How to darken a wheaten?

[Guest]

I want to produce a darker wheaten and eventually use it to get a darker Blue Wheaten.  I understand that blue is a black diluter but it seems the tan is also lighter.  How would I darken a wheaten?  

[Guest]

I am not qualified to help you with your question but was reminded of why I became interested in this breed of chicken.  A couple of years ago I went to my first poultry show.  I came across a couple Wheaten Ameraucana bantams and loved the way they looked(because of their color).  I wrote down the breed name and took a few pictures so I could research them.  The birds I have now do not look quite the same as the ones I found at the show.  The ones from the show (seen in the picture I posted) seemed to be darker.  There is nice full dark hackle and a creamy body.  I am not sure if you are looking for something darker or if you have a picture of your own as an example.  But I thought this picture might help you further define what you are after.  I don\'t know if the hen in this color/shade is what is sought by the standard of perfection but I sure do like it!

To finish my own story, I discovered that these chickens layed blue eggs, this only furthered my interest...  After reading further about the breeds history in respect to Easter Eggers and Araucana I was completely engaged and had to have some for my own!  The color I seen at the show has eluded me but only rarely do ever think about it.  If this example is what you are looking for to start your project then count me in as interested as well!

[Guest]

Thanks so much for the photo!  That is a very pretty hen.  Much darker than the others that I have seen.  I want to produce a darker line of wheatens for another breeding project I have going.  That hen would be an excellent starting point.  Anyone have darker than usual wheatens?

[Tailfeathers]

Not yet but I am trying to develop a tri-colored Wheaten like the Wheaten Marans shown on www.bevsmarans.com

God Bless,

[Guest]

I sure wish I knew!

Here is a picture of an ameraucana cockeral that almost turned out to be a wheaten (the one on the left).  I am not sure what color you call it but it isn\'t quite right for a wheaten.

[Mike Gilbert]

Since neither cock/cockerel has the required slate legs I would argue that neither are true Ameraucana.  

[Guest]

The bird in the picture carries a silver gene so getting wheaten from him would be impossable now silver wheaten is another story Chris

[bantamhill]

Chicken Stalker,

The Ameraucana Standard states a preference from creamy or lighter wheaten. That is why what you see at shows are of lighter wheaten shades - those hens and pullets are close representation of the Ameraucana standard. That being said I have had wheaten hens that were darker than those in the picture here or the Maran site. My suggestion would be to get a mess of wheaten and blue wheaten chicks from a breeder and keep those pullets that are the color you are looking for. I find the darken pullets/hens produce better cocks and cockerels, but that may be only my perception.

You may want to get chicks from several breeders to increase the genetic variablity which I have found leads to darker pullets in the first generations.

Michael

[Tailfeathers]

Hi Michael,

By \"darker than those on the Marans site\", I assume you are referring to the one I mentioned.  If you have had (or better yet still have) hens that look like those or are darker, I would love to see pictures of them.

In fact, I\'d probably want to get some from you or chicks from them if at all possible as that is what I\'m striving for.

God Bless,

[bantamhill]

In the background of the Stockton, CA pictures you can see a darker wheaten hen or pullet.

I do not have any wheaten to breed from currently.

Are you working with large fowl or bantam? There are several beeders in your area that you could contact and get some darker shaded pullets or birds to start with. You will need to cull any male of either wheaten or blue wheaten that does not have a cleanly colored breast. A cross to buff might do the trick also.

I will also maintain that from existing wheaten lines one can produce darker wheaten pullets. Just get two lines that are not closely related and the offspring will have some darker pullets. The shade of wheaten a person prefers is an issue of personal taste. The standard for Ameraucana wheaten/blue wheaten gives preference to creamy wheaten . . . I know I sound like I am stuck on this issue, but I have been around many disappointed folks at shows because the color they liked had departed from the standard and their otherwise very nice birds didn\'t do well.

You might want to read some of the section of Old English books that give some really good information about breeding wheatens. There are several Ameraucana breeders with many years of experience who you may want to start personal conrespondance with . . . some in your district.

Michael

[John]

The standard for Ameraucana wheaten/blue wheaten gives preference to creamy wheaten

If you want birds that will win they should be bred to represent the Standard regardless of personal preference.  If show quality isn\'t a concern then bred to suit your own taste.  I wasn\'t sure if by \"darker wheaten\" you wanted the wheaten colors to be darker or the areas that should be black to have more black for contrast.  

[Mike Gilbert]

There are two major color challenges with this Ameraucana variety.    The first is keeping good clean hackles on the males.    The second is producing light creamy females with exceptional black in tails and wings.   The reason I prefer the lighter females is that in the darker ones it is nearly, maybe impossible to get rid of the shafting.   You end up with darker feathers streaked with light feather shafts.   I don\'t find that very eye appealing.    With the lighter shade it is possible to achieve  more uniform body/back coloring.   However, it is easier to produce  the proper black sections in  females using males that have hackle striping, and therein lies the challenge.   I\'m sure double mating could probably be employed to achieve better specimens of both sexes, but I\'m not going down that road.

[Tailfeathers]

Thanks for the feedback guys.  I\'ll be breeding my Wheatens and Blue Wheatens to the Standard because that\'s what the Standard calls for.

But I\'m also going to try and develop a tri-colored Wheaten hen like those Marans pictured at www.bevsmarans.com because I really like the looks of them.  And if I can get that done, then maybe there would be enough others to get another variety approved.  I know it\'s a long shot but I chose the Wheaten and Blue Wheatens because of the challenge so what\'s another?  

I\'ll have to check into those Breeders you are referring to Michael.  The only Ameraucana breeders that I know of near me are Jean and Lisa.  Lisa doesn\'t do Wheatens and I\'m not sure how many darker ones Jean has.  I still need to make it over to the eastern side one of these days and see her birds.  

God Bless,

[bantamhill]

There are several folks with a lot of bantam wheaten Ameraucana close to you who would be great resources as you work on wheaten large fowl. The breeding principles are the same.

Susie, Nadine, Koralyn and Don all come to mind off the top of my head.

Michael