What's wrong with their feathers?

[EdenCamp]

Even if "pure" and of the very best of bloodlines - dosen't necessarily mean what ever pops out from that is going to be a prime example of the breed and should automaticly be used to propigate. Same for glorious examples - may show it but not throw it. In any case, each bird is only half the equation and since there is no "perfect" bird that will always throw the perfect chicks....will always be a work in progress.

As for ignorance, and those misguided because of it, everyone started out that way - it can be fixed. Hopefully tempered with some kindness and tact........educating without crushing the enthusiasm that brought each of us into the featherd world....

 

[chick-among-us]

Oh i absolutely 100% agree...I would never try to do that and I certainly hope it didn't come off that way!
it can be difficult to take someone who has an EE and explain the difference to them when they are so happy with their " pure" am. I want to help educate people with the silkied or "fluffy" project. I have local people who have asked about the project and I explain and try to pull them in since we need as many as possible!

Some people ARE doing other projects that do not involve pure ams, like olive eggers,EE's, even light Sussex .imagine that one those would be cool!
I just feel bad for those who think mistakingly that the are using an am when what the ended up with is an EE... Do you tell them?( nicely of course because your trying to help) or let them figure it out?

When I first started swapping on byc...I was told my AM pen would not be considered "pure" until my colors where separated out...I had NO idea..I have great birds wonderful bloodlines....all together...hahaha...needless to say they are separated out now in their own pens by color, LAVS/blacks,blues/splash. Live and learn, I didn't get upset but I was a bit surprised I was told kinda rudely ..I would never want to be thought rude. :/

 

[LBKS]

I'm not sure if any of that was aimed at me, but I'm pretty sure the lines I'm aiming to use right now are pretty solid ameraucanas - anyone want to offer opinions/feedback?

Group Name (egg source)
-----------------------------------------------------
Silkied Project Group (ChooksChick)
Outgroup #1 (Duane Urch)
Outgroup #2 (A flock composed of chickens from Blemm)
Outgroup #3 (A flock composed of chickens from PipsAndPeeps and PeaChick)
Outgroup #4 (A flock composed of chickens from Shaffer and Blemm)

Of course, I'll know more about how these groups will conform to standards when I get the eggs in (for egg color standards) and when they mature (for physical conformation to standards) - but I rather doubt these are going to be EEs. If by chance there are EEs, there are enough groups that I'd still have other groups that did not contain EEs. Given the small scale of eggs in each group (a dozen) they also may not be prime candidates for breeding either - but I think they should be sufficient for a starting point. Next year I am aiming to add adult SQ birds if I can - to have definite good candidates in the mix.

Conformation and purity of the breed are important, but right now I'm not so concerned about that as I am about breeding out the health issues these guys have been having. Once I have them surviving more reliably it'll be much easier to cull them to standards - without having to worry that culling so hard leaves you with no carriers left due to your stock dying off unexpectedly. Frankly, poor health seems like the biggest defect in the breed right now.

 

[ChooksChick]

I'm not sure if any of that was aimed at me, but I'm pretty sure the lines I'm aiming to use right now are pretty solid ameraucanas - anyone want to offer opinions/feedback?

Group Name (egg source)
-----------------------------------------------------
Silkied Project Group (ChooksChick)
Outgroup #1 (Duane Urch)
Outgroup #2 (A flock composed of chickens from Blemm)
Outgroup #3 (A flock composed of chickens from PipsAndPeeps and PeaChick)
Outgroup #4 (A flock composed of chickens from Shaffer and Blemm)

Of course, I'll know more about how these groups will conform to standards when I get the eggs in (for egg color standards) and when they mature (for physical conformation to standards) - but I rather doubt these are going to be EEs. If by chance there are EEs, there are enough groups that I'd still have other groups that did not contain EEs. Given the small scale of eggs in each group (a dozen) they also may not be prime candidates for breeding either - but I think they should be sufficient for a starting point. Next year I am aiming to add adult SQ birds if I can - to have definite good candidates in the mix.

Conformation and purity of the breed are important, but right now I'm not so concerned about that as I am about breeding out the health issues these guys have been having. Once I have them surviving more reliably it'll be much easier to cull them to standards - without having to worry that culling so hard leaves you with no carriers left due to your stock dying off unexpectedly. Frankly, poor health seems like the biggest defect in the breed right now.

Poor health has been a devastating factor, and we've lost a lot of good people from the project due to the heartbreak of losing all of the stock on which folks had worked so hard- and LOVED. It almost made me walk away, and sometimes I'm still unsure if I'll keep going because I'm too busy to manage all of the birds I have without slacking on my job or my family.

On that note, I'm thinking about selling some of my split hens. I have almost 20.

 

[supermom1185]

I am new to the project but am very excited about working on these! I hatched 2 silkied ameraucana from NicoleRM (one splash, one blue) that are both cockerals. I hatched 4 chicks from ChooksChick's chocolate ameraucana project almost 2 weeks ago and got 3 mauve and 1 chocolate. The chocolate is silkied!! I have other regular blue, black, and splash ameraucana chicks growing out to cross them with. I will post pics as they grow!

 

[misschickenlittle]

I would caution those that are trying to strengthen the breed to make sure that the pure ams you use to outcross to,are in fact just that. Many people in good faith believe they have good ameraucanas. But if they do not meet the standard or the very least very close...you may not be helping to "strengthen" the breed. The very thing you are striving to do.
Not harping just trying to help, I hope I'm not preachy,not my intent...but I have seen people breed their birds to what they believed to be a pure AM and it was an EE, simply because they didn't know. I have had people proudly show me a lovely EE and proclaim it to be an ameraucana. Sigh....this is an ongoing issue. And even I with all my good intentions cannot fix them....anyhow ...done now...maybe pics tomorrow.

Good point to make to all us newbies. Thanks! I will be sure to check check and check again!!

 

[EdenCamp]

What adds to the confusion is anything, even if "pure" Ameracuana stock, is not one of the specific standard colors - it's called an EE instead of an AOV AM. IMO arbitrarily tossing variations on superficial grounds such as color into the "mutt" pile is pretty short sighted and limiting. Absolutely, the Old Guard of the AM breed standard have every right to choose that approach. Might get kinda lonely tho....

Even in breed associations where tightly controled individual registered pedigrees are used - after so many generations - even with a crossed breed in the woodpile becomes "pure" again. If it breeds true.....it breeds true. It's a breed.

If you look at Orps - there is ever expanding interest in the breed not only because of what makes the breed the breed - but NEW coloring and patterns. Or in the case of Silkied AMs - new feather type. Add in some new color or patterning projects for passion and expanded interest.... Anyway will be interesting to see if these AOV's take the path of establishing themselves as a "New" breed rather than fight being looked on as red-headed step children.

In the meantime, if it was easy.... anybody could do it. Difficult and challanging as the beginnings has been, isn't it interesting just how much interest there has, and continues to be?

 

[LBKS]

One chick out, one zipping, and one pipped as of this evening. I'm going to see about working remotely tomorrow so I can keep an eye on the hatch. The chick that is out keeps sitting on the temp/humidity gauge trying to make things hard for me

 

[EdenCamp]

 

[Moonkit]

One chick out, one zipping, and one pipped as of this evening. I'm going to see about working remotely tomorrow so I can keep an eye on the hatch. The chick that is out keeps sitting on the temp/humidity gauge trying to make things hard for me

"But Mommy.. that wire isn't comfy! I like it better right here!"