Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[chickee]

I found an email address that may be hers on a web site for the Pacific Poultry Breeders Association show. If that doesn't work, I'll give her a call.

 

[dstokely]

Blue is dominant . Self blue (lavender) is recessive .

My question really was not about the color chart as I have one of those. What I don't quite comprehend is when someone wants a black Ameraucana and they say they want one only from blacks. Does that mean that the offspring from a black that came from a blue/black paring fit that description, or does there have to be so many generations before it is considered a black from a black. Then, if I breed my beautiful blacks to a blue, which I will since I do not have a black roo, what does that mean for those black offspring.

What I don't ever want to happen is for someone to buy a black hen thinking it was just black, and then find out later it was a black hen from a blue/black paring. But then, does it matter?

Am I overthinking this?

 

[jerryse]

So, if I have blue hens I need to breed them to a blue roo to keep the line true? Or is it okay to breed them to a black roo?


Or to a splash roo maybe?

It is ok to breed to black .

 

[tigercreek]

My question really was not about the color chart as I have one of those. What I don't quite comprehend is when someone wants a black Ameraucana and they say they want one only from blacks. Does that mean that the offspring from a black that came from a blue/black paring fit that description, or does there have to be so many generations before it is considered a black from a black. Then, if I breed my beautiful blacks to a blue, which I will since I do not have a black roo, what does that mean for those black offspring.

What I don't ever want to happen is for someone to buy a black hen thinking it was just black, and then find out later it was a black hen from a blue/black paring. But then, does it matter?

Am I overthinking this?

Think of it this way....Blue is not a genetic color....Blue is actually a black bird with a dominate, pigment inhibitor gene. If the gene is present, the bird will be blue, or splash if it has a double dose..... A black bird is a pure black bird, and will breed true, it does not carry the inhibitor gene, or it would be blue. it does not matter if it came from black to blue breeding...

 

[christine9]

Think of it this way....Blue is not a genetic color....Blue is actually a black bird with a dominate, pigment inhibitor gene. If the gene is present, the bird will be blue, or splash if it has a double dose..... A black bird is a pure black bird, and will breed true, it does not carry the inhibitor gene, or it would be blue. it does not matter if it came from black to blue breeding...
[/quote]
I think what your seeing is people looking for blacks from blacks because this kind of breeding is usually done to improve type. Sounds like it's someone who thinks black to black will inherently mean better type. IMO.

 

[dstokely]

Think of it this way....Blue is not a genetic color....Blue is actually a black bird with a dominate, pigment inhibitor gene. If the gene is present, the bird will be blue, or splash if it has a double dose..... A black bird is a pure black bird, and will breed true, it does not carry the inhibitor gene, or it would be blue. it does not matter if it came from black to blue breeding...

Think of it this way....Blue is not a genetic color....Blue is actually a black bird with a dominate, pigment inhibitor gene. If the gene is present, the bird will be blue, or splash if it has a double dose..... A black bird is a pure black bird, and will breed true, it does not carry the inhibitor gene, or it would be blue. it does not matter if it came from black to blue breeding...

I think what your seeing is people looking for blacks from blacks because this kind of breeding is usually done to improve type. Sounds like it's someone who thinks black to black will inherently mean better type. IMO.[/QUOTE]

Thank you so much for your answers and helping me understand this.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Think of it this way....Blue is not a genetic color....Blue is actually a black bird with a dominate, pigment inhibitor gene. If the gene is present, the bird will be blue, or splash if it has a double dose..... A black bird is a pure black bird, and will breed true, it does not carry the inhibitor gene, or it would be blue. it does not matter if it came from black to blue breeding...

I think what your seeing is people looking for blacks from blacks because this kind of breeding is usually done to improve type. Sounds like it's someone who thinks black to black will inherently mean better type. IMO.[/QUOTE]

It's more complicated than that. I think there are two things being considered.

First, a blue might (does???) carry a pattern gene (genes?) for lacing independent of the blue genes. Someone wanting to breed blacks doesn't want that pattern showing up. I think it can be ever so slightly noticeable on a black bird.

Secondly there is the issue of the base color. From what I understand, the best blues are silver based while the best blacks are gold based. So, if you want the best blacks, you want gold-based blacks, which might not be coming from a blue breeding program.

Now, here's where I can't get answers: How can you tell a bird is gold based or silver based?

I believe--and those in the know, please chime in because I'm just a rookie looking for answers--most Ameraucanas are gold based.

I've asked the same questions in the other breed (Cochins) that I'm working with. I can't get any good explanations there either. Maybe nobody knows. Maybe you can't tell without doing genetic testing.

The blacks I bought from a top exhibitor came from blue breeding since they came from pens that blues and/or splashes came out of.

 

[pips&peeps]

No, blue ameraucanas do not carry any pattern genes. This is why they have no lacing and just edging.

From my experience and, it is not in any way scientific:

A black bird based on gold will have black legs.

A black bird based on silver will have blue slate legs.


I have seen no difference in the green sheen in black birds if they are based on silver or gold.

It is preferred to have blues based on silver to prevent the rusty brown color when the feathers get old.

 

[jajeanpierre]

No, blue ameraucanas do not carry any pattern genes. This is why they have no lacing and just edging.

From my experience and, it is not in any way scientific:

A black bird based on gold will have black legs.

A black bird based on silver will have blue slate legs.


I have seen no difference in the green sheen in black birds if they are based on silver or gold.

It is preferred to have blues based on silver to prevent the rusty brown color when the feathers get old.

There are a few breeders working on putting the lacing pattern genes into Ameraucanas. I don't know how close they are to having a blue Ameraucana laced like Blue Andalusian.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I bought a nicer laced (for an Ameraucana) Pullet not too long ago. She has much nicer lacing then any of my other blues(they hve scent edging) but she lacks in everything else; Body type (I am still holding out a little hope of her shaping up since she is very young), sparse beard and muffs, etc. I figured for $20 I would get her and fiddle around with the color and see what I can come up with.