Eye color and blacks

[Guest]

What eye color(s) meet ameraucana standards, like whats okay and not okay. Also, what feather patterns are blacks supposed to have, if any?

[Jean]

The eye color should be bay, and I believe that is for all ameraucana varieties.  That is kind of a reddish brown color, it can be light or it can be a little darker.

A black should be just that black with no other color feathers on the bird.  Black birds should have a green sheen.  Purple sheen is not acceptable for showing.

The APA Standard of Perfection is more specific, if you try your library they may have it.  Or you could purchase one.

Jean

[Guest]

Thank you very much.

[Guest]

Another question: How far in generations do you go on pedigrees for chickens?

[greeneggsandham]

Sorry I can\'t help you HB with that question since I\'m new to this, but I have a question also regarding eye color and this seems the appropriate thread.  At what age do you check for eye color?  I have a few black ameraucanas, some are 12 weeks and some are 4 weeks, but all have grey eye color.  My easter eggers have bay color, but not these.   At least not yet.  Is eye color something that changes with age?

[Guest]

Im also new to ameraucanas, so I dont know when to check for eye color in chickens. Dont have any quite yet, but im guessing so.

[Mike Gilbert]

Eye color definitely changes with age.  Those grey eyes will probably turn green next, and  eventually reddish bay.  Stay away from very dark brown or black eyes in all varieties.

[grisaboy]

re: pedigrees

Most poultry breeders do not use pedigrees.
Most poultry breeders do use some sort of line breeding.
With poultry, it makes more sense to track families (lines) rather than individuals.

Curtis

[Guest]

Curtis, what do you mean by \'tracking famlies lines\'? Do you also mean that you don\'t need pedigrees to show?

[bantamhill]

No, you do not need pedigrees to show poultry. I have seen a few breeders of Muscovey\'s make the attempt to establish pedigrees. By family lines, Curtis means who has been breeding the variety. For instance, in the last days several topics have been posted looking for silvers from a seperate line from the one the breeder has.

Michael

[Guest]

Thanks.  

[Guest]

I will be starting out in Spring 2008 with hatchlings (hens) I will want to have a rooster in the coop. I have been reading and doing research to find out that the Hatchery I\'m buying from has Ameraucana/Araucana cross. I want an Ameraucana black cockeral. I\'m in Ohio so anyone near boardering Ohio who will have young black Ameraucana rooster hatchlings for sale when the weather is good enough to ship him in the spring let me see what you sell, price and location (shipping). It doesn\'t have to be show or champion in show. It\'ll be a pet and used for breeding to Red Stars/ Ameraucana and Black Star hens not to sell but for eggs on a family farm in the country.

Thanks so much in advance,

Ann
New to chickens Spring 2008 Ohio

[Guest]

re: pedigrees

Most poultry breeders do not use pedigrees.
Most poultry breeders do use some sort of line breeding.
With poultry, it makes more sense to track families (lines) rather than individuals.

Curtis

Just a quick note on this, many, many breeders do pedigree their birds. Some have pedigree information going back for years and years. Most of them are breeders that are breeding for a specific purpose (self driven, many do not show birds) or have had lines of birds in their families for generations.  However like stated it is not needed for showing and as Curtis said \"most\" don\'t do this.