The AMERAUCANA thread

[kurby22]

It does seem like they do tend to push through the black? I think I remember my EE being much darker when she was younger, and the picture I added was fairly recent. She's about 11 months old in that photo and is pretty red in the comb. Thank you for the info, even though we got off the topic of Ameraucanas! lol

You bet! It came up when I posted on one of the Ameraucana FB pages, there were a lot of nay sayers about Jessamy's gypsy face and whether or not it would go away. There, brought it back around to be on topic for the thread! Hehe.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Oh Ok, I see. One of my Australorps is more like that, but I'm sure she will get her red wattles someday. Is it the same thing as being called melanistic? It comes to mind for Ayam Cemani mixes that people are calling "zombie chickens" because of their black/grey faces.

Gypsy face is the natural melanization that can come along with the ER and E loci. Those two kinda just darken everything if they can. They also add pigmentation to the legs, if unrestricted. Usually dark-faced pullets/cockerels will grow out of it though, and I don't think the entire body is melanized at a young age.

It's not exactly the same thing as a fibromelanistic bird though. That is a whole separate gene that tries to makes skin, muscle, etc, etc black. Fibromelanistic birds- like those zombie chickens- usually keep the trait(or signs of the trait) into adulthood, and fibromelanism can show up on any e-locus bird. The strength of the blackness will vary with bird, and line, so color can range from dark-purplish-mulberry to solid black.

I think the biggest difference is that fibromelanism will usually affect the whole body, and can be on nearly any pattern.

 

[Erinnlyn]

Gypsy face is the natural melanization that can come along with the ER and E loci. Those two kinda just darken everything if they can. They also add pigmentation to the legs, if unrestricted. Usually dark-faced pullets/cockerels will grow out of it though, and I don't think the entire body is melanized at a young age.

It's not exactly the same thing as a fibromelanistic bird though. That is a whole separate gene that tries to makes skin, muscle, etc, etc black. Fibromelanistic birds- like those zombie chickens- usually keep the trait(or signs of the trait) into adulthood, and fibromelanism can show up on any e-locus bird. The strength of the blackness will vary with bird, and line, so color can range from dark-purplish-mulberry to solid black.

I think the biggest difference is that fibromelanism will usually affect the whole body, and can be on nearly any pattern.

Very interesting, thank you for that explanation!

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Rain

My bantams have, since I put them into their new enclosure, absolutely refused to go into their enclosed shed/coop. It rained most of Wednesday night and Thursday morning, so now they’re drenched(because why go into the easily accessible shed for shelter, when they can just get rained on all night?). Their feathers look absolutely awful right now.

The only two who were spared of this drenching were two pullets i have in conditioning pens. 1 I’m going to be taking to a show in like a week, the other is there just for moral support and friendship lol.

 

[NagemTX]

Rain

My bantams have, since I put them into their new enclosure, absolutely refused to go into their enclosed shed/coop. It rained most of Wednesday night and Thursday morning, so now they’re drenched(because why go into the easily accessible shed for shelter, when they can just get rained on all night?). Their feathers look absolutely awful right now.

The only two who were spared of this drenching were two pullets i have in conditioning pens. 1 I’m going to be taking to a show in like a week, the other is there just for moral support and friendship lol.View attachment 3658709View attachment 3658710

Haha, I have this problem with my new batch that is just over 5 months old. They like the open air more. Well unless it'd really hot the they get in the covered coop.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Haha, I have this problem with my new batch that is just over 5 months old. They like the open air more. Well unless it'd really hot the they get in the covered coop.

Babies these ones are just about to turn 4 months old. It’s always the young ones who‘re crazy. They haven’t touched their sheltered coop once to hide from the heat, rain, or anything. Technically, most of their run is covered though, so doesn't get direct beating sunlight and heat. (They sleep in the one uncovered area of the run though, if that isn’t just grand).

I just can’t have them getting drenched constantly. I may have to start putting them in the coop at night via force.

 

[NagemTX]

Babies these ones are just about to turn 4 months old. It’s always the young ones who‘re crazy. They haven’t touched their sheltered coop once to hide from the heat, rain, or anything. Technically, most of their run is covered though, so doesn't get direct beating sunlight and heat. (They sleep in the one uncovered area of the run though, if that isn’t just grand).

I just can’t have them getting drenched constantly. I may have to start putting them in the coop at night via force.

I have two more temp coops to get built before I start the forcing them in and keeping them there for the next 6 to 9months untill they learn. I need them in at night at the lest. We have owls and coons.

The one coon that hangs around the most has a paw/hand it can't seem to use. It's a deformed hand either by birth or injury. Doesn't bother the birds as long as it has cat food.....and there's no cat food in the coop/runs I have.

 

[kurby22]

Babies these ones are just about to turn 4 months old. It’s always the young ones who‘re crazy. They haven’t touched their sheltered coop once to hide from the heat, rain, or anything. Technically, most of their run is covered though, so doesn't get direct beating sunlight and heat. (They sleep in the one uncovered area of the run though, if that isn’t just grand).

I just can’t have them getting drenched constantly. I may have to start putting them in the coop at night via force.

Yeah teenagers of all species make poor choices! They look so cute all drenched and clueless though

 

[The Birb King]

LF rooster that I believe has sun bleaching. He's my rooster. He has gotten more yellow than in this picture now. He free ranges daily.

View attachment 3649048

Here's my rooster that's starting to molt. He looks pretty similar to yours

 

[NagemTX]

View attachment 3661759
Here's my rooster that's starting to molt. He looks pretty similar to yours

Yes looks like sunbleaching.