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Topics - Paul

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91
Ameraucana Marketplace / Oklahoma State Meet
« on: November 18, 2008, 09:38:31 AM »
The Oklahoma State Poultry Show will be hosting our Ameraucana state meet at Shawnee on Dec. 13 and 14.  This is one of the best and largest shows in the South-Central District.  Entries close Nov. 24.  It\'s best not to wait until the dead line as they often fill up and turn entries away.
Contact Steve Jones; 9677 Butler Lane; Poetry, TX. 75160.
Hope to see you there.
Paul Smith

92
Breeding / Breeding Blues and Blue Wheatens
« on: November 11, 2008, 09:51:23 AM »
 Each year we get chick orders for all blue wheatens and all blues.  A poultry fancier needs to know that mating blue to blue will produce blue, black and splash chicks.  Fifty % blue, 25% black and 25% splash on the average will be produced.  A splash is actually a pure blue, carrying only blue genes.  A splash is a yellowish-white chick at hatching and will develop white feathers with blue and/or black speckles or spots.  Presently there is an agreement with several ABC members, to help get splash a recognized variety in the Ameraucana breed.  
  Splash is a good source to produce some very good blues.  Splash mated to splash produces only splash, because splash is pure.  Splash mated to black produces only blue, because the black parent is only carrying black genes and the splash parent carrying blue genes.  This creates an offspring with both blue and black genes, which makes a blue chick.  Many of our best blues have been produced from a splash and black mating.  They are not sex-linked genes, so it doesn\'t matter whether the male or female is splash.  Our best blue cockerel from the 2005 hatch is out of a splash pullet which Matthew calls \"Spotie\".  Some of the best blue pullets from the 2005 hatch are out of a splash cockerel.  Splash mated to blue will produce 50% splash and 50% blue chicks on the average, because the blue parent is carrying both blue and black genes and the splash carrying only blue genes.  When the blue parent donates a blue gene to the blue gene donated from the splash parent, a splash chick is hatched.  When the blue parent donates a black gene to the blue gene donated from the splash parent a blue chick is hatched.
  The most used way to produce blue chicks is from a blue to black mating which results in 50% blue and 50% black chicks on the average.  We have used every combination mentioned above to produce our blues, except blue to splash.  The 2006 hatching will have some chicks from blue wheatens mated to splash wheatens.
  Wheatens, blue wheatens and splash wheatens will produce the same results as blacks, blues and splash.  Wheaten takes the place of blacks.  Blue wheaten takes blues place and splash wheaten replaces splash.  The problem with wheatens is they are all the same color at hatching.  Blues, blacks and splashes are easily recognizable at hatching by the different color of their down.  The wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten have to start developing some feathers before they can be identified by a variety.  This makes it difficult to sell only blue wheaten or only wheaten chicks if the different breeding combination are used which produce more than one variety of wheatens.  Presently we have wheaten to wheaten; wheaten to blue wheaten; blue wheaten to wheaten; blue wheaten to blue wheaten; blue wheaten to splash wheaten; splash wheaten to blue wheaten and splash wheaten to wheaten combinations in our breeding pens.
  A conclusion, after having bred Ameraucanas for seven years, is \"If you want to raise good blues, then you are going to have to raise blacks also!\"  The same thing applies to blue wheatens and wheatens.
  Hope this helps those desiring to raise blue and blue wheatens.

93
Ameraucana Marketplace / South-Central District Meet
« on: October 10, 2008, 08:35:21 AM »
The correct date for the South-Central District Meet is Oct. 18.  The dead line to enter is today Oct. 10.  We hope to see many Ameraucana breeders in Sedalia, MO.  We will be showing a few.  Most of our birds are way behind what they should be, due to our extreme heat this past summer.
  We have shown at the past consecutive 8 national meets , but won\'t be going this year.  We need the week of time that it would require to show, to be spent on completing our house before this winter.  Also most of the birds aren\'t ready to show.  Hope all in attendance have a great time and do well.

Paul Smith

94
Ameraucana Marketplace / Bad News
« on: June 24, 2008, 10:24:27 AM »
I was in our local feed store Monday, June 23, purchasing feed for our chickens and goats.  Presently feed is the highest that I can ever remember it being at harvest time.  The owner told me that next week it was going up $1.80 per bag (50 lbs.) across the board (meaning every kind of feed) due to the floods in the Corn Belt.
 
