The Ameraucana Thread: Where everything and anything about the breed can be discussed (APA, Non-Stan

[jerryse]

I am really interested in this thread, as I'm just taking the plunge into buying PB Ameraucanas for breeding purposes. We're currently doing EE's and Olive Eggers with the boy below:



He's a Blue that got gold leakage in the hackle and saddles. He also has dark brown eyes, but I can't really figure out if eye color is part of the SOP. Does anyone know if the leakage speaks badly of his lineage? The breeder who sold him to me really wanted to make sure I didn't think I was going to be able to breed Ameraucanas with him. He also has some brown tones to his blue, which is definitely not good. So far he's just here to cross over my Easter Eggers and brown egg layers for some cute blue and green egg laying mutts.

Of course, last week I drove and picked up some PB BBS Ameraucanas bred from Blue stock:




Aren't they pretty? (See that boy down in front?)

When I got them home, I figured out why I got them for such a deal: there is crossbeak in the lines. I've already had to cull one chick, and it's looking like I'll have to cull another. I thought it might be nutrition problems, but on a high protein feed they haven't improved. Didn't even think to check for that when buying them, and didn't notice it until I got them home. Ah, well. Just one more reason to buy from reputable breeders.

When these kids grow up, the pullets will be bred to a Black Ameraucana rooster from a different flock to produce a lot of blues. The boys will be bred to my Easter Eggers and, eventually, to their "neices." We'll do line breeding until I get serious enough that I want to purchase really incredible stock to cross back into the flock.

The project color I am most interested in: Blue Laced Red Ameraucanas. Concerned that, to do that kind of a project, you'd have to breed in brown egg layers, and so to get back to blue eggs, you'd then worry about only selecting for egg color while other traits (health, weight, eye color, leg color, etc) declined. So, you'd have to have a pretty large selection of birds to do the breeding with, more so than doing a project color where you can breed in a white egg layer.

I would not be too concerned on egg color on a wy cross.Here is one out of the above cross.Wy are not a dark brown egg.Now let me try to dispel a idea that you may have read elsewhere.Rose comb is not harder to get rid of than single comb when crossed to pea comb.Crossed back to pea both will produce a 50/50 ratio.Simply select pea comb.If you must use F1s with each other to restore lacing select pea combs.Percentage will be lower.Now a single/pea comb combo can sometimes look like a pure pea comb even to a trained eye.I have not found this to be true of a cushion comb.That is what a rose/pea comb combination produces.I like to encourage newbies simply because somewhere amongst the newbies are the future of the breed.In 20 years I will likely be deceased or too frail to continue breeding.This true of all the older breeders.Without encouragement of newbies the future is not too bright.You have someone here to help guide you.Give it a try.

 

[Loghousemom]

This is Blue Bottom. I bought her as an Olive Egger, and she lays an olive drab, brown speckled egg that is green inside. One of my favorite hens.


This was Sparkle. I got the name from a picture that stated the Hen was a perfect sparkle. My Sparkle, ahd the white specks, all over her. They weren't visible in my phone cam shot. She was killed by a neighbor's dog a few weeks ago. She was the 1st chicken hatched on my place, and I was really looking forward to seeing what she wouyld have , chick-wise. She laid a beautiful, large blue egg, not turquoise, but true blue. She is from an EE Roo (my avatar) and one of my EE Hens (?). She had lacing and penciling on each feather, that was silvery grey, but all you see in this pic is a brownish tint to her. She wasn't brown, tho.

Pretty!

so question for you that a breeding your EE and Ameracauna now... Do you use incubators? Broodys?

When we bought our little bit of land it came with lots o'junk. Last year when I decided to get chickens, I came he to BYC and asked learned so much. I found out I had most of the "equipment" for chickens, but one thing that was not here was an incubator. Since I also have 3 Cochin hens, I was secretly hoping one to go broody, but that has not happened yet. One of the things I found was a big space ship looking thing that someone told me is for keeping chicks warm. I guess if I put my heat lamp in it I should be able to heat up to a hundred chicks is what I was told. Now, I am not looking to get that many, but I am donating my mutt eggs to a couple of preschool classes that want to try hatching eggs. So I will have those babies and I was hoping since I am going to be having them, I will plan a run to get some chicks from a breeder nearby for some better bloodlines and other breeds. (I love the colorful egg basket I get now and would like to build on that).

I have a small shed that I am pretty sure was used for rabbits at one time that I am going to build a few low roosts into and house the babies in there till they are large enough to move into the big house with the grown gals.... And then since we are re-fencing this year I am going to try convincing the hubs to leave a section that can be used as an extra yard with space to add a breeding coop in the future.

I was hoping my oldest daughter would be interested in 4h so I would have an excuse to get into breeding. Ha!

