Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Reyvaughn]

Photo day!

Now... since I have been made aware of the single beard gene issue, I have to wonder who has bad type. Some of my girls have longer tails than the others. Some are narrower. The mother and daughter pair have considerable ticking. And now I need to check earlobe coloring. I think I have at least 3 with red earlobes. Yay! If it isn't one thing, it's another. After a nice conversation with another Ameraucana breeder, I am really wondering if I shouldn't just get rid of everyone and start all over again. Those pretty eggs are nice, but like I was told, if you are going to breed and call yourself a breeder, you should breed toward the SOP.

Anyways, other than the single beard gene, no one has said a darn thing about my birds. Please, tell me if I should continue with what I have or dump them and start again. I do have the 20 chicks from Paul Smith ordered and I am trying (unsuccessfully right now) to get a hold of Barbara Campbell to see if she has any leftover stock to sell from last year. Anyways, please judge my birds! Be honest!

All but 3 are Dorain's daughters.

<--- Dorian

<---- Dorian's Daughter

<--- Dorian's Hatchmate / Original Stock

<--- Group Pic

<--- Ticked Mom and Daughter (daughter on bottom)

<--- Dorian's Daughter, Splash Wheaten

<--- Dorian's Daughter (Left) and Splash Wheaten hatched from White Mountain Ranch's stock (R)

<--- Dorian's Daughter

<--- Another Dorian Daughter (Left) and White Mountain's (Right)

<--- Group Pic

<--- Dorian's Daughter - Same Splash Wheaten as above

 

[Shaffer]

Reyvaugh,
Why would you dump them all and buy new stock. All you have to do is test mate all your birds. It looks like you have 8 hens/pullets. Just test two at a time in the same pen or seperate them into single cages till you can figure which ones have the issue. You will need to do the same with the cock/cockerels also and you can start hatching after you eat the rejects don;t put them back into any one else's flock. People say they only want layers until you see the same birds on one of the egg selling sites.

 

[pips&peeps]

Oh gosh Harry, I about fell off my chair when I read your last sentence. So true.

 

[Reyvaughn]

Reyvaugh,
   Why would you dump them all and buy new stock.  All you have to do is test mate all your birds.  It looks like you have 8 hens/pullets.  Just test two at a time in the same pen or seperate them into single cages till you can figure which ones have the issue.  You will need to do the same with the cock/cockerels also and you can start hatching after you eat the rejects don;t put them back into any one else's flock.  People say they only want layers until you see the same birds on one of the egg selling sites.

I am disgusted. Everyone hyped up this line and of course, being a newb (at least I knew the difference between Ameraucanas and EEs), I got sucked in based on egg color. The birds did look good in the pics. They were young, too. Then I get them home, they grow out and then I breed. Oh, look! I have pretty eggs and birds with issues! I didn't get into this for eggs. I spent a small fortune (over $400 with driving and purchasing) on 6 birds to start me off. I spend the same on 5 Chocolate Orps shipped to me!

I have 10 hens/pullets in that coop, 1 in the brooder. I finally found someone somewhat local I can drive to. He has an extra cockerel from Wayne Meredith he's selling. So, once I get the pics tomorrow, I may be making a 4 1/2 round trip for a new cockerel. He has a couple extra girls and I may snag one of those as well. With Paul's chicks coming in April and I am pondering an order from Wayne as well... I may be pretty well off.

I am disgusted with my entire flock, to be honest, it's not just the Ameraucanas. The Ameraucanas are my focus right now until March/April. Like I said before, these issues set me back an entire year, plus.

On a side note, I also noticed this line does not lay well. I was lucky to get an egg every other day out of 5 girls. If I got 3 a day, I thought there was an apocalypse coming! They like 60-70 degrees with a slight breeze, partly cloudy to rainy. Otherwise, no eggs. I hatched less than 50 birds from January to October last year. I sold 4-5 dozen or so. I figured with 10 girls this year, I should get an egg a day for sure! Maybe 2 every other day! That's triple the eggs from only double the girls - so I am not getting hopeful. LOL!

 

[Mahonri]

Paul's birds should lay for you.

 

[jeremy]

I am disgusted. Everyone hyped up this line and of course, being a newb (at least I knew the difference between Ameraucanas and EEs), I got sucked in based on egg color. The birds did look good in the pics. They were young, too. Then I get them home, they grow out and then I breed. Oh, look! I have pretty eggs and birds with issues! I didn't get into this for eggs. I spent a small fortune (over $400 with driving and purchasing) on 6 birds to start me off. I spend the same on 5 Chocolate Orps shipped to me!

I have 10 hens/pullets in that coop, 1 in the brooder. I finally found someone somewhat local I can drive to. He has an extra cockerel from Wayne Meredith he's selling. So, once I get the pics tomorrow, I may be making a 4 1/2 round trip for a new cockerel. He has a couple extra girls and I may snag one of those as well. With Paul's chicks coming in April and I am pondering an order from Wayne as well... I may be pretty well off.

