What color is this/will it be?

[John]

Some of what we say is fact, but we also give our opinions on these forums.  That\'s what it is all about.  We don\'t have to agree and I don\'t think anyone will through stones.  We get to know each other and can learn from each other.  
Your right... the eggs should be blue.  Like every thing else it takes time.  I know in some of my writtings and Mike\'s we have suggested that breeders only outcross as a last resort.  I don\'t suggest that anyone that is not in it for the long haul do any \"breeding\".  Sometimes on outcross is the only way to introduce a desired gene and that is when I do it.    

[grisaboy]

I agree with McKee to some degree.  I have seen a lot of variability in Ameraucana type, especially in the large fowl.
On the other hand, I won\'t hesitate to outcross to another breed to get a trait that I am looking for in a breeding project.  I try to look for breeds that are closest to Ameraucaunas in feather type and shape ofr the outcross.  ( I like Easter Eggers and Old English the best).  However, a breeder has to understand that if you do an outcross, it is going to take at least eight to ten generations to get back to proper Ameraucana type, and you will have to cull a lot of birds in the process.  This is not an instant gratification process.  As far as egg color,  I admit that I don\'t pay enough attention to egg color.  I believe you have to get the body type and color right first before concentrating on the egg color.  So far in the projects I have cooking I don\'t have those things right yet so they eggs are neglected.  I do try to set the BLUEST eggs but this is not my highest priority yet.

Curtis

[John]

Now that sounds like a guy that knows what breeding is all about.

[Mike Gilbert]

Amen to that.    If a trait is not available within the breed,  how  is a breeder going to get it without going to an outside breed?   The key is to select the right bird for the outcross.
I had never seen a blue ameraucana with enough of the proper lacing, so outcrossed this year to a bird that has outstanding lacing.   It was a blue \"sumatra\" bantam with white feet instead of yellow.   The F-1\'s all have messed up type and only 1/2 a set of muffs, but the lacing came through strong, so it must be a single dominant gene causing it.   My plan is to breed these crossbreds back to pure blue ameraucana bantams, and I will wager that within two years I will have bantam blues that will \"knock your socks off.\"   But outcrossing is not for everyone.   My blues had excellent egg color, and I know this will set it back.   Sometimes you have to make one step back in order to go two steps forward.   Egg color is not that hard to breed for if you know what you are doing, so I\'m not worried about it.    If all we are going to be concerned about is egg color we may as well have been satisfied with easter egg chickens and forgot about everything else.  

[John]

Rita said outcrossing, but meant cross breeding - breeding two different breeds together.  I\'m sure we all knew what she meant and even sometimes used the same term.
I need to keep my dictionary at hand.

[Guest]

Thought so, although they throw the occasional good Ameraucana.
Do you call everything an easter egger that just isn\'t the right color? I got 4 adult, pure ameraucanas, but they are all different colors(white, blue, blue/red and silver) so getting something of a recognized color is hard, so everything they throw that isn\'t anything recognized is an easter egger then? I thought easter eggers are mutts with ameraucana and some other type of chicken in them, at least that is what I was told.

Hard thing with these chicks is because of their different colors/patterns its hard to give them away/put them in the freezer.
I got now 2 young cockerals in 2 different, not recognized, but beautiful color and I can\'t imagen giving them away.... (I am childish, I know) I have to in the end though, latest when one of them attacks me or they start killing eachother.

Thx
Anna

[Guest]

Oops! Hello all- I\'m new to chickens as well as message boards, but I\'m in a similar sit. as Anna here. My \'Ameraucanas\' look very similar to the ones she has pictured on her web page. I began my flock this May after a long-awaited move to our new 10 acre home. As a kid on my grandparents farm in Tennessee, I helped feed and gather eggs for their flock (banties and Rhode Island Reds) and have been looking forward to being able to raise my own.
Eager to experiment, my husband and I ordered a variety of day old chicks from the nearest large hatchery. The Ameraucanas (both bantam and standard) were advertised as easter egg chickens, colored egg layers, not show quality, not for 4-H... etc.
So it seems I am the proud owner of mutts and easter eggers with at best a hope for a nice AOV bird.
But I am Proud! You gotta start somewhere and even the watered-down traits showing through in my mutts have got me hooked on the breed. I don\'t  know if we\'ll be showing them , but I would like to keep and breed them with the eventual plan of improving my flock. We also have Embden geese, Muscovy and mallard x pekin (we think) ducks, Pearl and white helmeted guineas, Barred Rocks, Red Rock cross and sex link brown layers, silkies, cochins, white crested black polish, and even one silver duckwing Old English Game cockerel but the Ameraucanas are by far my favorites!