 

[my sunwolf]

I would not be too concerned on egg color on a wy cross.Here is one out of the above cross.Wy are not a dark brown egg.Now let me try to dispel a idea that you may have read elsewhere.Rose comb is not harder to get rid of than single comb when crossed to pea comb.Crossed back to pea both will produce a 50/50 ratio.Simply select pea comb.If you must use F1s with each other to restore lacing select pea combs.Percentage will be lower.Now a single/pea comb combo can sometimes look like a pure pea comb even to a trained eye.I have not found this to be true of a cushion comb.That is what a rose/pea comb combination produces.I like to encourage newbies simply because somewhere amongst the newbies are the future of the breed.In 20 years I will likely be deceased or too frail to continue breeding.This true of all the older breeders.Without encouragement of newbies the future is not too bright.You have someone here to help guide you.Give it a try.

Thank you jerryse! What a kind response. You're right, I had always heard that it's easier to breed in single comb birds for color because the comb will breed out again, as opposed to rose comb birds where the comb gets stuck in the genetics. Maybe it is just that the pea/single mashups tend to look a lot like pure peas.

I appreciate the encouragement as sometimes I feel out of my depth, especially when it comes to identifying correct body/head/tail shape, though colors have become easier over the past year. Love the laced birds in the photo. A lot of my Easter Eggers carry lacing genes but I have no idea how strong they are, maybe I'll play around with breeding them to each other and to birds with a stronger lacing gene

I really love the Andalusian blue lacing that some of the darker blue birds have. Is it true that if you breed more blacks back into your blues that this lacing will become more apparent?

 

[lualshannon]

This is Blue Bottom. I bought her as an Olive Egger, and she lays an olive drab, brown speckled egg that is green inside. One of my favorite hens.


This was Sparkle. I got the name from a picture that stated the Hen was a perfect sparkle. My Sparkle, ahd the white specks, all over her. They weren't visible in my phone cam shot. She was killed by a neighbor's dog a few weeks ago. She was the 1st chicken hatched on my place, and I was really looking forward to seeing what she wouyld have , chick-wise. She laid a beautiful, large blue egg, not turquoise, but true blue. She is from an EE Roo (my avatar) and one of my EE Hens (?). She had lacing and penciling on each feather, that was silvery grey, but all you see in this pic is a brownish tint to her. She wasn't brown, tho.

They are gorgeous! and thank you for your explanation of what a Sparkle and Blue Bottom is. Incredible color & markings. I am very sorry to hear about the demise of your lovely girl; such a shame.. Hopefully, sooner than you think, you will have another one who looks just like her.

 

[TW1Kell]

loghousemom: I have a 'bator, and have hatched some, but, I much prefer to use game Hens for setting as they protect and teach the chicks. I have 3 games, again, and this makes a total of 7 that I have had, so far. ALL of them are/were setting fools. The girls just seem to do a much better "mom job" than I do. Having said that, I have a bvuddy (in here and he lives about 1/2 mile away) who has a 'bator, also. He picked-up 37 eggs, last night. I'll be out-of-state, next week, and he's going to hatch them for me, we hope!

 

[TW1Kell]

They are gorgeous! and thank you for your explanation of what a Sparkle and Blue Bottom is. Incredible color & markings. I am very sorry to hear about the demise of your lovely girl; such a shame.. Hopefully, sooner than you think, you will have another one who looks just like her.

Thank you, my main concern ()other than her death) is that I have only gotten 1 Sparkle out of quite a few hatchings. I am told that they are rare-ish. Don't know if that's true, but...I also don't know who the momma was as my Gamey (Barred Dome Game Hen) simply chose some eggs and set. I then gave her more eggs until she stopped dragging them under her butt. I also do that when she sets. Maybe this year, I'm really hoping for another Sparkle Lady.

 

[TW1Kell]

jerryse:

I have to comment about your attitude and demeanor. You are so above all of us in knowledge and experience, but don't seem to mind aiding and advising we of the "don't have a clue club". I wanted to thank you in hopes that you would continue to do so. I fear that if we don't show our appreciation, you might lose interest in us and assume that we're not paying attention. I am cutting and pasting just about everything that you post! It is all so informative and interesting.

I do have a question: F1 is first generation of the project, correct? I am almost 53 and never have been much of a geneticist, and it has been a lil while since biology classes in Comm College. Are there any good books that pertain to chicken breeding and how to obtain colors/traits, that you would recommend? Please continue to educate us, as your information makes me want to really tackle some of these gorgeous colors and traits.

