NE Poultry Congress

[Kitsch6]

We attended one of our favorite shows  (2500 birds) this weekend and Will competed in Open.  Unfortunately there were very few Ameraucanas shown, but Will still had a RIR up front and a black cockerel from his trio was Ch AOSB.  What he was most thrilled about, though, was winning the Trio Classic against some of the best breeders on the East Coast.  Good to see Ameraucanas having a consistent presence; now we just need to get something other than blacks up front

[Mike Gilbert]

Could you explain the groundrules for the Trio Classic?    Was that for best trio of the show?   I take it you won on Black Ameraucanas?    Any idea how many trios competed?   What was the prize for that?  Thanks, but I don't know anything about it as have never shown there.

[Kitsch6]

Yes, Mike, it is a special award this show has been doing for quite some time.  Best Trio; judged on consistency and quality of the birds.  The birds can only be considered for further judging (best of breed and class Ch) if they are from a first place trio, so you take a bit of a risk.  He had the only Am. Trio though, so that wasn't an issue.  Competition came at class Champion, then Ch LF trio, then Supreme Ch Trio of the show.  Yes, it was on his black Ameraucanas.  I didn't think to count the exact number of trios out there, but all were designated with red stickers on the coop cards and there were a lot of those . He was thrilled to have birds up there in company of Rick Hare and Jan Brett, and more excited to win it.  It was a $75 monetary prize, big ribbon and bragging rights

[Mike Gilbert]

 Nice!    Thanks for the info, and congrats.

[John]

now we just need to get something other than blacks up front

Christine,
Congratulations to Will on the wins!
The black, white and blue varieties were the easiest to breed up to Standard type/size and black was the easiest color to breed to the Standard.  Even with other breeds, with multiple varieties, blacks generally win.
Using Australorps, instead of Orpingtons, to create the blacks put them out front of the other LF varieties and then outcrossing blacks with whites, blues, brown reds and silvers improved them.  The original Australorps were hatchery chicks, but later I obtained a quality Australorp male, from Jim Fegan, to cross in. 
I've always felt the buffs needed that outcross and did it years ago, but it looked like it would too many years to get back to good buff color and I think I gave up.  I've got a pair mating this year though and will try again with buff cocks over a very nice black pullet.  Knowing Will is one of the better known breeders of LF buffs I think that may be of interest to him.

[Kitsch6]

Wow, John, learn something new every day!  We knew about the Orpington, but not Australorp.  Will is not on social media so I will pass that along.  (side note, we have your 1/4 Wheaten male on some of our buff hens, so I'm curious to find what we get.  Kind of excited that for the first time ever, our buffs are laying better than the other varieties.)

[Sharon Yorks]

Congratulations to Will! That's awesome!

Using Australorps, instead of Orpingtons, to create the blacks put them out front of the other LF varieties and then outcrossing blacks with whites, blues, brown reds and silvers improved them.  The original Australorps were hatchery chicks, but later I obtained a quality Australorp male, from Jim Fegan, to cross in. 

John...Are the Ameraucanas you're selling now crossed with Australorps, and if so, how many generations back?

[John]

Congratulations to Will! That's awesome!

Using Australorps, instead of Orpingtons, to create the blacks put them out front of the other LF varieties and then outcrossing blacks with whites, blues, brown reds and silvers improved them.  The original Australorps were hatchery chicks, but later I obtained a quality Australorp male, from Jim Fegan, to cross in. 

John...Are the Ameraucanas you're selling now crossed with Australorps, and if so, how many generations back?

That's what I used to create them close to 30 years ago, so yes...as I say every chicken is related to every other chicken in the world.