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Advise concerning a new ameraucana breed.

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bantamhill:
The list of unrecognized varieties at Bantam Hill currently being bred:

Black Gold - bantam, since 2003
Black Gold - large fowl, since 2005
Self Blue - bantam, since 2005
Self Blue - large fowl, since 2005
Black-tailed Red - bantam, since 2004
millie fluer - bantam, since 2004
crele/cuckoo - large fowl, since 2005
Blue Silver - large fowl, 2006
Blue Silver - bantam, 2005

I have both splash and wheaten splash bird here and there and I am willing to save birds to make breeding pens. I have some crele and cuckoo birds running around in both bantam and large fowl running around, but I have basically abandoned the bantam strain and I am focusing on large fowl cockerel that migh pass the slate/black test - but I don\'t hold out much hope and will probably abandon them all based on what I am seeing. I would love to see the red barred, but I don\'t think we will ever get a slate or black leg on a barred or cuckoo bird unless there is an heirloom variety to steal a rare gene from. My large fowl cross was to a cuckoo Maran that had black legs. I think it is really just excessive spotting that would pass as a black or slate leg the cockerel is good, but I don\'t hold out much hope.

That being said, if I was to look at a rare color to pursue, and one I am likely to pursue, it would be Exchequer. This really harkens back to one of the first bantam hens I ever had that was what I now know to be Exchequer in color. She was a mixed bantam, but I have always loved the color. I had considered mottled, but I really like the Exchequer and will be ordering some leghorn stock this spring and will start some initial crosses in late fall 2006.

All of this is a lot of fun and good for the brain. The problem is that there have to be people willing to commit to a program long-term. Of the eight recognized varieties of Ameraucana I doubt there is really a sustainable population of most of the varieties. If a few people leave Ameraucana\'s in several varieties, there simply will not be that variety and it will have to be recreated, ie silver bantam.

I agree with the statement that it would be best if new varieties work with another variety - it helps the sustainability factor. So splash and splash wheaten seem logical. I would content that self blue can be sustainable with either black lines or brown red lines, so I support lavendar. I realize the other colors on my list are not paired with anything and so they have been mostly out of pure enjoyment and I wouldn\'t expect them to gain a following.

Happy New Year!

Michael Muenks

Guest:
I would be willing to work on more varieties if I could obtain the stock. The main issue here is finding the birds to work with. When you live in some of the last vestiges of rural land, and island in a land of a suburban county...it is hard to find other breeders, many of whom illegally hold their birds in neighborhoods and thus are not stable.

All of those varieties sound amazing to me. I enjoy fiddling with color a lot too. Although I have latent issues with identifying Red colors, I don\'t mind taking the time to correct mistakes. I am trying to think of breeds with cuckoo and black legs...only one I can think of is the silkie, but fibromelanosis of the entire fowl is responsible and not an acceptable coloration.

I don\'t have any Ameraucana bantams, but I would love to start breeding them. All I have are Black and White large fowl and a few miscellanious. There is a decent silver hen and a poor wheaten (apparently) cock among a few others. The cock will go to my Red Pyles (for fun). I also have a Red cock and some Barred eggs in the bator.

If anyone is going to PA/MD/VA/DE/WV and can deliver birds to shows this spring I would be willing to purchase some stock in eggs, chicks or adults of colors which need improvement. Last year I culled my flock sizes in half and I have several empty pens which once housed extra blacks and whites. I also have shipping boxes and express permission from my post office to send and recieve fowl without surcharge in payment. From some artwork I sold recently I have quite a bit of spare cash and lots of pen room.

John:

--- Quote ---If anyone is going to PA/MD/VA/DE/WV and can deliver birds to shows this spring I would be willing to purchase some stock in eggs, chicks or adults
--- End quote ---

With your membership you\'ll get a Breeders List and a copy of the last ABC Bulletin which has a list of all the 2005 members.  It may be helpful in tracking down some birds.  I know we have a couple members in Maryland and a few in Pennsylvania.  Try contacting our NE District Director, Larry Clionsky - lclionsky@yahoo.com.  He is a real asset to the club and tries to attend most of the ABC meets in that district.

Guest:
AmeraucanaMD,

The barring itself is not the problem. The problem is the effect of barring on dermal melanin. The barring gene prevents the addition of melanin to the dermal tissues therefore the chicken does not have blue shanks. Ameraucana should have blue shanks. The exception to the rule is the black variety which can have dark shanks. Dark shanks in ameraucana are due to the extended black gene which causes the addition of melanin to the epidermis and even into the dermis.

Mike,

Jaap wrote a paper in 1955 ( Poultry Science, 34:Pages 389-395)  in which he came to the conclusion that the columbian gene (Co) would prevent the barring gene from removing the melanin from the dermis.  I do not know what line of birds he was working with but I wish I could get a hold of a few of his chickens.  Evidently, his study does not apply to many of the breeds that are walking around today. Barred rocks are a good example because many show quality barred rocks carry the columbian gene but still have yellow legs and feet.


Rooster

Suz:
I really like the lemon blue color, too.  Are the blue silvers the same as silver blue Old English Games?  Those would be my two favorites to see in Ameraucanas.  What crosses would be made to produce these two varieties?

I will be attempting lavender wheatens this year.  I made the first cross last summer and will hatch as many F2 chicks as I can this year--hoping for a couple of the elusive \"1 out of 16\" ratio!

Susie

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