The ABC Board of Directors was approached about presenting a change to the APA for the Blue Wheaten large fowl - males only. The Board of Directors had quite an extensive conversation about the proposal and have since voted no to sponsor the request. It is, however, our understanding that another club voted yes to proceed. If you breed blue wheaten large fowl Ameraucana, you might want to be aware of this possible change proposal and you might be contacted about it. You might even agree with the change and wish to support it. Here are the proposed changes:
Large Fowl Blue Wheaten Male
NECK (as it is now) - Hackle - light orange shading to golden at lower extremities, free from dark striping. Front of neck - blue, some orange ticking permissible.
NECK (proposed, with changes highlighted) - Hackle – light orange shading to golden at lower extremities, free from dark striping. Front of neck – blue,
preferably edged with dark blue with some dark blue shafting, some orange ticking permissible.
WINGS (as it is now): Fronts - blue, preferably laced with dark blue.
WINGS (proposed, with changes highlighted): Fronts – blue, preferably
edged with dark blue with some dark blue shafting.BREAST (as it is now): Blue, preferably laced with dark blue.
BREAST (proposed, with changes highlighted): Blue, preferably
edged with dark blue with some dark blue shafting.
There is a common misconception that the word "lacing" as used in describing the blue wheaten males is the same as the word "lacing" used in other color descriptions - specifically the blue Ameraucana - however, the "lacing" used here is described correctly as a darker blue; while lacing, as used in the description of the Andalusian (from which the Blue Ameraucana gets its color description), is always black, sometimes a flat black and sometimes a glossy black, but always black. The addition of the "preferred shafting" was also a deterrent for this ABC Board and it was not approved by a majority vote.
The descriptions of the SOP (as it is now) are taken from the APA Standard of Perfection, 2010 version.