Now for some good news!  If you have space and like to grow plants-plant some watermelons!  Chickens love them and grow well on them!  We have a lot of them growing and are going to plant some more.  The chickens will get to the point when they see me carrying one, they will come running and wait for me to open it for them.  They will eat all except the thin outer rine.  It\'s a delicious treat for them, that didn\'t cost much to raise, which will help cut the feed price some.  Our growing birds are on self feeders and they are never allowed to get totally empty.

95
Ameraucana Marketplace / Ameraucana Breeding Stock
« on: April 23, 2008, 02:58:40 PM »
  We set our last incubator for 2008 on Monday 4-21.  It will be hatching 5-12 and we have one hatching 4-28.  We still can supply some potential show quality, straight run (unsexed), day old, express mail live lives postage paid, Ameraucana chicks in black, blue and splash.  The wheatens are heavily booked for our last two hatches.  Prices are: 10 for $85, 15 for $120, 20 for $150, 25 for $175 or 50 for $340.  All chicks are toe punched and produced by penned matings.
 
  We also will have hatching eggs for a few more weeks.  Soon it will be too hot here to have the birds penned and they will be turned out.  Hatching eggs are $10/dozen plus PO charges.  They are sent by priority mail which is determined by weight and distance, so we must have a zip code to know what the PO charges will be.  Chicks are highly recommended over hatching eggs as the PO has ways of decreasing their ability to hatch.  Some get good hatches while others don\'t from eggs from the same breeding pens.
 
  We also are now offering part of our breeding birds (black and blue) for sale to make room for the 2008 breeders.  Pullets and cockerels will be for sale this fall.

Paul & Angela Smith
sw_psmith@swmail.net

96
Ameraucana Marketplace / A New Arrival At Our House
« on: December 25, 2007, 09:30:59 PM »
I\'ve been meaning to share this for three weeks now!  Our first boer goat, a female \"Tag-A-Long\" was born Dec. 5 to Blaze Face.  Blondie and Brownie are expecting soon.

Finally all of our breeding pens are set-up!  It\'s always a big relief to have that job finished!  Figuring out which pen to place each male is a big job!  We have 26 breeding pens of blue, black and splash and 8 wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten.  We are now saving eggs for our first incubator.


97
Ameraucana Marketplace / Merry Christmas
« on: December 24, 2007, 03:32:54 PM »
 Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

98
Ameraucana Marketplace / ABC meets in Ohio
« on: December 14, 2007, 12:37:00 PM »
Does anyone know of meets that will be in Ohio in 2008?  I\'d Love to go if there is one near me.

Thanks,

Ann

99
Ameraucana Marketplace / Oklahoma State Meet December 8, 2007
« on: December 14, 2007, 11:21:13 AM »
The Oklahoma State Meet was held Dec. 8, at Shawnee.  Five Fanciers showed 40 head of large fowl but no bantams were shown.  The junior show was mixed with the open and the juniors showed against the open in a trial basis for this show.

  Sixteen blacks were shown by five exhibitors.  Paul & Angela Smith\'s black cockerel won BV and RB.  Their hen and pullet were both marked RV-(???).  Six blues were shown by 2 exhibitors.  Matthew Smith\'s pullet won BV, BB, Champion Ameraucana and Jr. Champion AOSB.  Paul & Angela Smith had RV on a cockerel.  The only two blue wheatens were shown by Paul & Angela Smith.  Their cockerel was BV and pullet RV.  Two head that were similar to brown-red variety were shown by Jessica Kinsworthy and Wesley Wyche.  Wesley showed the only three buff with two nice pullets winning BV and RV.  Three head that were similar to the silver variety were shown by Haley Kinsworthy and Wesley Wyche.  Haley\'s hen was selected as BV even though she didn\'t have muffs or beard .  Most everyone who is a member of the ABC first started with EEL\'s before getting real Ameraucanas.  Angela and I raised them for four years before getting a start of real Ameraucanas, then both EEL\'s and Ameraucanas for one year while increasing Ameraucanas and phasing out the EEL\'s.

