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News and Information / Re: ABC tasks
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on Today at 12:25:21 AM »2/17: Cheers! We are current. Have a great week.
News:
Welcome to the Ameraucana Breeders Club (ABC) Forum!
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Recent Posts
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Breeding / Wheaten plumage color
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on February 15, 2026, 05:06:49 PM »✨️Continuation of wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten Ameraucana✨️
Note that a lighter shade of wheaten is preferred for Ameraucana females.
The basic form of wheaten is eWh s+.
Are there genes that can create a lighter shade of wheaten?
Yes. Consider Di and ap+.
Di dilutes red and gold to a lighter shade.
ap+ removes red.
Are there genes that can create a darker shade of wheaten?
Yes. Consider di+, Ap and Mh.
di+ is a lack of red and gold dilution.
Ap intensifies red.
Mh intensifies red.
Would you like to review pictorial examples of wheaten plumage across several breeds and contemplate what genes are influencing their plumage colors?
Review photos of the wheaten Ameraucana, wheaten Malay, and wheaten Aseel. 🙂
Note that a lighter shade of wheaten is preferred for Ameraucana females.
The basic form of wheaten is eWh s+.
Are there genes that can create a lighter shade of wheaten?
Yes. Consider Di and ap+.
Di dilutes red and gold to a lighter shade.
ap+ removes red.
Are there genes that can create a darker shade of wheaten?
Yes. Consider di+, Ap and Mh.
di+ is a lack of red and gold dilution.
Ap intensifies red.
Mh intensifies red.
Would you like to review pictorial examples of wheaten plumage across several breeds and contemplate what genes are influencing their plumage colors?
Review photos of the wheaten Ameraucana, wheaten Malay, and wheaten Aseel. 🙂
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Upcoming Meets / 3/7/2026 Canadian Valley Poultry Club Show Norman. Ok
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on February 12, 2026, 01:53:36 PM »Show Name: Canadian Valley Poultry Club Show
Host Club: Canadian Valley Poultry Club
Show Date: 3/7/2026
Show Location:
Cleveland County Fairgrounds
615 E Robinson St
Norman, OK 73051
Show Secretary:
Richard Peters
Show Secretary Email:
apajudge1009@aol.com
Host Club: Canadian Valley Poultry Club
Show Date: 3/7/2026
Show Location:
Cleveland County Fairgrounds
615 E Robinson St
Norman, OK 73051
Show Secretary:
Richard Peters
Show Secretary Email:
apajudge1009@aol.com
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Upcoming Meets / 4/11/2026 White River Poultry Club Spring Show Spencer, Indiana
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on February 12, 2026, 01:52:04 PM »Show Name: White River Poultry Club Spring Show
Host Club: White River Poultry Club
Show Date: 4/11/2026
Show Location:
Owen County Fairgrounds
364 S East St.
Spencer, Indiana
Show Secretary:
Emmy Lineweaver
Show Secretary Email:
emmyn74@gmail.com
Host Club: White River Poultry Club
Show Date: 4/11/2026
Show Location:
Owen County Fairgrounds
364 S East St.
Spencer, Indiana
Show Secretary:
Emmy Lineweaver
Show Secretary Email:
emmyn74@gmail.com
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Breeding / Wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten Ameraucana chicks
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on February 10, 2026, 06:15:13 PM »✨️Wheaten, Blue Wheaten and Splash Wheaten✨️
What e locus are they built on?
✅️eWh
Can you tell wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten chicks apart at hatch?
✅️Typically no.
Is there a way to know which color variety or varieties you have hatched?
✅️Yes. A breeding chart is available to review.
What creates the differences in plumage color among the three color varieties?
✅️The Blue gene
Wheaten: 0 copies of the Bl gene
Blue wheaten: 1 copy of the Bl gene
Splash wheaten: 2 copies of the Bl gene
Is it okay that they have flesh colored shanks at hatch?
