Messages

856

Ameraucana Marketplace / Toe Nail Color???

« on: July 30, 2006, 02:44:22 PM »

Hi!

I am doing some culling today and had a question about toe nail color.  There is no definate standard in the book that I can find, so is there any preference on toe nail color?

Thanks,

Jean

857

Ameraucana Marketplace / Black roo/Blue roo or both

« on: July 29, 2006, 04:56:53 PM »

Tomorrow is culling day for major color flaws in my flock.  I have some roos that I will be getting rid of also just because of the way they carry themselves.   (tails down and look as if they have a corncob stuffed... well you know.)

I do have a couple questions if any of the pros out there could answer for me please.

1.  Hen feathered(?)- Can a cockerel grow out of this?  I have some chickens that look like pullets, but I can tell they are cockerels because of the size and because they have a few pointy hackles and saddle feathers.  Get rid of them now?

2. Aggressive/Nonaggressive?  My cockerels are not aggressive towards me, but some of them are very aggressive towards the others.  Are nonaggressive cockerels/roos good for breeding or are they too laid back to get the job done?

Thanks so much!!

Jean

858

Ameraucana Marketplace / ? for Blue Wheaten breeders

« on: July 26, 2006, 11:22:20 AM »

I do have to get rid of one of them this weekend as I am culling.  I will keep the one with the better shank color.  He also has longer tail plumage than the other.

I am going to sell the other to a lady for breeding with some stock she thinks is pure from McMurray.  She got some lovely wheaten/blue wheaten looking hens from them.  I think they may be from McKinney\'s stock, as I believe they bought some of his chickens when he quit the business. So, he won\'t be gone for good if he should turn out great.  I\'m sure I could borrow him if need be.

Jean

859

Ameraucana Marketplace / ? for Blue Wheaten breeders

« on: July 26, 2006, 10:38:48 AM »

While we are on the subject of feather color on chickens, I have a question on my two wheaten cockerels.  These are my first ones, so I am not familiar with what the standard is on them.

My boys both have some odd things going on.  One has alot of white feathers in his chest, but his is still changing colors right now.  His head is still turning to that reddish color.  So might those feathers just fall out before his permanent plumage comes in?

The other is, they both have alot of dark striping in the middle of the feathers on the hackles.  Can these be \"pre\" adult feathers or is that what I am stuck with?  

Thanks,

Jean

860

Ameraucana Marketplace / Ameraucana eggs hatching

« on: July 20, 2006, 09:38:11 PM »

Did you get those off of ebay?  I totally chewed out a lady selling her easter egger eggs as show quality ameraucanas and that looks like the picture that was on her ad.

I told her that if 4-H kids were buying her hatching eggs and showing the offspring at the fair, then they would most definately get disqualified and be very disappointed.

She also tried to tell me that the food she was feeding her chickens turned the eggs green, which I highly doubt is a possibility.

There is nothing wrong with easter eggers mind you, they are lovely colorful birds.  I own several and some of them have been great pets, but they are not a recognized breed with the APA and to advertise them as show birds is really dishonest.

Jean

861

Ameraucana Marketplace / Ameraucana eggs hatching

« on: July 18, 2006, 07:28:04 PM »

I\'ve only been hatching eggs for two seasons now, so here\'s my opinion.

I usually give them about 48 hours to hatch from the time the first one hatches, sometimes there are stragglers, but generally 48 for all of them to hatch.

If you keep the slow pokes, it just adds to your incubation time on your next generation from them.  Try to be as patient as possible, I know that they are so cute and you want them all out asap, but it never works that way.

Try not to open the incubator too often either, that will suck all the moisture out and the membranes inside the shell will dry up and that equals dead chicks.

Your chick is probably a blue, the red light alters the colors your eyes see.

Jean

862

Ameraucana Marketplace / Vent Gleet

« on: July 13, 2006, 04:34:17 PM »

I have a hen that I started treating for vent gleet about a month ago.  She started to improve once I removed her from the flock and treated her; then I felt she was failing so I let her out of the cage I had her in and discontinued any treatment on her.  (I figured if she were going to die, should could do it as a free bird.)  She was very lethargic the first couple days, but then she perked right up and has been out on her own for about 2 1/2 weeks.

She seems like she is healthy now, her comb is red and she moves around good, she even tried to fight with one of the other hens through the fence.

My question is:  Has anyone ever treated vent gleet and successfully cured it?  How much longer should I wait to return her to the flock? (Of course I will check her vent for any signs of gook before I do it.)

FYI: I treated her with a couple days of antibiotics, probiotics, diaper ointment for her skin rash and an over the counter yeast infection cream for her vent.

I would really like to keep this hen as she lays a nice blue egg, and she and her sisters have given me some really nice chicks this year.

Thanks alot,

Jean

863

Ameraucana Marketplace / Buff Ameraucanas

« on: July 11, 2006, 10:31:38 AM »

On the buff variety, which is harder (in the opinion of seasoned breeders out there) getting ride of white or black in the tail feathers?

Jean

864

Ameraucana Marketplace / White and Black????

« on: July 11, 2006, 10:27:54 AM »

I know that you can breed blues and blacks and wheatens and blue wheatens and get a 50/50 offspring of correctly colored chicks.

Can  you also breed white to black and get the same correct color on the chicks?  I thought I read somewhere that somone did that.

Jean

865

Ameraucana Marketplace / Leg color in chicks

« on: July 07, 2006, 12:14:37 AM »

Mike, it\'s that slightly slate, but mostly clear looking.  I\'ve seen it on the wheatens and blue wheatens alot also.  The have some \"flesh\" color to them.

The first picture is of one of my buff offspring, it has very nice slate legs.  The second is of what some would call grisled.  The third is a comparison of good legs and grisled, remember if you can\'t see a difference it is because it is dusk here and it was hard to get a good picture.

Jean

866

Ameraucana Marketplace / Leg color in chicks

« on: July 06, 2006, 09:41:37 PM »

Some of my newly purchased birds have the \"grisled\" colored shanks.  Is that genetically considered slate?

If I keep any of these birds should I consider crossing them with birds that have excellent shank color and only keep offspring with good color to get rid of the \"grisled\" look?

What have you done with your birds like this?

Jean

867

Breeding / Splash Pics

« on: July 06, 2006, 05:14:04 PM »

Here is a chick and a pullet, sorry about the editing.....  They aren\'t great photos, but it will give you an idea what they look like.

Jean

868

Breeding / Splash Pics

« on: July 06, 2006, 02:49:28 PM »

I have a chick picture and have some 10/12 week olds that I could take a picture of if it would help at all.

Jean

869

Ameraucana Marketplace / Pics of LF

« on: July 02, 2006, 12:37:46 AM »

That is too funny!  I just got rid of a blue wheaten I hatched during the winter, that was always in everybody\'s business.  His name was Uno and that so reminds me of him.

Uno had to go because he attacked me all the time and just followed everyone else.  I also got tired of chicken poop on the front porch because he would sit there for hours waiting for me to come outside.

Jean

870

Ameraucana Marketplace / Black roo/Blue roo or both

« on: July 01, 2006, 12:14:24 PM »

Well, since I am working with a space issue, I will keep one roo of each color.  I will pick the best two and go from there.

Thanks alot,

Jean