True Amerecuana, or mixed?

[likkatron]

This is Artemis:




Artemis is about 4-5 months old, and I'm 100% sure he's a boy.
What I'm not 100% sure on is whether or not he's all Amerecauna, or mixed?
The breeder I got him from does breed EE's, but Artemis has always looked Amerecauna until about a month ago when these feathers came in.
He's got the muff, the color (minus the weird discolored feathers), the thick neck, etc.
(Sorry for the snapchat stuff, had my sister take pictures since my camera is full, and I don't have a snap chat xD)

 

[junebuggena]

He could be a poor quality Blue Ameraucana with a whole lot of leakage (a very undesirable trait).

 

[likkatron]

It is very undesirable indeed xD
I've been reading a little bit more about genetics and started seeing the word leakage, if I were to pair him with another amerecauna girl (with no leakage) would the probability of leakage in the offspring be high?

This is a pretty old picture of the girl.
We have 3 confirmed Roo's in our bunch of only 7, so if I can find him a home too that could be an option.

 

[junebuggena]

The problem is that males express leakage, but hens can carry it and pass it on. Just because your girl doesn't show leakage, doesn't mean that she is free of the gene that causes it. If you breed him odds are not good of getting a leakage-free cockerel out of him. That is why breeders will not use leaky boys, no matter how good they are otherwise. It's a very difficult thing to get bred out.

 

[drumstick diva]

Junebuggena knows her stuff

 

[junebuggena]

I try. Been researching and trying to learn as much about genetics as possible for my Easter Egger project. When you come across the same thing over and over again, it kind of sinks in. There is still SO MUCH to learn about color genetics, though. I feel like I've only scratched the surface.

 

[donrae]

If you're wanting to breed quality/SOP birds, don't use him. That leakage will follow you forever and you'll curse it

.

If, on the other hand, you're just breeding birds for your own pleasure and don't care about color or SOP, he could be a fine choice. I used a leaky splash Ameraucana rooster in a crossbreed project and actually liked the red leakage that came through in the next generation. I like colorful birds

. So, it just depends on what your goal is.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

It is very undesirable indeed xD
I've been reading a little bit more about genetics and started seeing the word leakage, if I were to pair him with another amerecauna girl (with no leakage) would the probability of leakage in the offspring be high?

This is a pretty old picture of the girl.
We have 3 confirmed Roo's in our bunch of only 7, so if I can find him a home too that could be an option.

The first is an EE. This looks like true Ameraucana. And is she ill? She does not look well.

 

[likkatron]

The first is an EE. This looks like true Ameraucana. And is she ill? She does not look well.

She isn't visibly sick. She doesn't hide from the others, and is perfectly active when inside her brooder. She just hates the cold, and is underweight. She's not sick though so I don't know what the problem with the weight is.

 

[enola]

Can I suggest that if she is chronically underweight, she is ill.