✅️Yes. Dermal melanin comes in slowly on eWh chicks. The Standard is written for sexually mature birds.
💡The basic form of wheaten is eWh s+. Standards for the wheaten variety in other breeds can carry additional genes to create darker strains.
What e locus are they built on?
✅️eWh
Can you tell wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten chicks apart at hatch?
✅️Typically no.
Is there a way to know which color variety or varieties you have hatched?
✅️Yes. A breeding chart is available to review.
What creates the differences in plumage color among the three color varieties?
✅️The Blue gene
Wheaten: 0 copies of the Bl gene
Blue wheaten: 1 copy of the Bl gene
Splash wheaten: 2 copies of the Bl gene
Is it okay that they have flesh colored shanks at hatch?
✅️Yes. Dermal melanin comes in slowly on eWh chicks. The Standard is written for sexually mature birds.
💡The basic form of wheaten is eWh s+. Standards for the wheaten variety in other breeds can carry additional genes to create darker strains.
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News and Information / Re: ABC tasks
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on February 09, 2026, 07:55:21 AM »2/9- We are current. Have a great week.
7
Breeding / Chick phenotype.
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on February 07, 2026, 06:06:05 PM »Chick phenotype.
Does it matter?
Does it tell us anything?
There are presently 10 approved color varieties for the Ameraucana breed.
Some breeders recommend selecting for chick uniformity at hatch. What does this mean?
It means we are looking for, and selecting for, a level of consistency as we pull our Ameraucana chicks out of the hatcher.
Yellow skin, lack of muffs and beard, narrow skulls, stubs, and beak placement are all things we can take into consideration visually as we pull chicks out of the hatcher. We can also take note of some color variations in chick down.
First and foremost, remember when observing general chick down and shank color that the Standard is written for sexually mature birds.
Over the years I have received various questions about chick down. Some of the questions and answers are detailed below.
Q) Is it okay that my black Ameraucana chicks have yellowish-white underbellies? Should the chick down be solid black?
A) It is perfectly fine that your black chicks have yellowish-white underbellies. In fact, it is desirable and does not convey that the chick will have color leakage as it matures. The chick down on black Ameraucana chicks is often referred to as penguin down descriptively speaking. Our black Ameraucana are based on Extended black.
Q) Do my wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten Ameraucana chicks have yellow shanks? They seem light in color. I thought slate was required.
A) Given that yellow skin is not present in breeding stock, wheaten, blue wheaten, and splash wheaten Ameraucana chicks have flesh colored shanks at hatch that gradually turn slate with age. The eWh allele is known to dilute shank color generally speaking. Shanks gradually darken with age.
Q) Can I tell my black Ameraucana chicks and my black Ameraucana chicks that have a copy of the lavender gene apart at hatch?
A) No, you will not be able to tell a difference and will need to mark them separately at hatch.
Q) Does it matter if my white Ameraucana have a smokey/grey cast to their chick down?
A) No, the chick down on white Ameraucana can vary from yellow down to having a smokey/grey cast. Many breeders actually select for white Ameraucana chicks that have a smokey/grey cast on their chick down at hatch!
Q) Does it matter what color beak I select for in lavender/self blue Ameraucana chicks?
A) The standard calls for horn to black. I personally select for black beaks at hatch as reflected in the chick photo provided.
Q) Does it matter if my brown red chicks don't have a lot of variance in color regarding the top of the chick down and the underbelly?
A) No, our brown red chicks are based on Er and this is typical. You will notice a difference in the down of chicks based on Er and chicks based on E.
Q) What is selected for in day old buff Ameraucana chicks?
A) It is ideal for the chick down to have a uniform golden buff cast from the top of the head to the top of the shank.
Q) The chick down on my blue Ameraucana chicks varies from light blue to dark blue. Does this matter?
A) What you are seeing is a result of how the Blue gene works. It is an incompletely dominant dilution gene and one will notice a variance in the shade of blue present on blue Ameraucana.
