The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Breeding
Self Blues, Recessive Whites, and Blacks
Susan Mouw:
--- Quote from: Ravynscroft on December 30, 2016, 04:43:08 AM ---I would much appreciate some opinions on what may or may not be worth working with in these birds... I had been working in the past with an old line and while I occasionally pulled out a nice one here and there, I finally decided to cull due to issues I just couldn't clear out... I got an opportunity at a group of self blues from a breeder and grew those out this summer, while on the side I had picked up an old self blue cock bird on a whim... I put him over a black split hen and hatched out several of those chicks and grew them out...
After growing out the batch of self blues, I just wasn't happy with them at all... I kept a single pair but have decided I really don't want to use them...
That leaves me with the offspring of the old cock and the young hen... both were carrying recessive white as well and they threw self blues, blacks, whites and some off whites... I culled the off whites, sent the only white cockerel off to someone that wanted him for a project and have these left...
My question is not whether they are show material or even great quality, just if they are worth moving forward with or whether I should relegate them to a pretty EE pen...
Please excuse the dirt and mud, I was trying to wait for clear weather but we keep getting rain, sleet, freeze then thaw, lol...
Thank you for looking...
--- End quote ---
Hi Jen...
I agree with Don - I like the SBs best and there is no doubt they would be competitive at a show!
So..I'll see you at Newnan, right? ;)
Jen Mitchell:
Don, thank you for your insight, it is much appreciated... I do like the SB pullets, but when critiquing I am my own worst critic, lol... I almost scrapped my entire pen of Silkies because I didn't think they were very good but I now have a waiting list for... SB and Black Ameraucanas have been my passion though... thanks to Susan, I have an amazing trio of Blacks to grow from, I just wasn't sure if these SB's were workable or not...
The eyes on the SB's are medium, but a couple have a bit darker at the pupil radiating out... the cockerels eyes are good, the black pullets a slight bit darker than the SB's... one white has light eyes, one dark and one medium... tails are probably a touch low, but most of the pics they were moving... color on the SB's is pretty even... a couple have the thin, dark pseudo barring but not excessively like I have seen on others...
As for the male to use, that's part of my dilemma... I have the pair from the line I don't wish to use, I will call that Line X, just for clarity... then there's the cockerel shown, but he is full brother to the pullets and that turns me off... besides he is a bit narrow and lacking in the chest for my liking... I have the trio of blacks from Susan, another black cockerel from Line X, and lastly I have their sire...
The hen these came from I hatched out of eggs from Jerry Segler, unfortunately I lost her this summer in the heat so these are all I have from her.... the sire is an old cock bird that I did trace back and verify is from eggs hatched out of Harry Shaffer's eggs back in March 2011... I have no complaints whatsoever about either breeder or the birds I acquired, just to be clear... I knew the cock bird carried recessive white, I was surprised the hen did as well, but it did not upset me in any way... if these end up not working out it is of no fault of any but my own and the choices I made.... if they do work out, then they will be a credit to their source...
Anyways, I'm unsure if I should try breeding them back to their sire, try one of the blacks or try something else... I believe I did read something recently about using Blue in SB's, but I hadn't looked into that yet... so I have no idea if that is something I should try or not...
I will post the additional pics of what I have and I apologize for the picture quality... I am working completely off my phone right now and resizing the pics to post loses resolution... and I did find an old pic of the SB cock and will post it for reference to how he used to look as he is now sunbleached horribly...
Jen Mitchell:
--- Quote from: Susan Mouw on December 30, 2016, 09:09:45 PM ---
Hi Jen...
I agree with Don - I like the SBs best and there is no doubt they would be competitive at a show!
So..I'll see you at Newnan, right? ;)
--- End quote ---
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Susan... I am lacking in that department, lol...
Jen Mitchell:
Line X... the SB's I don't want to use because I did not like how they looked growing out at all... and still not quite happy with the 2 left... the black was fine growing out though...
Jen Mitchell:
Old SB cock bird, sire to the SB pullets, whites and blacks... top pic is him currently, bottom is when he was about 2 years old...
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