Chicks w/ pink legs and looking for hatching eggs to buy

[Guest]

I have some chicks that just hatched out yesterday and today. I am new to Ameraucana\'s and am just getting into building my flock. It is my understanding that the Ameraucana\'s should have slate colored legs. Are chicks born w/ pink legs and then as they get older the leg color changes? Or will these chicks I have the pink change to something other than slate?

Also, I am looking to buy hatching fertile eggs. If anyone has any fertile eggs they\'d be willing to send me please let me know price for a dozen and shipping. I am specifically looking for the colors of White, Silver, and Blue. I\'d really like Silvers. Want LF not bantams.

I did recently purchase 14 eggs from a breeder that is listed on the breeders list and needless to say was very disappointed in that out of 14 eggs only 2 were fertile.

[Jean]

Kim,

What variety are the chicks you are referring to?  The buff, silver,wheaten and blue wheaten varieties hatch with pink legs and they get darker as the bird matures.

Sometimes though, there is not quite enough pigment and the legs look very light and that is something that breeders are working on.

My silvers are not laying yet, so I cannot help you there.

I just started putting a whatever lays auction on egg bid with an assortment of blue, black, buff, white and the wheaten eggs since I end up with a couple of each per day.

I have a list of people about 2-3 pages long of people who are wanting eggs.

Jean

[jwoodhaven]

The leg color can change form pink to slate with age. I have noticed that the buff and the wheaton colors have more pink and change than the whites blues and blacks.

Jerry

[Guest]

What variety are the chicks you are referring to? The buff, silver,wheaten and blue wheaten varieties hatch with pink legs and they get darker as the bird matures.

I think at least two of the birds were silvers, and the others were either black, blue or splash. I know splash is not an accepted color, but would like to add one to my flock. Here are some of the pics of the chicks. Maybe you can tell me what color they will be and you can really see the pink legs.



This one was so cute just have to show. I think this one might be a silver but not sure.



What colors do you see in this group of chicks? There are a total of 9.







Only a couple of chicks out of this whole group have the puffy/chimpmunk cheeks. The rest you really could see the puffy/chipmunk cheeks. Does this mean that those w/o that will not have beards? Or are some chicks puffy cheeks more prounounced. You can also see alot of these chicks have the pink legs. Please comment on the chicks that pictures are by themselves what color you think they might be.

Thanks

[bantamhill]

Kim,

I would suggest that you take some time and look at the chick pictures at the following link at the club website

http://www.ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html

You will see that the blue chicks have pinkish toes. The third picture does not look like a standard variety from my experience. Chicks with only one muff gene will have very little fluff and will difficult to distiguish from those with none.

I would suggest to not panic and enjoy the chicks. Remember that strange things show up all the time and recessive genes can pop up. Study the chick picture link and the adult plummage patterns at the link for all 8 varieties of Ameraucana.

Michael

[Guest]

Kim,

I would suggest that you take some time and look at the chick pictures at the following link at the club website

http://www.ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html

You will see that the blue chicks have pinkish toes. The third picture does not look like a standard variety from my experience. Chicks with only one muff gene will have very little fluff and will difficult to distiguish from those with none.

I would suggest to not panic and enjoy the chicks. Remember that strange things show up all the time and recessive genes can pop up. Study the chick picture link and the adult plummage patterns at the link for all 8 varieties of Ameraucana.

Michael

Thanks Michael. I have been in touch w/ Jean from here and we have been talking via email and another forum both she and I belong to. I have looked at the chick pics and it\'s really hard for me to tell. Will really have to study those pics and compare them to what I have.

Kim

[John]

as they get older the leg color changes?

Sometimes.  Wheaten, blue wheaten and buff chicks have flesh colored legs (shanks) when they hatch that darken as they mature.  The legs of silver chicks have just a hint of blue/slate color when they hatch and they will turn slate as they mature.  The other varieties have dark legs/shanks when they hatch.
 

out of 14 eggs only 2 were fertile

I don\'t recommend buying \"hatching eggs\".  There are too many variables involved between the eggs being laid and hatched.  Often the seller ends up being blamed for poor hatches that they may not be responsible for.

[Guest]

Looks like you\'ve got some cuties & were blessed enough to get true Ameraucanas the first time, rather than Easter Eggers as many of us unknowingly did.
I\'ve had eggs from the same breeder vary quite a bit based on shipping & my incubator\'s conditions. That said, some breeders do test the fertility of their pairs each year before shipping any eggs while some may not, and some breeders are more knowledgeable and careful about hatching eggs than others.
Your chick in 2nd photo from the bottom definitely looks like a Blue. I\'m guessing the striped ones are Silver? Looks like there are 2 or more Blacks in 2nd photo from top, also.
As far as leg color, we\'ve had pink/orange legs on Blue & Wheaten chicks and they developed into slate. I\'m guessing your chicks\' will, too.
A number of our Blacks & Blues showed very little sign of muffs as chicks, but developed them as they got older. (One had very scrawny hackles, too, which later filled out rather magnificently).
Hold out hope! I\'m betting you have a lot of nice chicks there. It\'s obvious from pics (pebbles in waterer, good footing material, thermometer on brooder floor, cleanliness, etc.) that you\'re giving them great care, too.
Best wishes, Laura