Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[heatherscooby77]

This is a Blue AM x SLW hen. Its the only blue I got. Its a cockerel. I have some chicks in the brooder. They are Splash AM x SLW hen. I am only keeping the blues. They have nice lacing already. Will post pics soon. The reason I went with the splash on the 2nd round of eggs is because of the lack of blues in the 1st round. I also didn't want them being full brothers and sisters to breed back to each other for F1. From here on out, its blue to blue breeding only for F1. If I don't get enough hens to make the F1 breedings I will hatch more in the spring. Not to bad, I am so glad I hatched this nice cockerel!

 

[heatherscooby77]

This is a Blue AM x SLW hen. Its the only blue I got. Its a cockerel. I have some chicks in the brooder. They are Splash AM x SLW hen. They have nice lacing already. Will post pics soon. The reason I went with the splash on the 2nd round of eggs is because of the lack of blues in the 1st round. I also didn't want them being full brothers and sisters to breed back to each other for F1. From here on out, its blue to blue breeding only for F1. If I don't get enough hens to make the F1 breedings I will hatch more in the spring. Not to bad, I am so glad I hatched this nice cockerel!

 

[dfdesigns]

Christie, I am so excited to see what you get! I've got to admit that Am X Blue Andy is quickly becoming one of my favorite crosses... please take lots of pictures!

 

[Christie Rhae]

Cool, Christie!! Can't wait to see what you start producing. Post some pictures of your teens so we can see what you are working with. (And just my 2 cents on the splash - I would be reluctant to use a splash in a project such as yours because you really do want to know what sort of lacing you are working with. However, that said, since you are just getting started - what the heck! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!!!!! Guess you'll find out!

I imagine you're going to have to do a ton of hatching .... )

Normally I would totally agree about the splash. And in my future generations I can never use a splash. But these are Tom Roebuck's birds. So I do know what is under the splash...
this! lol! Joke




It really is cool to see actually lacing. Instead of all the edging that I have on all my other birds. This is something different. When I look closely at each feather there is a narrow crisp line of black around each one. Even the tail feathers. It is not a blurry line, it is crisp. The pullet on the left is a little bit dark. I like the other pullet (not pictured) and the two cockerels that I have. They are ice blue under the lacing. That is what I am going to go for with my birds. The pale pale blue with dark lacing. Love it!

My black ameraucanas are from John Behm. I already see a couple really nice big cockerels. I will ask for advice when it is time to cull them. I need the absolute best birds that I can start with for the project. I am pretty confident that I found the best specimens that I could glean from the country. Black ams from Michigan and blue andalusians from Virginia....all the way over here in the Islands. lol

In the F1 generation I will not really have to hatch that many birds. I mean I will want a nice group but pretty much they will all get half Am genes and half Andalusian genes. It is F2 generation that it could take hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hatchings to get what I want....or might happen with the first chick! lol... That is how the odds work. Could be the first, could be the very last that is the lucky roll of the dice.

This is such an interesting project for me. I sit out and admire my birds all the time. I still cannot believe those andalusians in the pic are actually in my back yard! I gazed at pictures for so long and wished and wished for these birds. Now I actually have them! Just shows what perseverance will get you....results! Well I should say "perseverance and patience". lol I will not be able to hatch a single chick for this project until over a year from when I first started trying to get these birds. Patience is going to be a big ingredient for this project.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I'll say, patience! You are a BRAVE woman, Christie. Those Andalusians really don't look like Ameraucanas, do they? Going to take a few generations, I think, to get somewhere. You have a lot to deal with. Since you and I have been having these conversations about lacing and edging, I've been paying more attention at the shows. There really aren't very many birds out there in any breed that show true lacing - even though the SOP describes all blue as laced like the Andalusians. (Even Silkies are supposed to be "laced". I wonder if it is even possible with silkied feathers .... ?)

 

[Christie Rhae]

Quote:

Normally I would totally agree about the splash. And in my future generations I can never use a splash. But these are Tom Roebuck's birds. So I do know what is under the splash...
this! lol! Joke




It really is cool to see actually lacing. Instead of all the edging that I have on all my other birds. This is something different. When I look closely at each feather there is a narrow crisp line of black around each one. Even the tail feathers. It is not a blurry line, it is crisp. The pullet on the left is a little bit dark. I like the other pullet (not pictured) and the two cockerels that I have. They are ice blue under the lacing. That is what I am going to go for with my birds. The pale pale blue with dark lacing. Love it!

My black ameraucanas are from John Behm. I already see a couple really nice big cockerels. I will ask for advice when it is time to cull them. I need the absolute best birds that I can start with for the project. I am pretty confident that I found the best specimens that I could glean from the country. Black ams from Michigan and blue andalusians from Virginia....all the way over here in the Islands. lol

In the F1 generation I will not really have to hatch that many birds. I mean I will want a nice group but pretty much they will all get half Am genes and half Andalusian genes. It is F2 generation that it could take hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hatchings to get what I want....or might happen with the first chick! lol... That is how the odds work. Could be the first, could be the very last that is the lucky roll of the dice.

This is such an interesting project for me. I sit out and admire my birds all the time. I still cannot believe those andalusians in the pic are actually in my back yard! I gazed at pictures for so long and wished and wished for these birds. Now I actually have them! Just shows what perseverance will get you....results! Well I should say "perseverance and patience". lol I will not be able to hatch a single chick for this project until over a year from when I first started trying to get these birds. Patience is going to be a big ingredient for this project.

I'll say, patience! You are a BRAVE woman, Christie. Those Andalusians really don't look like Ameraucanas, do they? Going to take a few generations, I think, to get somewhere. You have a lot to deal with. Since you and I have been having these conversations about lacing and edging, I've been paying more attention at the shows. There really aren't very many birds out there in any breed that show true lacing - even though the SOP describes all blue as laced like the Andalusians. (Even Silkies are supposed to be "laced". I wonder if it is even possible with silkied feathers .... ?)

hahahaha that would be something! A laced silky

I know that many blue birds do not have the required lacing. Crazy huh? Maybe just cuz it is such a big hassle to get the lacing in there. lol
I have no shows to go to and the chickens are just pure hobby so having a super long term goal fits me perfectly.

I like that the andalusians lay white eggs. No brown egg genes to deal with. Blue eggs are important to me. Single comb is easy to spot. Andalusians have white skin so no sneaky green legs. It is a big project but that is part of the fun!

 

[Flowerbh]

Can you tell the sex of a week old Ameraucana chick by his wings? I have two that hatched at the same time....one has wings almost the same length now and the others wings are "long and short". I'm talking about the primary and the secondary. Also, do you know if a females tail grows in faster than a males?

 

[NoseyChickens]

Can you tell the sex of a week old Ameraucana chick by his wings? I have two that hatched at the same time....one has wings almost the same length now and the others wings are "long and short". I'm talking about the primary and the secondary. Also, do you know if a females tail grows in faster than a males?

I was told that unless your flock id specifcally bred to be wing sexed it doesnt work

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: x2

 

[Christie Rhae]

Quote: From the info I read awhile back it seems like wing feather sexing only worked on day olds.