Author Topic: Barred Ameraucana  (Read 35230 times)

John

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #15 on: September 16, 2008, 07:46:35 PM »
Quote
different leg color requirements

And it\'s the same with Ameraucanas having some shade of slate or black shanks.  Slate was the original consensus for Ameraucana shank color, but some variation is due to the influence of the genes (required to make a variety) on the dermis and epidermis.  I know that yellow/willow shanks were voted down way back when the breed was being recognized.  I would also think we wouldn\'t want a variety with white/clear shanks.

Guest

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #16 on: September 16, 2008, 09:57:35 PM »
The information about shank color is very interesting.  I am new to chickens and besides my 3 pure Ameraucanas, I have blue, silver- and gold-laced feed store Wyandottes and Cuckoo (feedstore) and pure Salmon and buff Marans.  I have noticed that the Cuckoo Marans and the Blue Wyandottes have darkish legs (especially along the front of the shank) and the silver and gold-laced wyandottes have yellow legs, but the Black/silver Maran and salmon Maran have very dark legs while the buff Maran has light legs.

I have tried to isolate some legs in pictures I had on my computer.  But I did not have any of the Blue Wyandottes or the Cuckoo Maran pullets.

Danielle in Utah


Mike Gilbert

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #17 on: September 16, 2008, 11:37:38 PM »
We also would not want an Ameraucana that does not have the melanized dermis.    A bird without the dark pigment in the underneath layer of skin does not have slate legs, no matter what shade it is.    They may be \"darkish\" because the gene at the e-locus causes some dark pigment to develop in the epidermis, but that is not the same as slate.    This dark dermis is not going to happen in a sex-link barred variety because the barring gene prevents it.    Period.

Guest

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #18 on: September 17, 2008, 07:12:49 AM »
I agree with Mike. The research backs up Mike\'s statements also. If you want barring and slate shanks and feet in a bird you will have to go with autosomal barring as in the fayoumi or campines.

Tim

Anne Foley

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #19 on: September 17, 2008, 11:08:10 AM »
\"original consensus for Ameraucana shank color\"  I think I finally get it.  When the ABC selected (and defined) slate as the shank color in Ameraucanas, some color varieties were automatically excluded in this breed.  Thanks to everyone for their input and interesting comments.

John

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #20 on: September 20, 2008, 07:46:03 PM »
Anne,
Sometimes more background information needs to given as to why things are the way they are.  Dick Orr wrote the \"History\" that is on the ABC site and I\'ve pasted some below that pertains to the subject of shank color.
Quote
A proposed Standard was developed in early 1979, and put to a vote. Mike commented on the results of the vote as follows: “Thanks to each of you who have participated in making our voting process a success … We have decided on slate colored shanks by an overwhelming margin. We have voted for red earlobes by a nearly two to one margin, we have decided on the weight category calling for 30 oz. mature cockbirds, and we have chosen the name “AMERAUCANA” by a margin of nearly two to one.”

Even after some of the \"Standard\" characteristics were accepted by popular vote some that didn\'t get thier way continued to breed for the characteristics they wanted.

bryngyld

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #21 on: September 20, 2008, 08:45:07 PM »
So.... why do the barred birds in this post have legs that look rather slate colored?
Lyne Peterson
Northern California

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #22 on: September 21, 2008, 10:50:05 AM »
The females in the picture only carry one barring gene which will allow for some epidermal black pigment or black pigment in the scales. Two barring genes (as in males) will eliminate all of or almost all of the black pigment.

Tim

bryngyld

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #23 on: September 21, 2008, 02:12:58 PM »
Ah, I thought one was a cockerel.  

So, if someone wanted a barred project they might take these hens and cross them with the autosomal breeds?
Lyne Peterson
Northern California

Guest

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #24 on: October 02, 2008, 05:56:01 AM »
Is Dominiker autosomal?  The guy I got some birds from this summer says he breeds a \"sex link\" Ameraucana insomuchas he has an Ameraucana (albeit EE) rooster and Dominiker hens.  They all seem to be barred, and he says if the chicks have muffs and beards they will be pullets.  Some of the other hatchery \"brown-reds\" and \"silvers\" he had looked nice, and all of his stock looked very healthy.  I went ahead and took a couple of the barred pullets, but in my mind I was worried about getting ugly olive coloured eggs.  Well, one of the pullets ended up dying (my son said she started running around crazy, ran into the fence, and just died...weird) and the other one ended up being a cockrel.  LOL, so much for the \"sex link\" theory.  Anyway, so now I have a mutt cockrel that I just turned loose in the yard.  So far, he has survived the dog for over a week.  He does have muffs, beard, and pea comb, but I didn\'t even look at his legs.  I guess I\'ll have to look and see now.  

But, doesn\'t crossing brown egg breeds in make the pure blue and green eggs come out icky-coloured?

Mike Gilbert

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #25 on: October 02, 2008, 11:51:40 AM »
Muffs and beards are not sex-linked, as you found out.   If you really want pure Ameraucana stock, look up fellow Texan Paul Smith (from the Gainesville area) as he is one of the premier breeders.     Many hatcheries and individuals will be happy to sell you mixed parentage stock under the name of \"Ameraucana\" but Ameraucanas they are not.

Guest

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #26 on: October 03, 2008, 05:19:39 AM »
I did get some black from Paul, as I had said in another thread.  I had just gotten these EE before getting his, and thought I would put my .02 in since this thread showed some who had interest in the barring.  

Guest

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #27 on: October 24, 2008, 03:00:29 AM »
Hi, new to this group, wanted to share a pic of my barred EE hen I bought a few weeks ago. She was just approaching point of lay, and about a week after I got her began to lay green eggs, sometimes speckled. She has dark grey shading down the fronts of her legs and on the tops of her toes.



I have ten of her eggs of unknown fertility status under a broody. Last night the broody they were under decided she was all done, so I put them under a different broody and crossed my fingers. I would be interested in trading eggs with other similar birds to broaden my gene pool. \"Muffy\" was in with a bunch of marans, mostly cuckoo, as well as a few other breeds, so no telling what, if anything will come of her eggs. I will post any babies that hatch. Thanks again for this group.
Patty in Riverside, CA

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #28 on: October 25, 2008, 09:30:42 AM »
Dominiques are sex linked barred.

Tim

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Barred Ameraucana
« Reply #29 on: October 31, 2008, 11:54:27 AM »
Can someone clarify?

Muffy would not have autosomal genes because her barring comes from Marans, right? So the dark color in her legs would be only in the scales, not the shanks (which would be required for acceptance as an Ameraucana color variety)?

Does her barring being sex-linked mean her male offspring would not be barred? If so, what color would they likely be?

Muffy is an amazing looking bird! If only I could take on another color of Ameraucanas... Gotta discipline myself, though  :rolleyes: Patty, I hope you can link up with some others and have fun breeding this unique, pretty pattern!