 

[lualshannon]

I would not be too concerned on egg color on a wy cross.Here is one out of the above cross.Wy are not a dark brown egg.Now let me try to dispel a idea that you may have read elsewhere.Rose comb is not harder to get rid of than single comb when crossed to pea comb.Crossed back to pea both will produce a 50/50 ratio.Simply select pea comb.If you must use F1s with each other to restore lacing select pea combs.Percentage will be lower.Now a single/pea comb combo can sometimes look like a pure pea comb even to a trained eye.I have not found this to be true of a cushion comb.That is what a rose/pea comb combination produces.I like to encourage newbies simply because somewhere amongst the newbies are the future of the breed.In 20 years I will likely be deceased or too frail to continue breeding.This true of all the older breeders.Without encouragement of newbies the future is not too bright.You have someone here to help guide you.Give it a try.

Your tender, and compassionate post brought tears into my eyes. May God grant you many, many years of healthy, happy and joyful life!

 

[Outrun Acres]

This is Blue Bottom. I bought her as an Olive Egger, and she lays an olive drab, brown speckled egg that is green inside. One of my favorite hens.


This was Sparkle. I got the name from a picture that stated the Hen was a perfect sparkle. My Sparkle, ahd the white specks, all over her. They weren't visible in my phone cam shot. She was killed by a neighbor's dog a few weeks ago. She was the 1st chicken hatched on my place, and I was really looking forward to seeing what she wouyld have , chick-wise. She laid a beautiful, large blue egg, not turquoise, but true blue. She is from an EE Roo (my avatar) and one of my EE Hens (?). She had lacing and penciling on each feather, that was silvery grey, but all you see in this pic is a brownish tint to her. She wasn't brown, tho.

I have a chick in the brooder who is starting to feather out that may look a little like your blue butt. I hope so, that is a pretty bird. Poor Sparkle! What a pretty bird she was! At least you know who the dog belongs to. Hopefully your neighbor can find a way to keep it on their property from now on. A lot of people dump their unwanted dogs were we live and lots of our neighbors have lost quite a few chickens. Thankfully, we haven't lost any birds to predators yet. We have four dogs kenneled next to their coup and a Great Pyrenees that roams our property. Two of the dogs are males and mark along the property line everyday. I think that helps a lot to at least discourage coyotes from coming onto our property. Although, they seem to get quite hungry this time of year . . .

 

[Outrun Acres]

I am really interested in this thread, as I'm just taking the plunge into buying PB Ameraucanas for breeding purposes. We're currently doing EE's and Olive Eggers with the boy below:



He's a Blue that got gold leakage in the hackle and saddles. He also has dark brown eyes, but I can't really figure out if eye color is part of the SOP. Does anyone know if the leakage speaks badly of his lineage? The breeder who sold him to me really wanted to make sure I didn't think I was going to be able to breed Ameraucanas with him. He also has some brown tones to his blue, which is definitely not good. So far he's just here to cross over my Easter Eggers and brown egg layers for some cute blue and green egg laying mutts.

Of course, last week I drove and picked up some PB BBS Ameraucanas bred from Blue stock:




Aren't they pretty? (See that boy down in front?)

When I got them home, I figured out why I got them for such a deal: there is crossbeak in the lines. I've already had to cull one chick, and it's looking like I'll have to cull another. I thought it might be nutrition problems, but on a high protein feed they haven't improved. Didn't even think to check for that when buying them, and didn't notice it until I got them home. Ah, well. Just one more reason to buy from reputable breeders.

When these kids grow up, the pullets will be bred to a Black Ameraucana rooster from a different flock to produce a lot of blues. The boys will be bred to my Easter Eggers and, eventually, to their "neices." We'll do line breeding until I get serious enough that I want to purchase really incredible stock to cross back into the flock.

The project color I am most interested in: Blue Laced Red Ameraucanas. Concerned that, to do that kind of a project, you'd have to breed in brown egg layers, and so to get back to blue eggs, you'd then worry about only selecting for egg color while other traits (health, weight, eye color, leg color, etc) declined. So, you'd have to have a pretty large selection of birds to do the breeding with, more so than doing a project color where you can breed in a white egg layer.

I am in the beginning stages of learning about this breed and have been a bit of a wallflower on other threads for awhile. In my limited experience, I have come to understand that a lot of Ameraucana color traits are heterozygous dominant. So depending on what was bred to create him, dominant genes of a APA standard bird, could potentially mask a hidden recessive color trait, that may not present itself for a generation or two. But it does sound like your rooster may have more faults than just the gold color leakage according to the standard. He is a very beautiful bird though. It could be fun to experiment by breeding him to a blue just to see what he throws? Personally, I think I would keep him with your EE's especially since you just got some new chicks from a reputable breeder, since it does look like you have a little boy in that picture. (That comb is so pink for such a young bird!) While your rooster is beautiful, it sounds to me like you are doing the right thing with him if you want to breed purebred Ameraucanas. By the way, thank you for joining the thread and posting such great pictures. I would love it if you stuck around and posted some more pic's of your birds as they grow.