes but they aren't as silkied in their feathers, and they have black skin too. They are cute and some people just want bantams and don't care what kind they are, so I thought they might be a fun little deal to have around.

 

[jbenson]

That is part of the problem that bugs me, big hatcheries label Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas. In small print they say they are "Easter Egg" type chickens. So, people buy them under the premise that they are in fact, Ameraucanas. I have Ameraucanas, I also make/have Easter Eggers, so when people ask me if I have Ameraucanas, I always clarify what they are looking for and 9 times out of 10, they are going to be Easter Eggers. It is hard to explain to people sometimes what a purebred is even, then to explain the difference between these can be like banging one's head into a wall.
We can't be 100% certain what color a bird is going to produce when we cross two breeds who lay different color egg genes, but we can come pretty close when you know what both parents are carrying. To make Easter Eggers is pretty easy though, you take a rooster who carries blue egg genetics (there have been discussions lately about it not really being a gene but something that attaches to the genetic coding that influences the egg color, which I still feel is genetically passed), and put that rooster over a hen(s) who lay either white or some shade of brown, and you should get blue or some shade of green from the offspring females. That is how so many people are able to sell Olive Eggers now, take an Ameraucana rooster, put him over Marans or Welsummers and your offspring females should lay an olive color egg. Now, I have olive eggers that I don't know how they got that way for sure, but I don't really care because I don't sell them as olive eggers, all of those crosses are sold as Easter Eggers.
Here is a fun little cross, I have a little barred hen that was supposed to be an Easter Egger a couple of years ago from eggs I bought from a breeder. She lays light brown eggs. She is a bantam too. The only bantams I have are Silkies and Salmon Faverolles, so I put her in with some of my bachelor bantams. She started with just a White Silkie rooster. I have started hatching her eggs and the offspring are just cute as can be, and some of them are barred like their mom, but I think all the barred ones are males, unfortunately. They still have 5 toes but they aren't as silkied in their feathers, and they have black skin too. They are cute and some people just want bantams and don't care what kind they are, so I thought they might be a fun little deal to have around.

That does sound like a fun cross. I have nearly all bantams. I love them. And I find they are endearing to many. I make bantam EEs just for fun, but have found if I could make about 10 times as many, I could likely sell them (I sell them pretty inexpensive since they are straight run and I really don't control my crosses at all - I sell them mostly just so I can hatch more). I have had to explain a number of times that the parents are not EE however and people never seem to get it.

I didn't know you had bantam Salmon Favorelles. I might have to get some from you some day. I picked up a half dozen standard of them (long story, I'm not keeping them, but they'll be fun for a while) and got to thinking how fun bantam of them would be to add to my flock since I have a lot of feather foot and bearded in other varieties (I am partial to them). I'm also debating keeping a couple of the silver laced standard polish I ended up with. They are so darn cute and most of them are bearded. But I do have 8 bantam white crested black polish coming next week - that is if they survive shipping. I clearly have a "problem"

 

[ejb3810]

The EE thing is provoking. Having said that and admitting to being somewhat of a purebred fanatic, I think it good to remember that all these various breeds were developed through selective breeding. They all originate from they wild fowl, with the exception of a couple of the jungle fowls which are pretty much as they came from the jungle.
The Ameraucana is a relatively recently breed, and it in fact was originally developed as a bantam with individuals then using the bantams to breed up large fowl.
As a newer breed there are still some variances in the genetics from strain to strain. I know very good breeders that have lines which produce white eggs, which they use in cross breeding to their other strains for various reasons.
The blue egg color seems to be the magnetic attraction for many. If they can cross to anything and get a female that lays some shade of blue, green or whatever they are happy.
The fact that the bird lays an egg other than white or some shade of brown is enough to qualify it as an Americana (not Ameraucana) to them and that is superior to an EE?
I am nearly there in my project using crosses of Marans and Ameraucanas to reliably produce pullets that lay an egg the color of purple velvet. Stay tuned for further updates.

 

[duluthralphie]

The EE thing is provoking. Having said that and admitting to being somewhat of a purebred fanatic, I think it good to remember that all these various breeds were developed through selective breeding. They all originate from they wild fowl, with the exception of a couple of the jungle fowls which are pretty much as they came from the jungle.
The Ameraucana is a relatively recently breed, and it in fact was originally developed as a bantam with individuals then using the bantams to breed up large fowl.
As a newer breed there are still some variances in the genetics from strain to strain. I know very good breeders that have lines which produce white eggs, which they use in cross breeding to their other strains for various reasons.
The blue egg color seems to be the magnetic attraction for many. If they can cross to anything and get a female that lays some shade of blue, green or whatever they are happy.
The fact that the bird lays an egg other than white or some shade of brown is enough to qualify it as an Americana (not Ameraucana) to them and that is superior to an EE?
I am nearly there in my project using crosses of Marans and Ameraucanas to reliably produce pullets that lay an egg the color of purple velvet. Stay tuned for further updates.