Q) Is it okay that there is a brown spot on the forehead of my black Ameraucana chick?
A) It likely indicates that there will be color leakage at maturity. You can mark it and observe it as it grows if you would like to learn via experience.
Q) Are there genes that affect and dilute shank color?
A) Yes, in regard to the approved color varieties of Ameraucana read up on the id locus, recessive white gene, dominant white gene, blue gene, and e locus alleles to get started.
I will add more to this educational piece as I review additional questions that have been received. Hopefully this post is helpful to you as you begin the process of observing and studying variances in your Ameraucana chick down.
In closing, don't forget to also select for vigor in your day old chicks!
Does it matter?
Does it tell us anything?
There are presently 10 approved color varieties for the Ameraucana breed.
Some breeders recommend selecting for chick uniformity at hatch. What does this mean?
It means we are looking for, and selecting for, a level of consistency as we pull our Ameraucana chicks out of the hatcher.
Yellow skin, lack of muffs and beard, narrow skulls, stubs, and beak placement are all things we can take into consideration visually as we pull chicks out of the hatcher. We can also take note of some color variations in chick down.
First and foremost, remember when observing general chick down and shank color that the Standard is written for sexually mature birds.
Over the years I have received various questions about chick down. Some of the questions and answers are detailed below.
Q) Is it okay that my black Ameraucana chicks have yellowish-white underbellies? Should the chick down be solid black?
A) It is perfectly fine that your black chicks have yellowish-white underbellies. In fact, it is desirable and does not convey that the chick will have color leakage as it matures. The chick down on black Ameraucana chicks is often referred to as penguin down descriptively speaking. Our black Ameraucana are based on Extended black.
Q) Do my wheaten, blue wheaten and splash wheaten Ameraucana chicks have yellow shanks? They seem light in color. I thought slate was required.
A) Given that yellow skin is not present in breeding stock, wheaten, blue wheaten, and splash wheaten Ameraucana chicks have flesh colored shanks at hatch that gradually turn slate with age. The eWh allele is known to dilute shank color generally speaking. Shanks gradually darken with age.
Q) Can I tell my black Ameraucana chicks and my black Ameraucana chicks that have a copy of the lavender gene apart at hatch?
A) No, you will not be able to tell a difference and will need to mark them separately at hatch.
Q) Does it matter if my white Ameraucana have a smokey/grey cast to their chick down?
A) No, the chick down on white Ameraucana can vary from yellow down to having a smokey/grey cast. Many breeders actually select for white Ameraucana chicks that have a smokey/grey cast on their chick down at hatch!
Q) Does it matter what color beak I select for in lavender/self blue Ameraucana chicks?
A) The standard calls for horn to black. I personally select for black beaks at hatch as reflected in the chick photo provided.
Q) Does it matter if my brown red chicks don't have a lot of variance in color regarding the top of the chick down and the underbelly?
A) No, our brown red chicks are based on Er and this is typical. You will notice a difference in the down of chicks based on Er and chicks based on E.
Q) What is selected for in day old buff Ameraucana chicks?
A) It is ideal for the chick down to have a uniform golden buff cast from the top of the head to the top of the shank.
Q) The chick down on my blue Ameraucana chicks varies from light blue to dark blue. Does this matter?
A) What you are seeing is a result of how the Blue gene works. It is an incompletely dominant dilution gene and one will notice a variance in the shade of blue present on blue Ameraucana.
Q) Is it okay that there is a brown spot on the forehead of my black Ameraucana chick?
A) It likely indicates that there will be color leakage at maturity. You can mark it and observe it as it grows if you would like to learn via experience.
Q) Are there genes that affect and dilute shank color?
A) Yes, in regard to the approved color varieties of Ameraucana read up on the id locus, recessive white gene, dominant white gene, blue gene, and e locus alleles to get started.
