Messages

46

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: South East District Meets

« on: April 27, 2020, 08:42:01 AM »

We currently have a couple of meet requests for the fall of 2020 when this quarantine is lifted or at least modified to allow groups in some fashion. I am not sure how this might change shows as we know them. Please feel free to talk to your local show clubs and see where and how they may plan for events these next seasons.

Virginia Poultry Breeders Club, Ruther Glen VA. Nov 21
Forsyth Show, Winston Salem NC. Thanksgiving Weekend Nov 30 - Pending

47

Ameraucana Marketplace / Re: Ameraucana Eggs and Stock

« on: April 22, 2020, 11:24:43 PM »

We still have some nice Black LF and Blue LF AMs laying well.
And our White bantam AMs are still productive - also Andalusian LF and Blue/splash Sumatra btm.
These are great hearty stock that have really performed well from the first of the year even without lights. Please drop me a note if you want to try to meet to transfer some eggs before they slow down for the spring. 

48

Breeding / Re: How can I improve a small flock?

« on: April 17, 2020, 01:32:41 PM »

Hey Penny, Your questions are very good for all of us to review every season for each of the varieties that we are trying to progress. It's best for quality to select the least amount of breeders based on quality. But as you've already considered this doesn't create diversitiy in your blood line if you hope to maintain a closed breeding flock. If you do bring in new stock it's best to do so from a related line. Many AM lines were created differently and crossing another line may very well allow leakage to show up in the males that are produced. The best way to maintain diversity with what you have is to pair mate the best birds you have and mark all of the chicks so you can start separate family lines. You can raise as many families as you can hatch, feed and grow out. All of your hatches are going to be related to the one male since you've already decided to only use one male. But if you maintain 3-4 pair matings you can select and keep those lines marked and begin to diversify those for next years matings. Then keep two or multiple lines going as your space allows.
If diversity is the goal You can Line Breed back to the old Cock for one line, but I would not use the same male for all matings next year. Maybe a cockerel will catch your eye that you could use for one branch of your family.   
Some folks are able to breed early in the season and then offer a pair or two to someone in your area to reduce the stock you are carrying thru the grow out season.

Alternately it's always a great benefit for you to keep in touch with the breeder that you bought from so you might access stock from the same genetic pool if needed. And it's really nice to have some people that live within driving distance that might join in with the effort using your lines for the same reason.

If you've decided that you only want to raise Blue and Splash you will have your results this season with the Splash/Blue matings. Pair mating allows you to balance your selection of individuals to counter any faults in each mating. Good and Bad traits are not as easy to balance or correct in flock matings. And your color selection is going to be a part of that equation as well.  I hope this helps. Feel free to ask again or for more specific answers needed too.  Good Luck and keep us updated.    drc

49

Exhibiting & Promoting / South East District Meets

« on: March 27, 2020, 12:48:07 AM »

We have a few meets suggested for the fall in the SE District.  Feel free to drop me a note if you want to request a meet or if you want to orchestrate some locations for members actively showing to gather for shows.  Have a Great hatching season.       drccash@yahoo.com   

50

Ameraucana Marketplace / Ameraucana Eggs and Stock

« on: March 27, 2020, 12:42:50 AM »

We hope to have some eggs and stock available in Black LF, Blue LF, White Btm and Buff Btm in the weeks ahead now if the birds will continue to lay. We might have some Self Blue bantam eggs available a little later. All these are from show lines. It would be great to have some local breeders partner to progress some of these birds in our region. Feel free to contact me to discuss the various lines.  drccash@yahoo.com   

51

News and Information / Re: While in Quarantine

« on: March 23, 2020, 01:19:16 PM »

Gordon, I agree things get a little boring in the house. My wife is working from home, so she is keeping me on my toes and has a long list for me. I have been trying to catch up on yard work when the weather is decent. Our spring is here and we are already mowing the yard. It is nice to see the spring flowers and buds. It just doesnt feel quite like spring here though for some reason. I was able to arrange for a feed store delivery to make sure I have a supply for a time. They were out of the pellets that I use for the LF last week as people are buying similar to TP. We will go to the grocery store later this week to buy as much as we can for my daughter and DIL families. It's good to visit with the grandkids too either thru the glass doors or thru social media, not quite the same though. 

I did have a bit of a surprise last night. I've had some mice working in the feed room, set some traps and have caught a few. But last evening I was checking the traps at dusk. Opened the door and was surprised by a family of sugar gliders enjoying themselves. I know they are not indigenous here. So has someone close by lost a cage of gliders or is this a new invasive species?  Live and Learn I guess. 