I am disgusted with my entire flock, to be honest, it's not just the Ameraucanas. The Ameraucanas are my focus right now until March/April. Like I said before, these issues set me back an entire year, plus.

On a side note, I also noticed this line does not lay well. I was lucky to get an egg every other day out of 5 girls. If I got 3 a day, I thought there was an apocalypse coming! They like 60-70 degrees with a slight breeze, partly cloudy to rainy. Otherwise, no eggs. I hatched less than 50 birds from January to October last year. I sold 4-5 dozen or so. I figured with 10 girls this year, I should get an egg a day for sure! Maybe 2 every other day! That's triple the eggs from only double the girls - so I am not getting hopeful. LOL!

Honestly, if you are this unhappy with the breed- give them up.

Raising chickens shouldn't make you as frustrated as you seem to be. Thinking forward I'd imagine things will only get worse for you, because how now will these birds ever live up to expectation? Maybe you should focus your efforts on a breed that you find more rewarding that will leave you with less of a negative connotation.

You mentioned you had Chocolate Orpingtons as well, you could focus your efforts there?

 

[heatherscooby77]

Wow, I think she is allowed to be frustrated. She is very passionate about the breed. Telling someone to quit, that is not an option I think she is open too. Improving her flock is her general concern, and she is really happy about this years possible outcome.

Writing a paragraph on a forum, can be taken so many ways. I hope you were not being mean. It comes across as annoyed. Reaching out to fellow breeders, and voicing concerns is a healthy way of venting the frustration. Its good to be able to talk to fellow breeders who may know what she is going through, and help her solve her problem.

 

[heatherscooby77]

Reyvaugh,
Why would you dump them all and buy new stock. All you have to do is test mate all your birds. It looks like you have 8 hens/pullets. Just test two at a time in the same pen or seperate them into single cages till you can figure which ones have the issue. You will need to do the same with the cock/cockerels also and you can start hatching after you eat the rejects don;t put them back into any one else's flock. People say they only want layers until you see the same birds on one of the egg selling sites.

Mr. Shaffer, I love your no non-sense approach. Thank you..............

 

[Reyvaughn]

Honestly, if you are this unhappy with the breed- give them up.

Raising chickens shouldn't make you as frustrated as you seem to be. Thinking forward I'd imagine things will only get worse for you, because how now will these birds ever live up to expectation? Maybe you should focus your efforts on a breed that you find more rewarding that will leave you with less of a negative connotation.

You mentioned you had Chocolate Orpingtons as well, you could focus your efforts there?

I am unhappy that this person claims to be a breeder of true Ameraucanas and really isn't. I am unhappy that in my own stupidity I was duped and wasted so much money. I love the Ameraucanas. My roo is the calmest and most gentle boy I have. The girls are naturally calm and will come up to you without being mauled as chicks (I don't believe in treating them as pets and I don't play with them and make lap chickens out of them). It's not the breed I have an issue with, it's back to the way people breed and advertise something and their product is not what they advertise... Like a hatchery with EEs selling them as Ameraucanas. These aren't EEs, but you get what I mean, I hope.

I don't want to be a person like above mentioned. My kids what to show, as do I. I know I am newer to this than most, but I want a flock I can be proud of and people will want birds from.

 

[Fyremare]

I am disgusted. Everyone hyped up this line and of course, being a newb (at least I knew the difference between Ameraucanas and EEs), I got sucked in based on egg color. The birds did look good in the pics. They were young, too. Then I get them home, they grow out and then I breed. Oh, look! I have pretty eggs and birds with issues! I didn't get into this for eggs. I spent a small fortune (over $400 with driving and purchasing) on 6 birds to start me off. I spend the same on 5 Chocolate Orps shipped to me!

I have 10 hens/pullets in that coop, 1 in the brooder. I finally found someone somewhat local I can drive to. He has an extra cockerel from Wayne Meredith he's selling. So, once I get the pics tomorrow, I may be making a 4 1/2 round trip for a new cockerel. He has a couple extra girls and I may snag one of those as well. With Paul's chicks coming in April and I am pondering an order from Wayne as well... I may be pretty well off.

I am disgusted with my entire flock, to be honest, it's not just the Ameraucanas. The Ameraucanas are my focus right now until March/April. Like I said before, these issues set me back an entire year, plus.

On a side note, I also noticed this line does not lay well. I was lucky to get an egg every other day out of 5 girls. If I got 3 a day, I thought there was an apocalypse coming! They like 60-70 degrees with a slight breeze, partly cloudy to rainy. Otherwise, no eggs. I hatched less than 50 birds from January to October last year. I sold 4-5 dozen or so. I figured with 10 girls this year, I should get an egg a day for sure! Maybe 2 every other day! That's triple the eggs from only double the girls - so I am not getting hopeful. LOL!

Can someone point me back to the single beard gene thing, and what "line" is being discussed here? Thank you