Need some advice.

[Brett Bartee]

Asking for advice on this fella, It's my Black Cock, Named Dorian. In my personal opinion he looks great as far as type, but his comb could maybe be a bit smaller and his tail a bit more full. (He is just finishing with his molt)
Thinking of showing him this next year, along with several of my pullets and hens. Also pictured is one of my hens.
What do you all think?

[Sharon Yorks]

Hi Brett,

Can you post more pictures of them? It's kind of hard to get a good look at them with just one photo.

[Russ]

Comb on the Cock is bigger than I would like, also wing carriage could be a little higher and it looks like some purple sheen in his tail? Could just be the picture like Sharron said hard to judge off 1 picture. All I noticed with the Hen is possibly some leekage in the eyes? Again hard to judge off pictures. Remember this is just my opinion and the only one that really matters at the show is the judges  . Older birds are harder to condition for the shows with the molt and all. So all I can suggest is take your best and do your best with conditioning and see how it pans out, and remember HAVE FUN, keep an open mind, and take advantage of all the other birds at the show not to mention the fanciers 

[greeneggsandham]

Comb on the Cock is bigger than I would like, also wing carriage could be a little higher and it looks like some purple sheen in his tail? Could just be the picture like Sharron said hard to judge off 1 picture. All I noticed with the Hen is possibly some leekage in the eyes? Again hard to judge off pictures. Remember this is just my opinion and the only one that really matters at the show is the judges  . Older birds are harder to condition for the shows with the molt and all. So all I can suggest is take your best and do your best with conditioning and see how it pans out, and remember HAVE FUN, keep an open mind, and take advantage of all the other birds at the show not to mention the fanciers 

I'm having a hard time noticing any difference between this birds wing carriage and the black male in the Ameraucana photo album.  Are neither proper?

[Mike Gilbert]

For male Ameraucanas the Standard reads:   "Fairly large, tips carried above the hock joint, fronts concealed by the hackle."   Which means the male wings may be correctly carried lower than for many other breeds.    Females wings have this description:  "Fairly prominent, carried well-folded and above the hock joint."    That does leave some leeway, as it does not say how much above the hock joint the wings are to be carried.
Personally, I like to see them carried well above the hock joint, but that's just me. 
The only two things I don't like about Brett's rooster is the purplish cast to many of his feathers and that high comb.  I do like the fact that his shanks are slate and not black.   I will always believe it was a mistake to modify the Standard to make it easier to produce salable black chicks/stock.   It does not leave enough of a challenge to produce an all black chicken IMHO. 

[Brett Bartee]

Thanks for the help guys and gals, Here is a couple more pics... The one with all the wire in the pic is when he was in Quarantine with his girl, The other photo was taken the same day as the one i already showed you, He was stretched out and crowing non stop.