52

News and Information / While in Quarantine

« on: March 23, 2020, 09:20:52 AM »

 - borrowed from a friend -

Shakespear Wrote King Lear

Isaac Newton discovered gravity and developed Calculas

Under house arrest, Paul wrote parts of the New Testament

In prison, John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Pride

What can I do while staying Home..........

53

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Ad in the Poultry Press

« on: March 04, 2020, 07:33:26 AM »

Great Job Jean

54

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Ad in the Poultry Press

« on: March 03, 2020, 08:04:17 PM »

Thanks Paul and Angela for penning that recap for the SB LF approval process.  I know there were a Lot of people involved too......See the article.

Bill left a voicemail and said the The PP ad is $70.      (765) 827-0932
Can we Please get this check sent to the Poultry Press address ?
   Poultry Press
   PO Box 542
   Connersville, Indiana 47331

It is great to write an article for us to send to the editor when we have something news worthy to broadcast to the Poultry World. Or maybe If one of the members have something of interest to the Poultry Hobby we might want to submit.     PP Deadline is the 10th of each Month

https://www.facebook.com/jennpoultrypress/  -  They have a FB page too if you want to like them there.

55

Exhibiting & Promoting / Feed Store chick season Again

« on: February 11, 2020, 09:03:03 AM »

Most of you have been down this road many times. The feed stores offer up the new chicks for customers to take home to start a new flock. A box of promise that they will have Lots of fresh home eggs in just a short while. Often the first sign you'll notice is one promising colored eggs. And the names for these abound, abound with confusion. But the one thing for sure is that they will Not be Ameraucana chicks. Many of us have tried to talk to store managers or sales clerks to explain the difference. And often the store folks will get frustrated and fall back on "the hatchery told us they were so and so, and why would they lie?" 

Things get better slowly over time. If we keep agravating hatcheries, maybe the names will slowly move away from Ameraucanas. But the battle is not won in the frustrating disussions with local sales staff. Rather the best learning is more often gained in talks one future poultry enthusiast at the time. Be kind, and offer as much information and help as the newbie wants to hear. Not all back yard poultry folks want to show pure bred chickens. But many will be willing to hear and understand what their options might be.  Good Luck! 

56

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Ad in the Poultry Press

« on: February 10, 2020, 01:12:56 PM »

I think Jerry was probably refering to the Ohio National year before last where we all remember where we voted to start the PP ad.  Hopefully after this new vote we can decide on the logo, settle things with the PP staff and get things moving.   

57

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Self Blue Recognition

« on: January 25, 2020, 11:11:22 PM »

Paul and Gordon you summed it up very well.
Bravo to all involved. I hope to see all showing large classes of this great color for many years to come.
It is a Great day for the Ameraucana Breed and the Self Blue variety in particular. 

58

Housing, Health & Hatching / Re: Cheap Rabbit Cages for Bantam Breeding

« on: January 21, 2020, 11:28:47 PM »

That seems like a Really good deal for cages. I have seen some use this type cage for breeding, especially pairs for predigree tracking. Be careful that they are protected from predators, even snakes like bantam chickens and eggs. And the wire will not keep the creatures from creating havoc. I've had a 4' black snake inside wire of this size and even a hawk that snared a youngster thru the wire top. They will be helpful If they are in building with smaller wire or somehow protected with an elec wire perimeter. Commercial farms use wire cages not quite this size for 3 LF layers. The ones I've seen come in 10' sections. They have dividers at 14". So they can put many layer chickens in a row with roll away floors for eggs and automatic feeders/watering systems.   

59

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Self Blue Ameraucana Bantam Approval Process

« on: January 18, 2020, 09:26:56 PM »

Thanks Paul and Aaron for the emails. Hopefully this will work out for this breeder to get some Self Blue Bantam stock sometime this season thru one of the contacts you provided. But please keep an eye out for others in that part of the country who might want to create a good showing at the Norman OK National this season. At the very least it would make an eye catching class of the variety and hopefully interest some others in working with the color in bantam as well.

 

60

Breeding / Re: Crele Ameraucana Project Color

« on: January 17, 2020, 05:28:44 PM »

Spencer, it's always the Good birds, the ones you hope to raise from that get into trouble with something. But I am working out some blind roll away nests to help with the issue. I will send you an email with more detail. And certainly, we can trade some eggs later in the season when they are more productive and we both have incubators working well.       Thanks!  And Please tell your family we say hello, too!