Partridge colored Ameraucana?

[Guest]

Before my interest in Ameraucana I really liked Cochins.  Cochins do not have the Wheaten color that I am aware of.  It would be impossible but I\'d like to have Wheaten Cochins that lay blue eggs, but alas that is impossible.  :-)  My favorite color Cochin is patridge.  Has anyone ever tried to develop a partridge colored Ameraucana?

I have seen various postings on the internet showing Easter Eggers that have a partridge like look to them.  The link I am including has pictures of such.  The last post on that link interests me the most as an owner of pure bred Ameraucana posted a picture of a pullet that came from a Wheaten and Buff mating that looks partridge esque to me.  So is it impossible to create a patridge variety in this breed or something that looks like one?  That is probably a huge question and I just do not realize it but I\'m guessing the Buff and Wheaten cross would not be the way to do it.  What would an F2 cross result in?

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=834512


Color producing genes are very important but I know nothing about them.  Does the e^b gene not exist in the Ameraucana variety?  Is a silver ameraucana just short for silver pencilled or silver partridge?  I prefer just partridge or maybe it is called gold patridge.

e^b
Partridge (penciled).
Sometimes represented as ep, females have non-salmon breast with stippling. Males are wild-type

Okay now I\'m just rambling.  Delete this thread if it becomes too much of a problem  ;-)

[John]

Jason,
On page 41 of the latest ABC Handbook Mike Gilbert discusses the \"primary\" color/pattern genes, located at the e-locus, that each Ameraucana variety is built on or based on.
None are based on partridge (e^b), aka brown, that the partridge variety is based on, so a cross with another breed that is based on e^b would have to be made to bring the gene into play.  That could be a big project.
Note this is one of those areas where the same word is used as a label for two different things.  There is the e-locus \"partridge\" gene e^b and also a color/pattern called \"partridge\".  Not all birds that are e^b (partridge) will look partridge (the variety).

[Guest]

dear jason,

glad you liked Freckles..our golden partridge ee.. I know that she came from ameraucana parents.. crossbred colors..

We have kept her and she now resides with her bantam Araucana buddy (Cappy, our white bantam ARA roo).  

Unfortunately,  she started laying recently and she lays pink eggs.. just out of curiosity we will be hatching one of her eggs sometime in February..

I have noticed that many of the hatchery chicks come out this color.. and it is quite frequent.  But, none of the \"hatcheries\", like Ideal or McMurray keep track of what their Ameraucaanas are being bred to.. I have asked!!

Love to chat,  drop us an email any time!

Barb & Paul Ambuhl
Star Studio Ranch
Marion, TX

ps.. check out our website:  www.freewebs.com/tinkersagain2

[Mike Gilbert]

Jeffrey in BANTAM CHICKENS[/b]  lists the following partial genotype for the partridge color:   e>b e>b (brown at e-locus), ss or s- (sex linked gold), and Pg Pg (pattern gene).
The e>b and pg would have to be obtained from an outcross or possibly easter egger mutt birds.   All the partridge colored birds I am aware of have yellow legs, which would be an undesirable recessive gene to Ameraucanas.   In short - you are looking at an extended project.    Have you considered getting the partridge color in another breed?   I like this variety and have it in Partridge  Chantecler bantams.

[John]

FYI, I know these sites have been mentioned before on this forum.  These are my favorites when it comes to chicken genetics.

Poultry Genetics
http://www.edelras.nl/chickengenetics/default.html

Poultry Genetics for the Nonprofessional
http://web.archive.org/web/20051207035940/marsa_sellers.tripod.com/geneticspages/page0.html

[Guest]

There is an Easter Egger with an appropriate shade, though not correct pattern, for Partridge at http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=126320.

[John]

My first hatch of the season came out today.  These are from a LF buff mating.  They have the weird black markings on the tops of thier heads and I get some every year and they get culled (sold as \"rejects\").  I believe these are at least part eb (brown) instead of eWh/eWh (wheaten).  Some of my bantam Lakenvelders hatch with these same markings and they are eb based.
Just as the LF blacks can be based on E or ER, buff can be based on eWh (maybe ey) and I believe eb.  If they are eb, then they may be worth using to produce partridge, which is based on eb, if anyone is interested.    

[angora831]

I brought somewhat of the same question to the forum back in November and solicited ideas for birds to use to get the partridge gene into Ameraucanas.  At that time the best crossing that I was able to devise was either black or wheaten LF Ameraucanas with Partridge Plymouth Rocks.     While the Ameraucanas are easier to find, true Partridge Rocks are scarcer than hen\'s teeth.  Several hatcheries have them listed, but just like Ameraucanas they tend to be the EE of rocks.  I finally located someone who could get me some Partridge Rock chicks from a reliable breeder.  While the initial breeding will have to wait a year until the chicks grow, this is the course that I am pursuing.  Like Mike said it will be a long, long process and we will be eating a lot of chickens, but what else do I have to do for the rest of my life that can give me so much enjoyment?

Ken

[Mike Gilbert]

Ken, where are you located?   I happen to have two large fowl Partridge Rock pullets I won\'t be needing any longer.  They came from Dick Horstman, who is the husband of the APA Secretary.

[QUADCH]

John, they look like buff columbians to me. That is what my Buff Columbian wyandotte chicks look like, but yours look lighter buff.  I made mine from buff x columbian, then crossed buff dad back to the buff col. daughters. I get about half BC and half solid buff. Good chance for someone who wants to start working with buff columbian Ameraucanas!

[Mike Gilbert]

Buff Columbian is based on E>b at the e-locus.   I have hatched many hundreds of Buff Brahmas in the past, and they all had black bodies with brown heads as chicks.  These chicks don\'t resemble the Brahmas in coloring.  I suspect they are either split for e>w or fully e>w.   They could turn out to be buffs with black tails.

[cedarpondfarm]

Our local feed store sells EE chicks from Mt. Healthy Hatchery.  Nearly all that I have seen as adults have a loose interpretation of a partridge pattern.  Most have muffs/beards, pea combs, slate or black legs, red bay eyes, and red earlobes.    

FIY

[QUADCH]

Trying to post a picture, but I think its beyond my limited computer skills....I believe my buffs (Wyandotte bantams) to be based on wheaten. As chicks the buff columbians are an over all yellow/buff color with some black streaks/spots on their backs and heads. More than John chicks on their backs. They are not as strongly marked in black as a buff Brahma as adults, but its there. I\'m still working on that.