Messages

61

Breeding / Re: Crele Ameraucana Project Color

« on: January 17, 2020, 03:23:22 PM »

I'm Glad your project is going well Spencer. The pictures are very helpful. I hope you raise a good group of these project for your next steps....
I also hope you have good luck raising a nice crop of the birds you picked up from the Knoxville National. I think you have some nice starts there. I hope you can figure out a way to get you and or some birds to the National in Norman OK later this year. Several of my pens have taken to eating eggs. Quite frustrating. So I have my work cut out for me too. 

62

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

« on: January 16, 2020, 11:54:50 AM »

Aaron and Paul,  I have a breeder in TX who is trying to find some Self Blue Bantam stock locally.  Do you know of others in the state or surrounding area that are working with the bantam variety now?   Thanks!   drc 

63

Exhibiting & Promoting / Self Blue Large Fowl - Pearl River Show

« on: January 15, 2020, 07:39:42 PM »

Is anyone planning to make the Pearl River show next week? 

Are the Self Blue LF still going to be recommended and voted by the APA Board?

64

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

« on: January 15, 2020, 07:28:27 PM »

Thanks Aaron. Paul mentioned your name and willingness to help. I think Lindsay said we had enough to get the required 5 breeder documents.  Hopefully more news will come soon. Stay tuned.   
Thanks!    drc   

65

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

« on: January 14, 2020, 08:05:14 PM »

I should have mentioned also that we only had one Splash entry at the Knoxville show. It was a very nice bantam pullet and I am sure could be put to good use to create more blues. The requirement for acceptance in both the ABA and APA requires greater numbers be shown.  I've seen where some of the Blue breeders treat them as culls and sell them off soon after hatch. So you would hope that would help spread the blue and splash varieties around a bit more. Jerry mentioned that he had been working with them for many years. Anyone else by chance?   

66

News and Information / Re: New Member Drawing! Join in 2020 for a chance to win a prize valued at $350!

« on: January 10, 2020, 03:50:22 PM »

Wow, Looks like a lot of Loot for the lucky winner. 
Sounds like the board has been busy.  And those Breeding Notebooks sound like they could be very useful. Get your memberships in early.    Good Luck! 

67

Breeding / Re: The Stern of a Wheaten Ameraucana Male

« on: January 10, 2020, 02:53:17 PM »

The Standards are created to provide goals for a perfect bird. This applies to Type and other specific traits, as well as the color descriptions. We might feel that the standards are too restrictive.  And we as breeders can make decisions how closely we want to breed to the standard for each color. Or like a lot of us, we might rather breed a family of colors and have the best precipitous colors in two or three related colors.   

We all like to have the greatest variety of colors in the least amount of coops. And as long as we cross colors we probably can expect to have some degree of compromise. The Wheatens, Blue Wheatens and Splash Wheatens each have different genetic requirements. The lacing on the blue wheatens etc will bring color into other sections of the wheaten and splash wheaten offspring that may not be in those specific color descriptions. A breeder may choose to raise the best Blue Wheatens possible, but in my opinion the residual colors, wheaten and splash wheaten probably will not be the very best of those colors as described in the Standards.  We will likely find that the color standard for Splash Wheaten is somewhat different from the Blue Wheaten residuals. That is to be determined in the Splash Wheaten effort, (breeding and standard confirmation) in the years to come.

Now you can tell me I should practice what I preach. And you are right, I choose to use Wheatens and Blue Wheatens together for ease of managing a smaller flock. But if I concentrated on just Blue Wheaten and culled all but a back up Wheaten male or two out of the Blue Wheaten pairings, I'd likely be farther down the road. The genes for the blue wheaten's lacing would be in Wheatens when needed to mate back at least.  Some of the color issues in each variety might be a simple balancing of light to dark color too. So I'm not saying that One variety only would be an easy road. There are no magic bullets in the breeding world either.   

68

Breeding / Re: Splash x Splash

« on: January 10, 2020, 09:33:51 AM »

Thanks for the email, I am glad you are gearing up to raise a good group of blues for this season. I hope you can keep some exemplary blacks from the blue/blue matings to use with blues next season. I am sure you will get some great Splash youngsters for next years breeding pens too. It would be great if you would be able to take a good showing of these to the ABC National in Norman OK this fall.  We need to have greater numbers of classes in those colors that we hope to move toward acceptance. And this show is a good central location. 

69

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

« on: January 08, 2020, 05:56:14 PM »

It's great that the LF Self Blue has worked thru the acceptance process. If all goes as planned the APA board will vote at the Pearl River Miss. show to include them as the next color of LF Ameraucanas. Then the standard for this color will be included on the addenda sheet with every standard that is mailed out. So with luck this color in LF will be able to compete with the other 8 standard colors later this spring. 