The only three wheatens were shown by Paul & Angela Smith with their pullet being BV and cockerel RV.  They also showed the only AOV a splash/blue pullet.  Splash/blue and and splash wheaten are two varieties that several breeders agreed to breed them for recognition by the APA and ABA as a variety.  It takes a minimum of five breeders five years of breeding a variety, and then exhibit a minimum of 50 head at a qualifying meet to get it accepted as a variety.  There are other requirements also, this is just a first step.

Wesley Wyche showed the only four whites, with his hen being BV and cockerel RV.  The Ameraucanas were judged by Harry Halbach of Wisconsin.  Normally this huge show isn\'t completed until Sunday morning, but due to the ice adn snow strom which was on it\'s way, the five judges hurriedly completed the task on Saturday, and all were dismissed at 5:00 PM, to begin their journeys home to the 14 states represented.
 

100
Ameraucana Marketplace / New Shipping Requirements
« on: October 25, 2007, 10:01:57 AM »
The past 10 years we have used paper towel boxes which have been customized to ship a trio.  Cardboard partitions were cut and taped inside the paper towel box forming 3 compartments.  This was done to prevent our customers from having to buy a shipping box which cost over $20 several years ago, and weighed seven pounds more than our lightweight customized towel boxes.  There also was a period of time that we used a special trio shipper and had our customers to send the empty box back by priority mail.  This was used for almost 2 years then retired, but it still weighed almost 11 pounds-7 pounds more than the cardboard boxes that we customized.

Monday Oct. 22, I hurriedly left the Cooke County Courthouse to go home, box five birds, take them to our local post office, eat lunch and be back at the courthouse for jury duty within 90 minutes.  Just barely made it in time.  Tuesday morning, I was already outside tending to our birds when the post office personnel called at 6:00 AM to come get the three boxes of birds that I mailed Monday.  This sure created a very hurried rush to be able to tend to all the stock, make a trip to the post office, return home, put the birds up, then back to town to be in the juror\'s seat by 9:00 AM;but with Angela\'s help, I made it!

All of this could have been prevented if I had known that now the post office will only accept adult chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, doves, pigeons, pheasants, partridges, quail, ducks, geese and swans that are mailed in a special bio-secure box with 100% of the air vent holes covered with the bio-filter material.  NO EXCEPTION.  There is only one manufacturer-Horizon Micro Environments, LLC in the U.S.  The day old chicks may still be mailed without a bio-secure box at this time.  A paper with this info was taped to each of the three boxes they returned to us.  Wednesday morning we ordered some bio-secure shipping boxes.

101
Ameraucana Marketplace / The South-Central District Meet
« on: September 26, 2007, 10:28:17 AM »
 The Southern Missouri Poultry Club in Sedalia, Missouri will be hosting our district meet on Oct. 13.  Entries close Oct. 1.  I hope many Ameraucana breeders will show this year!  Angela and I will be stopping at Sedalia on our way home from the Great Fall Montana national meet.  We will get photos of the class winners at both shows to post on the forums for those to see that didn\'t get to see them at the shows.
  Anyone who needs some breeder or layer Ameraucanas delivered to the Great Falls or Sedalia Shows or along the way
( I-35 N to Salina, I-70 W to Denver, I-25 N to Buffalo, I-90 W to Billings, 87 N to Great Falls - 87 S to Billings, I-90 E to Sioux Falls, I-29 S to Kansas City, 50 E to Sedalia, 65 S to Springfield, I-44 W to Tulsa, 75 S to Sherman, 82 W to Gainesville) needs to contact us at: sw_psmith@swmail.net .  We have some of the best black cockerels that we have ever had.  Matthew won Jr. champion Large Fowl and Angela and I won champion AOSB at our local Red River Bantam Club Show last Saturday with black cockerels.  Our blue wheaten pullet won reserve AOSB.  Our breeder quality birds are for sale at less than what the PO would charge to ship them express mail live rate.  Hope to see you at the shows.