I will add more to this educational piece as I review additional questions that have been received. Hopefully this post is helpful to you as you begin the process of observing and studying variances in your Ameraucana chick down.
In closing, don't forget to also select for vigor in your day old chicks!
8
Breeding / Self blue Ameraucana chick down
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on February 07, 2026, 06:03:58 PM »A follower asked if I could discuss Ameraucana chick phenotypes for approved color varieties. I am happy to do so!
Let's start with self blue Ameraucana.
Self blue Ameraucana are created from two copies of the lavender gene. The lavender gene is an autosomal recessive gene. The lavender gene does not have an effect on plumage in the heterozygous state.
Two copies of the lavender gene dilutes black to a medium shade of clear blue.
Our self blue Ameraucana are typically based on Extended Black (E). Extended Black results in chick down that is darker on the top and lighter underneath. This means it is okay for your day old self blue Ameraucana chicks to have white to yellow underbellies.
I select for black beaks at hatch. When I first began working with self blue Ameraucana a decade ago, I would occasionally see horn colored beaks at hatch. I continually selected against it to achieve chick uniformity in my flock. It has been many years since I have hatched chicks with horn colored beaks. Technically speaking, the standard calls for horn to black beaks.
Extended Black will create very dark shanks in our self blue Ameraucana. It is okay if color has not fully extended down the shanks and toes at hatch. Give it time. Shanks will typically darken fully after the first several weeks. Always remember that the Standard was written for sexually mature birds.
Are there other things you can pay attention to in your day old self blue Ameraucana?
Yes.
Good head width, beak placement, & muff and beard expression can all be observed and selected for at hatch.
Let's start with self blue Ameraucana.
Self blue Ameraucana are created from two copies of the lavender gene. The lavender gene is an autosomal recessive gene. The lavender gene does not have an effect on plumage in the heterozygous state.
Two copies of the lavender gene dilutes black to a medium shade of clear blue.
Our self blue Ameraucana are typically based on Extended Black (E). Extended Black results in chick down that is darker on the top and lighter underneath. This means it is okay for your day old self blue Ameraucana chicks to have white to yellow underbellies.
I select for black beaks at hatch. When I first began working with self blue Ameraucana a decade ago, I would occasionally see horn colored beaks at hatch. I continually selected against it to achieve chick uniformity in my flock. It has been many years since I have hatched chicks with horn colored beaks. Technically speaking, the standard calls for horn to black beaks.
Extended Black will create very dark shanks in our self blue Ameraucana. It is okay if color has not fully extended down the shanks and toes at hatch. Give it time. Shanks will typically darken fully after the first several weeks. Always remember that the Standard was written for sexually mature birds.
Are there other things you can pay attention to in your day old self blue Ameraucana?
Yes.
Good head width, beak placement, & muff and beard expression can all be observed and selected for at hatch.
9
Upcoming Meets / 2/22/26 Chattahoochee Valley Poultry Association Show Newnan, GA
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on February 06, 2026, 05:52:34 PM »Show Name: Chattahoochee Valley Poultry Association Show
Host Club: Chattahoochee Valley Poultry Association
Show Date: February 20-22, 2026
Show Location:
Coweta Co. Fairgrounds
275 Pine Rd.
Newnan, GA 30263
Show Secretary: Tonya Massengale
Show Secretary Email:
tmassengale@cvpa-newnan.org
Host Club: Chattahoochee Valley Poultry Association
Show Date: February 20-22, 2026
Show Location:
Coweta Co. Fairgrounds
275 Pine Rd.
Newnan, GA 30263
Show Secretary: Tonya Massengale
Show Secretary Email:
tmassengale@cvpa-newnan.org
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News and Information / ABC tasks
« Last post by Lindsay Helton on February 02, 2026, 04:17:47 PM »A location to keep up with completion of ABC tasks. I will update this weekly for our members.
2/2/2026: The general secretarial tasks are current.
2/2/2026: The general secretarial tasks are current.