New to ABC and Lavender questions, and other questions.

[mustangsaguaro]

Hi, I\'m new to the club. But not new to the breed. I have had Ameraucana\'s for the past 4yrs just haven\'t bred any yet.

Even though Lavender isn\'t an accepted color yet that\'s the color I\'d like to concentrate on. I just think its a pretty color. I\'m trying to build up a breeding stock for next year. I have 3 (pullets) almost 4mos olds from Jean. And then I have 1 6 week old (not sure of sex yet) from Cindy Aultman. And have more stock from Cindy that is currently hatching as I speak.

I have a question in general regarding Lavender vs. Lavender split. The eggs that are hatching now some are from pure Lav. pens while others are Lav. splits. From what I can tell it looks like I might have 2 or more blacks from the splits. Now my question is if I am correct I know the blacks are used to improve the Lavender color. Is this correct? So, my question lies here from what is hatching now should I plan to keep one or two blacks or just keep the Lavender chicks only? If I do keep the blacks will it matter if it\'s a male or female I keep? Also from my understanding Lav. splits have the possibility of hatching out 50/50 lav/black correct?

Finally, I have one chick that has hatched but is still drying which is a black chick, but on the tips of it\'s wings it\'s a yellow/whitish color. I can post pics for you to see if needed. Would this be a chick I\'d want to perhaps sell. Seeing that it is a split, but being black it is not totally black.

Seeing that I am just starting out and for right now only plan to have the Lavender color how many females to males should I plan to have? As I said above just trying to start w/ some breeding stock for next year. The older chicks I have so far no males and need a male badly. So hopefully I get something in this batch currently hatching. And the stock I have right now is limited to what is hatching and my 3 4mos old and 1 6 week old. I have for sure 8 hatching maybe 9.

Other question I have is I prefer to use a broody over an incubator. This batch that is currently hatching has been under one of my broody hens. Question is has anyone noticed the Lavender color birds tending to go broody more often than say the other colors? I ask because I have had in the past whites and silver and none of these guys have ever showed a tendency for broodiness.

Apologies for making this so long. But have many questions that need answered.

Thanks
Kim

[jerryse]

I will try to answer questions.First remember that lavender is a black first and 2 copies of lav gene turns black to lav.This is why black is used for improvement.You did not say if you have bantam or large.Your splits will produce 50/50 if mated to lav.If mated together splits will produce 25% lav,25%pure black,50%splits.Color leakage is a problem on some lav roosters that is sometimes hard to see but really shows up on a split rooster.Usually silver.A split rooster that has no color leakage in the neck is a good way to produce some clean lav.As for white tips on black or lav chicks that is extended black and fills in or extends into these areas as the birds mature.As for males to females I often go 1 to 10 with good results.I have read that after a 1 to 17 ratio fertility drops.As for broodiness it depends on the bloodline.My bantams all go broody but the whites are less likely to go broody and are my best bantam layers.I have less experience with the large fowl but some of the splits did go broody this year.The black/blue some also went broody.Only had 1 pair of large silver and she never went broody.Hope this helps. Jerry

[mustangsaguaro]

Thanks for the explanation Jerry. What I have are LF birds. I had 8 chicks total hatch but am going to have to cull one now because it was born w/ a cross beak and only one eye. I will be culling that bird sometime today.

Out of the chicks that hatched I got for sure 3 lavenders and the other 4 were came from a lav split pen. As they were hatching I tired marking the 3 pure lavs. w/ very tiny leg bands. Well, wouldn\'t you know it I go out this morning to check on everyone and the 2 that got marked lost there bands. Now I have no idea who is who.

[jerryse]

As for color it really does not matter a lavender is pure for lavender even if the parents were split.I know some who are new to genetics think of the lav out of splits as split but they are lav.For tracking the parents in a breeding program it is disapointing to loose track of parentage.Try the toe punch method it is permanate.Most mail order suppliers carry them.A ear notcher for pigs also works and may be available at a local farm store.Costs more but being larger it does not get lost as easy.   Jerry

[crystalcreek]

All the males on my place are lavender, so you don\'t have to worry about any of those chicks that hatched out black being pure black and not a \"split\".  All the black chicks are \"split\" and carry the lavender gene hidden.  If you breed them back to lav you will get 50% lav offspring and more splits.

That crossbeak is a genetic anomoly.  It is the second one of the season.  I have removed the male that I believe is producing it from my breeding program.  If you have any of those pop up in the 2nd generation from any of those other 7 chicks, please let me know.

There are other problems other than crossbeak.  Watch out for feather or feather stubble on the shanks and between the toes.  Sloppy tails, wingset, sloppy combs, etc all need work.  You may have some brown egg genes that cause the otherwise lovely blue egg to be an ugly green color.  Oversize, undersize, too much feather fluff, clean faced offspring (lack of muffs/beard), the list goes on.

Males are not hard to come by; good males are.  I grew out a whole pen full of them hoping for one nice one.  You will be better off to use a very nice pure black of good blue egg genes to cross back over your lavender hens than worrying about a lav male right now.   This color needs a lot of work.

Good luck!