Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[MrsBachbach]

Oh darn... I got dupted... My ameraucana's are starting to show some birchen(?) Color bleeding through in their hackle feathers. The breeder I bought them from was very clear about the difference between an Easter egger and a "true" ameraucana. Can this happen in pure blues and blacks just as an unlucky coincidence?

Yes, it can happen. The trick to getting rid of it is first identify the females throwing the leakage, which means you have to grow out some males from them. Also, don't breed the males showing the leakage as they can pass that to their female offspring. Get rid of the females carrying it and don't breed the males showing it.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Around my area there are not enough projects to do this. Usually there is one splash and one lavender. They throw them in the same class. If you have 5+ birds and 3 breeders per variety/class then they can be broken up. Like I said I have not seen a show in my region that even more then 10-15 birds for the whole breed.

In the shows I've been to, a single entry of an AOV still was shown in it's proper variety, even when there were other single-entry AOV varieties in the same breed. There is no Best of AOV at any show I've seen, and that is what you are saying is happening in your area.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Except when you want to show them. Then you have to follow the breed standard rules. Like a person said a couple posts before, the breed standard says any bird that meets the Ameraucana standard and breeds true 50% of the time is an Ameraucana. But everyone is misreading that or does not understand it. I have some splash colors that breed true and I consider Ameraucana but everyone else calls them Easter eggers no matter what. I just gave up and am going all black.

People show splash Ameraucana also. Like another poster said, they can only win in AOV. It is another color Ameraucana breeders would like to get recognized.

 

[heatherscooby77]

Not trying to ruffle any feathers, but I have to wonder why so many folks on here get hung up on whether their birds are 'pure bred' or not...the better question in my mind is are the birds up to standard.

A breeder I greatly respect and admire once wrote, "Names are labels. Types are breeds. Strains are what is in your backyard." And I couldn't agree more....

Am I alone in feeling this way? :/

I agree to a certain extent. You can take a bird that is 1/2 Orpington, and Half Ameraucana to a show. If it is one of the 8 varieties you can show it, and eventually win BOS with it. The judge can't judge whether the bird if it breeds true 50% of the time, or even if it would lay a white egg right in front of them.

These ^^^^ types of birds and other project birds are not what is really being discussed. We are talking about ie: "mixed" birds without a plan. The project birds and lavenders tend to breed true color wise. Breeders are doing this on purpose. They have a plan............ EE are random in most cases. Especially from the hatcheries. Olive Eggers are planned too, but don't breed true when red together.

EE don't have to have any Amerauacana blood in them. Cream Legbars lay a blue green egg. There are other breeds tinted/colored eggs too.

My posts are not necessarily directed at any specific person or quote. I am on my cell so it's a pain in the butt to refer to every post. I am just talking..................

 

[heatherscooby77]

In the shows I've been to, a single entry of an AOV still was shown in it's proper variety, even when there were other single-entry AOV varieties in the same breed.  There is no Best of AOV at any show I've seen, and that is what you are saying is happening in your area.

No not what I am saying. They can only win there class. Cock, cockerel, hen, or pullet All the colors are in together though. Most shows don't even have any AOV.

 

[jajeanpierre]

No not what I am saying. They can only win there class. Cock, cockerel, hen, or pullet All the colors are in together though. Most shows don't even have any AOV.

You are correct (with exceptions), that an AOV entry can only win their class (cock, cockerel, hen or pullet). However, the different VARIETIES are not entered in the same class.

For example, a Lavender Ameraucana cockerel does not compete against a Splash Ameraucana cockerel. The Lavender bird is entered as an Ameraucana (the breed), Variety: Lavender. The splash is entered as an Ameraucana, Variety: Splash. There is no AOV class/variety at a show. Each variety is entered under their proper variety.

In a private email, John Blehm, clarified that although APA/ABA do not require a best/reserve of variety of the unrecognized varieties, some clubs do make those awards. The Ameraucana Breeders Club does award Best of Variety/Reserve to the All Other Varieties.

 

[jajeanpierre]

People show splash Ameraucana also. Like another poster said, they can only win in AOV. It is another color Ameraucana breeders would like to get recognized.

To be clear, they can only win in the Splash Variety classes. Birds are never entered as AOV.

 

[tigercreek]

Not trying to ruffle any feathers, but I have to wonder why so many folks on here get hung up on whether their birds are 'pure bred' or not...the better question in my mind is are the birds up to standard.

A breeder I greatly respect and admire once wrote, "Names are labels. Types are breeds. Strains are what is in your backyard." And I couldn't agree more....

Am I alone in feeling this way? :/

Exactly, most people are thinking along the lines of horses or dogs. In the chicken world, pure bred is a meaningless term. The type of bird it is, is determined by the standard, not by the parentage.

 

[heatherscooby77]

You are correct (with exceptions), that an AOV entry can only win their class (cock, cockerel, hen or pullet).  However, the different VARIETIES are not entered in the same class.


For example, a Lavender Ameraucana cockerel does not compete against a Splash Ameraucana cockerel.  The Lavender bird is entered as an Ameraucana (the breed), Variety:  Lavender.  The splash is entered as an Ameraucana, Variety:  Splash.  There is no AOV class/variety at a show.  Each variety is entered under their proper variety.

In a private email, John Blehm, clarified that although APA/ABA do not require a best/reserve of variety of the unrecognized varieties, some clubs do make those awards.  The Ameraucana Breeders Club does award Best of Variety/Reserve to the All Other Varieties.

I also received a personal e-mail from him. I am not disagreeing with you. What I am saying is what happens around here. I just filled out entries for a show in August. I have birds entered in AOV classes. It is with the Ameraucana, and the Cochins. They are together every year at this particular show. Most all the others do it to. The only exceptions I have seen is the 3breeder/5bird rules that apply for acceptance. The definition is really vague. So different areas might have different interpretations.

 

[8isenuff]

I agree to a certain extent. You can take a bird that is 1/2 Orpington, and Half Ameraucana to a show. If it is one of the 8 varieties you can show it, and eventually win BOS with it. The judge can't judge whether the bird if it breeds true 50% of the time, or even if it would lay a white egg right in front of them.

These ^^^^ types of birds and other project birds are not what is really being discussed. We are talking about ie: "mixed" birds without a plan. The project birds and lavenders tend to breed true color wise. Breeders are doing this on purpose. They have a plan............ EE are random in most cases. Especially from the hatcheries. Olive Eggers are planned too, but don't breed true when red together.

EE don't have to have any Amerauacana blood in them. Cream Legbars lay a blue green egg. There are other breeds tinted/colored eggs too.

My posts are not necessarily directed at any specific person or quote. I am on my cell so it's a pain in the butt to refer to every post. I am just talking..................

Question to clarify...If I want strengthen a feature in my Ams and breed them to another breed to do it, and the result meets SOP for Ams, but it has another breeds blood in the mix....it's ok? For show purposes? What about selling of the offspring as Ams? As long as it breeds true 50% of the time is it ok? Is it still considered an Am, or would I need to tell buyers, judges, anyone else that it had X bred into X generations ago?