Ameraucana genetics question- getting a bunch of blue chicks!

[AliGrowsFood]

Well I was gifted this lumpy rooster that was said to be a true ameraucana. His coloring is gorgeous but since he’s malformed, he’s destroying the hens because he loses his balance and just grips tighter and attacks them. (no feathers on backs, back of heads, or right shoulder, some getting black and blue bruises all over their backs even with saddles on. ). I plan to cull him now that I finally had two hens go broody.

But here’s the kicker. Out of a mixed flock of hens, so far I’ve seen four brown eggs and two blue hatched and FOUR of the chicks appear to have the blue feather coloring.

Does this roo have some sort of extra special genetics that give a high ratio of blue? Or would any ameraucana roo do the same? I really think I need to cull this guy due to the damage he’s causing but I don’t want to eliminate a blue producing genetic line if it’s rare.

Also what is his coloring??? Haven’tfound a an example like him yet!

Also attached a few photos of the first three blue chicks out of five. They came from four brown eggs and one blue. A mix of different breeds for the hens but at BEST, only one from an ameraucana hen.

 

[RiverOtter]

He's an Easter Egger and his color looks Splash Wheaton.

It's a common color on a common breed and certainly not worth the wear and tear on your hens. What's more, you don't want him passing on his weird conformation.

Any of your blue chicks can and will pass on blue in your flock and you're pretty likely to have a replacement rooster in there. Go on and cull.

 

[AliGrowsFood]

He's an Easter Egger and his color looks Splash Wheaton.

It's a common color on a common breed and certainly not worth the wear and tear on your hens. What's more, you don't want him passing on his weird conformation.

Any of your blue chicks can and will pass on blue in your flock and you're pretty likely to have a replacement rooster in there. Go on and cull.

Thanks for the info! I had asked if they were SURE it was a true Ameraucana and they said they got them from Meyer and that yes it is but I’m guessing maybe not hah. I think it’s cool that even some of the brown egg layer crosses with him still produced at least two blue chicks. (I have one each of a lavender Orpington, buff orp, barred rock, partridge rock, and RIR that the brown eggs could be from. Can’t te

so far no lumpy chicks so that’s a plus.
Not sure but can you give me any info on how the splash work? That’s the Bb gene right? So if he contributed a B to any cross, it’d be some form of blue in the chicks? And if a b, then it wouldn’t show blue (perhaps resulting in my brown or chipmunk chicks??)

That makes me feel better because I’d hate to eliminate a strong blue gene but my only other option is to pen him separate from the hens and I don’t want to listen to him throwing a fit constantly either.

also, how can you tell he’s anEE versus Ameraucana? For my learning

eta: or the BB/Bb maybe is just egg color genes? I might have confused myself there haha.

 

[AliGrowsFood]

More chicks hatching!
Of the three hatched so far:

blue egg:blue chick
Blue egg: blue chick
Brown egg: dark choc brown chick

more on the way!

I know colors can change as they grow but the blue ones that hatched today look exactly like the ones that hatched 3 weeks ago and their wing feathers are all still blue so I’mcrossing fingers that I won the chicken lottery.

(Total count so far: out of 8 eggs, 5 blue chicks, two dark brown, one chipmunk.)

 

[hysop]

There are other differences but one is that the Ameracauna has a beard and cheek muffs or whatever. While some Easter Eggers Have the cheek muffs but not the beard. Also I think the color of their legs determines of they’re true.
I’m no expert on it though.

 

[AliGrowsFood]

There are other differences but one is that the Ameracauna has a beard and cheek muffs or whatever. While some Easter Eggers Have the cheek muffs but not the beard. Also I think the color of their legs determines of they’re true.
I’m no expert on it though.

Ah! Gotcha. Yeah he doesn’t have muffs. The EE and Ameraucana girls I got from Meyer all have muffs. . All of them and the roo have slate legs though

 

[AliGrowsFood]

A few more photos for fun. Including updated quick snap of some of the older chicks. One looks solid grey but the other looks like it has lacing. So dang pretty. I hope it stays that way.
And some fresh baby pics from the other clutch.

 

[hysop]

Ah! Gotcha. Yeah he doesn’t have muffs. The EE and Ameraucana girls I got from Meyer all have muffs. . All of them and the roo have slate legs though

True Ameracaunas are like $20 per chick from a hatchery. So if you paid the normal $3-5 per chick then most likely they’re not true.

I would be weary of buying Ameracaunas from people this year because a lot of people seem to confuse them with Easter Eggers. Not sure if it’s because there’s an influx of new chicken owners or because hatcheries are selling them as Americanas which created confusion.

 

[Kaesi2020]

True Ameracaunas are like $20 per chick from a hatchery. So if you paid the normal $3-5 per chick then most likely they’re not true.

I would be weary of buying Ameracaunas from people this year because a lot of people seem to confuse them with Easter Eggers. Not sure if it’s because there’s an influx of new chicken owners or because hatcheries are selling them as Americanas which created confusion.

So glad this thread started. Its very confusing when buying these birds at places like TSC. They advertise them as "Americanas" and in my case, insisted they were not EE. They were a dollar each back in April.

AliGrowsFood so glad you started this conversation! You're birds are beautiful.

 

[keesmom]

Well I was gifted this lumpy rooster that was said to be a true ameraucana. His coloring is gorgeous but since he’s malformed, he’s destroying the hens because he loses his balance and just grips tighter and attacks them. (no feathers on backs, back of heads, or right shoulder, some getting black and blue bruises all over their backs even with saddles on. ). I plan to cull him now that I finally had two hens go broody.

But here’s the kicker. Out of a mixed flock of hens, so far I’ve seen four brown eggs and two blue hatched and FOUR of the chicks appear to have the blue feather coloring.

Does this roo have some sort of extra special genetics that give a high ratio of blue? Or would any ameraucana roo do the same? I really think I need to cull this guy due to the damage he’s causing but I don’t want to eliminate a blue producing genetic line if it’s rare. View attachment 2204998View attachment 2204999View attachment 2205000View attachment 2205004View attachment 2205005

Also what is his coloring??? Haven’tfound a an example like him yet!

Also attached a few photos of the first three blue chicks out of five. They came from four brown eggs and one blue. A mix of different breeds for the hens but at BEST, only one from an ameraucana hen.

He looks like a splash with red leakage. Crossed to your lavender Orp and barred Rock will give you all blue chicks, maybe with some cockerels with leakage.