Ameracaunas - mild or wild?

[DuaneC]

Ok, so I've bought two small batches of Ameracauna's this year (ok, probably EE's, but pretty good Ameracauna features). 3 in April, 3 in June.

I had heard that they are aggressive and beat up on the other chickens. However, I seem to have the extreme opposite problem. I had to separate the first 3 because their friends (the same age) were pecking them to death (literally - killed a 4th one that I had bought). When they all got full sized, I reintroduced them to the flock and they have all acclimated, but the Leghorns, Barred Rocks, Australorps, and Golden Comets will occasionally throw a peck their way or take a run after them. They are always timid and crowd around my feet when I go in the pen (they know I'll protect them). They're big enough now that the abuse isn't causing any damage (physically anyway).

So, I thought it must have just been them. But, I bought 3 toward the end of June along with 2 Welsummers and put them in a pen along with comparably aged Black Silkie crosses. Now they're almost twice as large as the silkies, but they still get chased around the pen!

What gives? Should I separate them altogether?

 

[pippsqueak]

I recommend separation for sure. I have two Ameraucanas and they are the sweetest compared to my RIR. I have one that pretty much lets me do anything to her and she never peeps or anything. My RIR's are more aggressive in comparison and sometimes picks on my littlest Ameraucana. I've never had to separate them but, sometimes introducing new birds takes some time. Hopefully someone can help because I am thinking about getting two more Ameraucana's this spring to add to my flock. Hope everything goes well!

 

[Jeffross1968]

Yeah, mine is completely harmless and ranks probably on the lower end of the pecking order, though not the bottom. She has done some treat related pecking when it comes to smaller birds, but very minor. Loves to jump up on our laps while we're out there.

 

[pippsqueak]

My little girl (Mama B) I kind of ended up favoring a little more than the others. She started out my largest pullet and now she is the smallest. Sometimes my RIR's won't let her eat so she's a late bloomer now. I sometimes take her aside and let her have extra yogurt or her favorite treats. LOL

I love them all equally though.

 

[BooBear]

Mine are very sweet natured. They get along with my current flock.

 

[greytmommy]

i have 3, and they are all SUPER mellow and low on the food chain! They are crazy wiley.... probably the least likely to be preditor bait of all my chickens (we free range). They have never picked on any of my other hens (maran, cochin, silkie...). Luckily none of my girls pick on each other....

 

[Hinotori]

I only have regular easter eggers, but they are for the most part pretty mild. The top girl is one of them and she's very laid back but will break up fights. I actually had an issue with my 4 silkies that are a month younger when I introduced them to the 12 EE girls. They pecked their way straight toward the top of the pecking order.

 

[nwfl]

I have two beautiful salmon/wheaten girls with a recessive rumpless gene that I use for breeding, they are very shy and gentle, in their own pen for safety. Two EE girls with ear tufts are wild and hold their own with the main flock. A few are older dominant birds. And one we call Stepford is the meanest, wildest girl and a regular hoodini, so unchicken like. She ddoesnt even look like an EE anymore, more like a terminator 3 hen. We have in the past tried to cull Stepford, wringing her neck, shooting her, everything short of a blade or ax and she came through unfazed. She is now our best laying EE, so we keep her isolated most of the time but she breaks out eventually, yes even through hardware mesh. You really should give some birds their own place sometimes.

 

[DuaneC]

Thanks for all the comments. I'm glad to find that others have mild ones too. I read a couple of articles that claimed that they were aggressive, but that hasn't been my experience. My 3 older girls get along ok with everyone, but they are definitely bottom of the pecking order. When I walk in the coop, they stay around my legs and look out at the other hens.

The younger Ameracaunas are now almost twice as big as the Silkies, so they're holding their own with them.

I think when I expand the coop, I'm going to make a section just for the EE's and Silkies. That seems to be about the best pairing so far...

 

[DuaneC]

I've got a Silkie-ish Roo too (he's a cross). If he can handle the bigger girls, I think they'd make some cute chicks!