The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Breeding
Chick phenotype
greeneggsandham:
I don't know if white specks on head refers to what I know as "clown face", but the clown face I grew out won AOSB at show.
John:
I posted some of these chick photos last year. The 1st two are of black chicks, but showing different phenotype. The 3rd is a couple lavender/black splits. I think they may show the "clown face" you mention. Which is the best or correct phenotype to produce show quality blacks? All three may, but I suggest trying to breed so that all the chicks of a variety look like "identical twins" as someone mentioned on The Classroom@The Coop.
Duane asked about "advice on culling LF W/BW chicks?"
I look for the small stripe on the top of their heads (see last photo). Other than that no other markings. The most noticeable difference I've seen is that there are two color phases...one more silver and the other more gold. Which is right? There again I don't know, but it may affect the under-color of adult birds. It would be nice if breeders were to identify some chicks and see which produced the better feather color/pattern.
HarryS:
John,
As for Blacks here is my way I would cull. I have no wheatens so please no one confuse what I am saying, only referring to a pure black bird or black split lavenders.
Thanks for adding the photos. 1st picture I would cull them immediately. The second picture the one on the right is closer to the ideal I would like to see. The third picture is not the extreme and would keep them also but I have had them with more white into the heads and what I call Owl faced and I would cull them since I have had mottled and black birds with white feathers when they got their adult feathering. Like you said the chicks ideally should be marked as close as possible to each other.
Beth C:
--- Quote ---Owl faced and I would cull them since I have had mottled and black birds with white feathers when they got their adult feathering.
--- End quote ---
That's interesting. I noticed chicks like you describe, and I later had females with a lot of mottling & males with BAD leakage. I think that was the year I used plastic bandettes that either came off and/or the numbers rubbed off, so I couldn't tell which chicks became which adults. Now that I'm using wing bands, I'm going to try again taking pictures of each phenotype at different stages of growth through first molt, especially in the buffs. They are all over the place. Some of my best looking birds were the ones I questioned as juveniles & most of the good looking juveniles turned out awful. But I need a more scientific plan than ditch the pretty ones & keep the ugly ones! ;)
Not a great picture, but is this what you call owl faced?
John:
--- Quote ---1st picture I would cull them immediately.
--- End quote ---
Why? I know that we've read that E/E (extended black) chicks have cream or gray bellies and seen many photos of them like that. What if the completely black chicks are E/E based with so many melanisers imaginable that they turn the cream to black and even the skin on the toes...and maybe toe nails to boot? It the pads are not pinkish I would cull them too...maybe too many melanisers (undesirable one or more). If the chicks grow into the best show quality blacks than I would select for that phenotype.
Here again, I don't know which is best and haven't followed thru to find out. I hope others do...I'm too lazy.
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