I am fascinated by egg color. I want to get as many colors as possible from my chickens eggs. ( I would love if you could post a picture of the purple velvet) I have a large variation in color simply by chance from my birds I got from Hoover last year.

I plan to put some of my blue egg layers in with Ray and the creamettes to help keep blue layers. I have some EE that lay a deeper brighter blue than the creamettes do.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that Ole carries the blue egg gene, ( I already know he carries the Napoleon complex gene) I am hoping to find out by hit and miss moving of hens which one lays the porcelain egg I may move her around every two months and hatch her babies, I am not sure which rooster will give me the best color from her offspring. I really want to get more of the porcelain eggs but that is asking a lot without knowing which hen lays it and without a rooster that has it. I am afraid she is an abnormality that I cannot reproduce.

That said Nameless is gone today and I am going to force Ed into the main coop tonight. He is still sleeping in the guinea fowl coop by himself. ( Ole being the ladies man he is has moved in with the gal on his own).

I do not want to get only blue eggs so Ed will and Ernie will have to do some work for me. What I have working against me is my age. I wish I had been doing chickens for the last 30 years, but it was not possible. I do not have the 30 years left I need to do this right.



My other project is breeding a big meat bird with very high dark meat content. ED will fit into that as will Bert (if he stays alive long enough) Ed is a huge bird compared to my other roosters. He has the big thighs and legs I want. My plan with him is to breed him to Bert and Dixie rainbow offspring.


Now that I bored you with all that. If and when I sell off chicks from my colored egg mixes can I call them EE or do I have to call them mutts that should lay colored egg? I was under the impression all EE are mutts?

(BTW I still want to raise pure Dominiques and Black Australorps Just because I like the looks of them)

 

[duluthralphie]

Just realized I need to find some more brooder space in the next week - we have our re-ship coming from Welp. Just broke out the plastic totes from the last couple years' brooders. Might have to break out the big one to have enough space (It's like a 35-40 gallon plastic tote). My little 15 gallon long aquarium brooders are great, but not for more than a week or so even for bantams. DH wants me to keep all the polish I bought last weekend.

Seriously, he told me so last night. I was planning to offer to sell some of them this weekend to people I know who want chicks now that they are all stable and thriving (buying shipped birds from the farm and garden can be touch and go - these guys are real troopers). I was gonna keep a few, but not all 15. I think he may have forgotten we have 36 birds coming on Thursday.

Oh yeah, and I'm about to refill the incubator with EEs to be hatched in 3 weeks. Maybe I should wait until Sunday after I've sold most of the EEs I have now so he doesn't freak out about hatching more. I think he wanted me to quit hatching when our shipped birds arrive. We all know that's not gonna happen.

I am impressed with what you do while living in the city!!! I would think it is logical to just tell your DH the eggs must have fallen into the incubator. If he doubts that blame in the following order: Kids, dogs cats neighbors...



Can anyone get together for coffee/lunch whatever NEXT Week. This week with Easter, Hatching babies and Grandpa duties is out. ( I am babysitting Monday in Duluth and Friday in Shakopee, my services are in high demand) Friday is a problem as I have eggs hatching but I think my Uncle is going to do new chick duties for me.......

The dates are April 6 thru the 11th... I am able to travel for the meet some too. I went to the Runnings in Monticello the other day, if we met in Monticello we could visit Runnings they could have chicks and do have lots of coo chicken stuff!

 

[nordicacres]

The EE thing is provoking.  Having said that and admitting to being somewhat of a purebred fanatic, I think it good to remember that all these various breeds were developed through selective breeding.  They all originate from they wild fowl, with the exception of a couple of the jungle fowls which are pretty much as they came from the jungle.
The Ameraucana is a relatively recently breed, and it in fact was originally developed as a bantam with individuals then using the bantams to breed up large fowl.
As a newer breed there are still some variances in the genetics from strain to strain.  I know very good breeders that have lines which produce white eggs, which they use in cross breeding to their other strains for various reasons.
The blue egg color seems to be the magnetic attraction for many.  If they can cross to anything and get a female that lays some shade of blue, green or whatever they are happy.
The fact that the bird lays an egg other than white or some shade of brown is enough to qualify it as an Americana (not Ameraucana) to them and that is superior to an EE?
I am nearly there in my project using crosses of Marans and Ameraucanas to reliably produce pullets that lay an egg the color of purple velvet.  Stay tuned for further updates.

Purple eggs?!?!?! Oh my, if you ever offer day old chicks that will lay purple eggs let me know! I want a rainbow in my basket!