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Culling time/ advice and contacts for one up north...

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Guest:
Hello all!
I\'m new to all this. Pls see my comment on what color is this what will it be? I\'ve got 9 standard and 5 bantam Ameraucanas from May hatches at a western Canadian hatchery. From reading your info and some of your posts, it seems that they are likely mutts and easter eggers. They\'re quite attractive for all that- all mixed colors - several feather colors on same bird, though. The young cockerels are starting to act like roosters and it\'s decision time. I\'d really appreciate some advice on selecting by desirable charactistics to make my flock the best it can be for now.
I can send photos of the roo hopefuls if you\'d like to let me know what you think. I would also appreciate any Canadian links to breeders of standard bred Ameraucanas if you know of any. Of all the birds we\'re getting into, if I had to pick just one breed to get serious about, this would be it. They\'re so interesting and attractive!

Thanks for any help!
starting up the learning curve...
Lara

Mike Gilbert:
A copy of the standard would be helpful, but we can\'t supply it since the APA and the ABA have theirs copyrighted.   In general terms, select for neat but not oversized pea combs, slate legs, small red earlobes in the males, stance not too high in front, 40 to 45 degree tail angle, bay eyes, medium tail length, medium to large muffs and beards (but not pendulous), no feathers or stubs on the shanks or toes, calm disposition, 4 1/2 pound pullets (24 oz bantam pullets), 5 1/2 pound cockerels (26 oz bantam cockerels), and no physical defects like crooked toes or misshapen beaks.   Is that enough for starters?   A picture is worth a thousand words, so that $5 handbook the club offers free with first year membership would be a great help.

Guest:
Thank you!
That\'s great for starters! It also buys me (& them) a little time. We have plenty of separate summer accomodation so the hens don\'t get too worn down & out, but before the temp drops too much I\'ll need to see a more ideal cockerel-pullet ratio. My husband\'s more practical minded; I keep hearing \"Now that pretty colored one\'s getting kinda big... bet he\'ll be tasty!\"

Hint well taken. You\'ll be getting my membership application soon and I look forward to all the pictures and advice. Do you have many Canadian members? Even ordering from a hatchery across the border seems like it will take extra work and timing...

Thanks again!

John:
Lara,
We do have members, like Lisa Cree, over the border in Washington that have some good LF stock.
The only Canandian members right now are Rob & Shelly Jackson in Ontario, eh?  They are a very nice young couple and have gone out of their way to import Ameraucanas.  I\'m not sure, but they may have chicks to sell in the spring.  You can contact them by clicking on northernblue520 in the Members section.

Guest:
Thanks again! I\'m glad to hear that there\'re others up here.
So far, I\'ve only had contact with one other breeder in my province who participates in an egg swapping group and, from her pictures, it looks like her birds are about as colorful as mine (may even be from same hatchery.) The guinea keets we got from her are in excellent health, though!

For the membership dues, is a traveler\'s cheque ok or should it be a postal money order (US funds of course) ?

Would it be okay for me to post photos of my 4 LF roo hopefuls for members to comment or even vote on? I\'m sure I could learn lots from their comments as I have no breeding experience of my own yet. If so, is the poll feature on the board enabled for members and how do I set it up- or is it more of an administrative tool?

I\'m also interested in a source for a poultry genetics primer. Basics to start with! What traits are dominant, how color works, explanation of sex link etc. If there\'s a good entry level book on the subject, I\'d like to get my hands on one. My library system has rien zip zilch nada and the Storey\'s guides only go so far...

Thanks again for all your help!

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