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

[Loghousemom]

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.

I also want to thank you for kindly sharing your insight and knowledge. owning, much less breeding chickens is something I never thought I would be doing as an adult, however, I am so curious as to how the coloring and combs and whatnot play out. It is like a puzzle without edges!

 

[Loghousemom]

Here is my EE. (Penny) Sold to me as an americauna... now I know better. She laid a few blue eggs when we first brought her home last fall, but has not laid all winter. She is my favorite chicken, quiet, sweet and docile. She does tend to wander furthest away though when she free ranges... maybe because she also is lowest in the the pecking order.



This is Stormy. She lays pale green eggs. Usually 2 a week. I don't really know what breeds are in her.

 

[Outrun Acres]

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!

I think I agree with you. We have hatched out a couple sets of eggs in our incubator, had great results the first time, mediocre ones the ones the next 2 times. Granted we have been hatching using an LG and I didn't babysit it as much as I did the first time. We also had a broody hen decide to hatch some eggs this year. Her eggs hatched the same day we bought our EE's so we put her in the brooder with the new chicks and she accepted them all! I love how the broody's feed their chicks. It's too cute! The chicks are all definitely thriving regardless of the cold temps we have been having. The only thing that I worry about with her is if she decides to roost when we put all of them back out in the coop. We do have electricity connected to our coop so I will probably put a heat lamp out there just in case. I would hate to find frozen chicks in the morning. My husband as we speak is adding on broody hen quarters to our coup so we will have a place to confine then so they can't steal eggs, or switch nests, or decide to roost after their chicks hatch!

 

[Loghousemom]

I think I agree with you. We have hatched out a couple sets of eggs in our incubator, had great results the first time, mediocre ones the ones the next 2 times. Granted we have been hatching using an LG and I didn't babysit it as much as I did the first time. We also had a broody hen decide to hatch some eggs this year. Her eggs hatched the same day we bought our EE's so we put her in the brooder with the new chicks and she accepted them all! I love how the broody's feed their chicks. It's too cute! The chicks are all definitely thriving regardless of the cold temps we have been having. The only thing that I worry about with her is if she decides to roost when we put all of them back out in the coop. We do have electricity connected to our coop so I will probably put a heat lamp out there just in case. I would hate to find frozen chicks in the morning. My husband as we speak is adding on broody hen quarters to our coup so we will have a place to confine then so they can't steal eggs, or switch nests, or decide to roost after their chicks hatch!

I have been reading about incubators and not sure which I will decide to get, but I have not read much good about the LG. I was really really hoping for a broody hen. My big coop has a yard that attaches to a smaller shed that I think was used for bunnies once upon a time. This spring I have lots of chicken related projects, but one is to turn that little shed into a broody house for mamas and babies. (originally I wanted to use it as a playhouse for my human babies, but daddy will just have to build them their own)

 

[Outrun Acres]

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!

I didn't think I would be keeping chickens as an adult either! It seems to be the one barnyard animal both my husband and I could agree on. Of course now that I have them I am absolutely hooked! We bought an incubator and have hatched out 3 batches of eggs so far. (None were shipped eggs, I have been practicing on my barnyard mixes while I figure out how to use my incubator), We also just had a broody hen hatch some eggs for us. I think there are pros and cons to both. These are the conclusions I have come to so far:

Incubator:
Pros - You can set eggs whenever you want, any time of year
You don't have to worry about a broody quitting halfway through the incubation period
In many models you can incubate more eggs, than a brood hen could
You have the ability to control the temperature and humidity.

Cons - You are at the mercy of electricity. Unless you have a generator, if the power goes out all of the embryos could possibly become chilled and die.
Some incubators are more difficult than others and involve more TLC. With some of the cheaper models, you basically have to turn your whole house into an incubator, or find a room that
has a very stable temperature.
The chicks aren't taught, how to be chickens. Chicks hatched in incubators may get pasty butt (something I have read but have not experienced yet). They also get intestinal flora from eating her droppings.

Broody Hen:
Pros - You don't have to do anything. The broody takes care of everything!
You don't have to worry about chicks learning to eat and drink, mama teaches them.
You don't have to provide a source of heat once chicks hatch, mama will keep them warm.

Cons - Some broody's will decide to steal eggs and add them to her clutch. If you don't mark the intitial eggs she will have a staggered hatch and in the end will probably decide to leave the nest to take care of the chic ks that have already hatched.
Some broody's will stop sitting halfway through the incubation period.
Broody's can't hatch as many eggs as an incubator can.
It may be necessary to have a seperate place to house a broody to ensure that other hens do not try to kill the chicks, and so that she can't decide to roost after the chicks hatch. (I have heard terrible stories about people finding dead frozen chicks in the morning).

Regardless of what you choose, do hatch some eggs! It is so much fun and addicting!

 

[Outrun Acres]

I have been reading about incubators and not sure which I will decide to get, but I have not read much good about the LG. I was really really hoping for a broody hen. My big coop has a yard that attaches to a smaller shed that I think was used for bunnies once upon a time. This spring I have lots of chicken related projects, but one is to turn that little shed into a broody house for mamas and babies. (originally I wanted to use it as a playhouse for my human babies, but daddy will just have to build them their own)

The LG was not my first choice. There is a ton of information on BYC about how to increase your hatch rates using this model and it really helped me a lot! I also joined a hatch-a-long thread during my first hatch and received a lot of great feedback from other members. Don't be afraid of the LG. I had an 85% hatch rate the first time I used it. There is a definite learning curve, but if you put in the time and effort using the LG can give you great results. I did purchase a turner with mine so I didn't have to open the lid a couple times a day and alter the temperature and humidity. I have ran all of my hatches "dry" until lockdown (day 18). The last two hatches I had were not nearly as good (around 50%). I did "eggtopsies" on all of the ones that didn't hatch to try to figure our what I was doing wrong. I have come to the conclusion that for me anything higher than 60% humidity during lockdown was drowning some of my chicks . Now that I know what went wrong I think my hatch rate will go back up next time. If you are going to be hatching eggs of value, I think it is good to have an incubator on hand just in case your broody decides to quit halfway through the incubation period, then you have a backup plan. So far the only hen that I have had go broody this year is a Columbian Wyandotte and she has been a great mother too.

It sounds like you are going to have a great setup! My boys have their own playhouse/fort and they still prefer to play inside the chicken coup and crawl inside the nesting boxes. Silly boys!

 

[Outrun Acres]

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.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[jerryse]

Thank all of you for your kind comments.I will continue to advise.The only thing that turns me away is controversy.You never read in genetic texts that this person or that is wrong.I have seen where they say another Geneticist could not get the same results.This leaves me thinking they at least respect each other.It seems some of you have experience breeding other animals and all seem ready to learn.Hope this thread keeps going.

 

[Loghousemom]

I am donating some fertile eggs to a preschool class that my oldest daughter attended 2 years ago. The teacher asked if she could try hatching some and will give the chicks back to me. Soooo... next week I will begin saving eggs for them to have a go at hatching.

I am pretty excited, and can check on them when I stop to drop my second daughter off at school. (she is in a different class with a different teacher) I figured I will save eggs for 5 days before, and if I counted days correctly they should hatch in April... sometime around the 8th. They will be barnyard mutts too so it will be exciting to see what they grow into! I am sure I will get an incubator eventually. Until then, I will keep looking and learning, because I really am not in too big of a hurry.

 

[Loghousemom]

It sounds like you are going to have a great setup! My boys have their own playhouse/fort and they still prefer to play inside the chicken coup and crawl inside the nesting boxes. Silly boys!

Human kids are almost as silly as chickens sometimes.