102
Ameraucana Marketplace / A new predator for us to fight!
« on: September 10, 2007, 10:29:26 AM »
  In the past thirteen years of breeding and raising poultry we have had experiences with predators like coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, opossums, skunks, dogs, hawks, owls and snakes.  A well trained Great Pyrenese guard dog will do a great job of keeping the furry and feathered predators away, but the snakes has his way of slithering into the brooder houses while the dogs are away.  Presently we have lost 29 head of our last two hatches of 2007 to a predator that has managed to out do both the dogs and us.
  The birds were just vanishing without a trace of feathers, tracks or any kind of clue as to what was taking them.  Labor Day, while off work I happened to be walking by our pond just at the right time to see where the birds were disappearing.  The pond was constructed in the fall of 1994, to be used to irrigate the vegetable garden.  It did have, some water snakes, several years ago, that managed to find their way into the brooder houses of chicks under two weeks of age.  This is the first time that it has harbored large chicken thieves!  A very nice wheaten pullet that I had been admiring and considering caging for our district show in Shawnee was being dragged on top of the shallow water into the deeper water.  Immediately I grabbed the dip net (used for catching chickens) and dipped her out but missed the snapping turtle that had torn her neck half off and drown her.
  Later That day Angela returned home and we seined three snapping turtles out of the reservoir.  One was huge and the other two were small.  I thought we had won the battle until 2 days later three more small snapping turtles appeared in the reservoir.  I set some throw lines in an attempt to catch them.  Saturday evening the 29th bird was floating in the shallow water.  I dipped him out to find his entire head eaten off his body.  We seined the pond again Sunday morning before church, but caught none.  We purchased 2 more 10 feet seins, tied them all together to have a sein long enough to reach across what water was still in the reservoir, since it has been pumped so low, watering the fall vegetables.  Three more trips across the reservoir but no snapping turtles were captured.  Apparently they all left during the night.  I feel that the excessive frequent rains in late spring and early summer caused the snapping turtles to move into our reservoir.  Our place in near Indian Creek and the back water of Lake Kiowa, which has 500 acres under water.  We will keep a close watch on the reservoir and lines set in it.  I hope this info, helps others whose chickens have access to ground water, to be on the alert for snapping turtles.  It has been another learning experience for us.  Presently there are still 117 head in our fourth and fifth hatches,  even though the turtles consumed almost 20% of them.  

103
Ameraucana Marketplace / Hatching eggs available
« on: March 15, 2007, 11:56:58 PM »
  We are getting a lot more hatching eggs than we need.  We hadn\'t planned on offering day old chicks this spring \'07 hatching season due to building a new house and the time the chicks require.
  I got home from the hospital just in time to tend to a hatch.  The black, blue, splash hatched very well.  The wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten hatched fair and the buff didn\'t hatch any.  The closer it gets to spring the better they will hatch.  We are going to set another incubator soon so we can have some birds to show this fall.  The BV buff large fowl at the 2007 national wins the Arne Schmidtzs memorial traveling award.
  The by-pass surgery went well.  I had four totally blocked arteries that had attempted to grow their own by-passes.  I had one of the best heart surgeons in the area.  He did a very good job, and the Lord is doing the healing.  I\'m doing better each day, anxious to get back to normal.  It\'s planting time, chick hatching time and time to get the house going full speed again.
  We have several orders but can supply many more.  Presently we have black only; blue, black and splash; wheaten; blue wheaten; and splash wheaten; and soon blue only as we are changing places with two males.  The buffs are going to have to start hatching before we let anymore of them out.  We ship all our hatching eggs in customized hatching boxes which have a reversable top with labels and stamps on it for it\'s return trip.  Each egg is disinfected wrapped in newspaper and packed in a cell inside the box.  We have boxes which hold 1, 2, 3 1/2, 4 and 6 dozen.  They are shipped by priority mail which goes by both distance and weight-so we MUST HAVE YOUR ZIP CODE when requiring about egg prices as the postage plays a large part in what they cost.  Anyone can e-mail us at: sw_psmith@swmail.net

104
Ameraucana Marketplace / Happy Birthday Mike G.
« on: November 22, 2006, 09:00:32 AM »
Have a happy birthday and Thanksgiving!

105
Ameraucana Marketplace / Happy Birthday !
« on: November 15, 2006, 09:56:52 AM »
Happy birthday! Barbara
Have a great day.

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