We had 14 bantam Self Blues entered at the Knoxville show last month. But we need to coordinate more shows with greater numbers to show the breeders are active with the colors.  I would hope that we can push to have a good number at the 2020 ABC National in Norman OK this fall. We might also try to find a convenient place to have another showing in the eastern part of the country. I would encourage Anyone who is interested in helping with this effort to arrange to get some stock or eggs soon.  Please let me know if you are interested. We can help to find someone close to your location perhaps and get things moving.   Don Cash  drccash@yahoo.com

70

Exhibiting & Promoting / 2020 meets for the South Eastern District

« on: January 08, 2020, 02:48:53 PM »

Please let me know if you would have shows where you think a number of members would like to congregate and show this spring and fall.  There is time now to put some dates on the calendar and have some significant meets. We might even have enuogh self blue bantams to help their acceptance cause.

Anyone who  would like to work with the Self Blue bantams?  We have a number of Breeders who will be offering eggs this spring. Drop me a note and we can find someone closer to your location.

I hope we have some folks that are planning to show in Pearl River in a few weeks. This APA Semi-Annual is far south for a show of this nature. Hope there is a good turn out.   

And I hope everyone has Norman OK on your calendars for this Nov. This show is in a good central location and should be convenient for many exhibitors to show.  Come on out and enjoy the birds and meet some of those you've talked or emailed with.

71

Ameraucana Marketplace / Re: Orders for Baby Chicks 2020 and also Hatching Eggs

« on: January 06, 2020, 09:27:47 PM »

Sounds like you have a full product range this season Jeff.  Can you put me on your schedule for some blacks and blues when you can?   

72

News and Information / Re: ABC New Member Drawing

« on: January 01, 2020, 12:38:32 PM »

Congratulations Sydney. I hope you enjoy the gift card.

And welcome to the new members to the ABC since the National. You will all be included in the drawing at the 2020 National in Norman OK. 

73

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Terminology

« on: January 01, 2020, 12:34:41 PM »

The original link is no longer available. Maybe someone can locate another article for this topic.

Shows should be sanctioned by the ABA American Bantam Association and the APA American Poultry association. This allows the exhibitors to attain points for applicable wins at the sanctioned shows. Judges are normally licensed by one or both of these organizations as well. Some licenses are specific to one species, IE some judges have not attained Water fowl qualifications.....

Ameraucanas are accepted by both organizations in the 8 varieties in LF and bantam, ABA bantam only. All other Varieties (colors) are considered AOV.  This applies to Project Colors such as Splash Wheaten, Mottled, Barred and Columbian as well as Colors that may be in the process or being considered for acceptance such as Self Blue and Splash. AOV's can only compete to the level of Best of Variety or Best AOV. They can not compete against the accepted varieties for BB, Best of Breed, or RB, Reserve of Breed. 

Trios can be entered at many shows. A trio must be One Cock or Cockerel and Two Hens or Pullets, all in one Variety. The pullets must be identical as they are to balance the Male in breeding traits. 

A Display is One trio and 4 other birds of the same variety. They should include at least one C, H, k, p.  Both the ABA and the APA have calculations for ranking the Best Displays.

BB Best of Breed
RB Reserve of Breed
Best AOV, Best of any other varieties, unaccepted varieties
BV, Best of Variety
RV, Reserve of Variety

AOSB, Any other Standard Breed - APA LF
AOCCL, Any other Comb Clean Legged, Bantams

C - Cock, male over one year old
k - Cockerel, male under one year
H - Hen, female over on year old
p - Pullet, female less than a year old

Variety - an color pattern of poultry. This applies to accepted as well as other Standard Colors. Not all colors are active in the ABA and APA Standards. One such color is Splash Wheaten. This color standard is available by contacting the Secretaries of the ABA and APA.

Double Mating is sometimes used when a variety produces better males or females using breeding stock that may not produce the best colored birds of both varieties. Some feel that Silvers are one of these varieties.

74

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Pet Carriers / Show Boxes

« on: January 01, 2020, 11:31:19 AM »

Show carriers were offered in the auction for the club.  These wooden boxes are made by James Treadway in TN and they are available in 3-4 hole options for bantams. These typically sell for around $40-50 per box. And he can deliver to shows he attends or shipped directly to your home. Mention the ABC, James has been very generous to the club for several events. LF boxes are usually custom items to work out sizes and prices. 

Vinson Workman also makes these boxes or similar ones and he is located in KY.  There are other folks offering boxes in other parts of the country as well. 

I am happy to provide contacts for either of these folks.  Happy New Year! 


 

75

Housing, Health & Hatching / Re: New pens

« on: December 26, 2019, 09:14:21 AM »

Many farms at the turn of the 20th century kept laying flocks in portable houses such as the one illustrated below. And some land grant universities still show plenty of the house designs on their sites.  Lots of coop options shown at the link below for various flock sizes and uses.

    https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans/poultry
North Dakota State University Agriculture Communication
Dept. 7070
Morrill 7, P.O. Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
    Various titles for buildings and animal species and various contributing vendors/ persons and organizations

     https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/aben-plans/nd727-15-1.pdf

This is the next barn I Really need to build, Univ. of Maryland.....

      https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/aben-plans/6036.pdf