Purebred Ameraucana Egg laying

[Gammond]

We decided to get some purebred, proper coloured ameraucanas last year... We have about 24 blue and black, and a few Wheatons.

Is it true that when trying to maintain a color, egg laying is not always focused on when breeding?

This is the longest I've EVER had to wait for an egg! I've changed nothing and I always choose the feed with a little more protein.

They were hatched mid-May... could it be normal for winter laying pullets? Or could it be the color trait was focused on instead of egg laying?

 

[chickens really]

We decided to get some purebred, proper coloured ameraucanas last year... We have about 24 blue and black, and a few Wheatons.

Is it true that when trying to maintain a color, egg laying is not always focused on when breeding?

This is the longest I've EVER had to wait for an egg! I've changed nothing and I always choose the feed with a little more protein.

They were hatched mid-May... could it be normal for winter laying pullets? Or could it be the color trait was focused on instead of egg laying?

Sounds like winter and lack of daylight hours..Keep waiting.

 

[Gammond]

I did my math wrong! Turns out they hatched at the beginning of June - some at the end of June. This makes me feel better lol!

 

[Folly's place]

My one and only experience with Ameraucanas wasn't the greatest. Very nice, healthy, beautiful birds, good temperments, and the hens were poor layers. I'll amend that; the pullets started laying at about six months of age, and did well. By summer, they were about done, molted, and barely layed another egg! Very disappointing, and hopefully not typical of the breed, but I'm done with them. My EEs have always done much better!
Mary

 

[Gammond]

My one and only experience with Ameraucanas wasn't the greatest. Very nice, healthy, beautiful birds, good temperments, and the hens were poor layers. I'll amend that; the pullets started laying at about six months of age, and did well. By summer, they were about done, molted, and barely layed another egg! Very disappointing, and hopefully not typical of the breed, but I'm done with them. My EEs have always done much better!
Mary

We plan on getting another batch of 25 chickens from the hatchery in the early spring... Here are my choices:

Black Austrlorp
Ameraucana (hatchery type, not like the ones I have now)
Buff Orpington
Rohde Island Red
Barred Rock

What would you recommend?

 

[imnukensc]

Barred Rocks is my choice. Rarely go broody, good layers of large brown eggs, friendly, and are excellent free range birds.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I had a pair of black pullets hatched May last year, one started mid/end of Dec, laid one then waited a month to resume laying... the other one waited til late Jan to start... hitting POL at this time of year is a crapshoot on whether they will start soon or wait til daylight hours extend again...

As for their laying, mine lay fantastic... and most have great egg color... but in most lines, it is the type that is most focused on in breeding, not egg color... yes, they *should* lay blue, but that is not actually all breeders first focus... only some concentrate more on egg color...

 

[PirateGirl]

I have one Ameraucana hatched April 1, still no eggs from her. Still waiting. She doesn't even act close to laying. I have some other breeds that haven't laid yet, same hatch date, but I see things like comb and wattle development/reddening, squatting, egg song, etc. from most of them, but not her. I blame the sun (or lack of it) at this point. If it gets to April 1 and still no eggs, I give up on her.

 

[Chickassan]

I'd go with dominiques myself, great layers smart foragers and all around good chickens.

We plan on getting another batch of 25 chickens from the hatchery in the early spring... Here are my choices:

Black Austrlorp
Ameraucana (hatchery type, not like the ones I have now)
Buff Orpington
Rohde Island Red
Barred Rock

What would you recommend?

 

[drfuzzette]

I have one Ameraucana hatched April 1, still no eggs from her. Still waiting. She doesn't even act close to laying. I have some other breeds that haven't laid yet, same hatch date, but I see things like comb and wattle development/reddening, squatting, egg song, etc. from most of them, but not her. I blame the sun (or lack of it) at this point. If it gets to April 1 and still no eggs, I give up on her.

Put a light in her Coop extends the light hours