I\'m writing for help and advice from real breeders though, because I\'d like to do the best I can with what I have now.
The hatchery we ordered from only offers \'exotic\' breeds straight run and we\'re reaching culling time. I need to know how to determine which two roosters are the best to keep for breeding for now until I can import some better stock (maybe next year) My library system does not have a copy of the Standard, so I\'m looking on the internet,  but opinions vary and there aren\'t many pictures of mixed color birds like mine.

What i\'m looking for , I guess is a short list of desirable and undesirable traits to help me choose.

Would appreciate your input...
Still learning , but enjoying my birds!

Can send photos of \'King of the Roost\' competitors if you\'d like to have a look and send me your opinions...

[Guest]

Possibly my terms are a bit confusing, but what I did mean was crossing to other breeds.  Yes it is done a lot, and unfortunately all too often..with poultry breeders, more so that with cattle breeders, one thing I have noticed is most folks want that \"quick-fix\" and set about to get it at all cost.
Because I manage the ABC SHareing place, some folks get the wrong impression of me, they think I am some \"big-wig\" with the Ameraucanas.  Well, I do want to appoligize to any who think that way, actually we are quite new to Ameraucanas, and have a lot to learn,  but have determined to help better the breed and help make advancements.
I do tend to be very opinionated and vocal, so I do hope I do not come across as offensive, or bossy.
I really whould like to see folks make a commitment to \"close\" down their breding plans, and make improvements from withing the breed, as i feel this is the fastest way to stabalize the breed. Yes it may take a few more generations to accomplisah a desired outcome, but I honestly feel the reward will be well worth the effort!!

[Guest]

Hello Anna,

Or should I say howdy, neighbor! After seeing this picture, I went to your homepage, and lo and behold, your chickens look just like mine! Did some of your stock possibly come from Rochester Hatchery? Anyway, some are so similar in color that they could be twins. I\'ve been meaning to send you a picture of my cockerel (14 wks) because he looked similar to your chick when he was little. He only had tiny spots of red on his back when he was that size, so I expect yours will have much more red. Anyway, it\'s one more picture to compare to. Sorry it took so long, I had to learn how to resize to make it fit-- hope it works!

It seems your post has sparked a breeding debate, but has been very useful and timely to me because these are my first birds and until reading it, I had no idea about easter eggers as opposed to standard bred Ameraucanas. It has all been very informative. I\'m going to play around for now with the birds I have and see about getting some breeding stock in the spring. What are your goals with your birds? Do you know of any other Ameraucana flock keepers in our area? If there are others interested in importing stock, we should get organized together and share/ split the extra costs of bringing birds across the border. There is a lady in Enderby that sells chicks, keets, poults, and swaps and sells hatching eggs who keeps Ameraucanas I will email her too. I have emailed a couple in Ontario who have already imported stock, but am still waiting for a reply...

Anyway, ENJOY THE PICTURE!

A note to all of you members and visitors out there, a rookie like myself really looks forward to the photos you post, especially if we\'re far away and can\'t see the birds in person!
 ;)Wink,NUDGE!

[Guest]

If you are looking at importing I would be interested. I am in christina Lake, BC.

Have no chickens at the moment so I will be starting from scratch!

If any of you have any stock available I would be interested.

Kurtis

[Guest]

Is the original poster\'s pic still there? I can\'t see it....

[Guest]

If you decide to sell some of your birds contact me. I am in Christina lake, BC. Even wrong colors can be worked with if you are looking at this as a looooooong term project.