Ameraucana Breeders Club
The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club => Ameraucana Marketplace => Topic started by: Blue Egg Acres on March 10, 2010, 06:36:41 PM
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I have a large fowl wheaten male that at the age of 10 1/2 months still has a mostly white muffs/beard. I hatched him from eggs shipped in by a well respected breeder but I\'m not familiar with his strain of wheatens. It seems to me that he should have completely black muffs/beard by now. My qustion is this: If they don\'t change, what can I expect the results to be in his offspring? I really need him in a breed pen but don\'t want to introduce this if it\'s going to cause major issues in future generations.
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Barbara, this is not something you want, but if you have to use him try to limit it to one generation. You definitely don\'t want to breed him more than one season.
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So, why is it acceptable to use him for one season? Will this trait not be established and then have to be eliminated?
My plan was to use him over a couple of nice hens to start a new line for new blood. Turns out one of my other two males fertility rate is very low - only about 1 in every 10 - 12 eggs is fertile. The 2nd one is possibly a 1/2 brother to the hens I\'m needing a male for. Am i better off to use the 1/2 brother than the guy with the white musffs/beard?
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We have to be careful about developing \"tunnel vision\" as there are so many aspects to consider in setting up any matings. Obviously you saved him as a breeder for some reason(s), but I don\'t know what those are. Only half the genetics in his offspring will come from this bird, the other half coming from his mates, but if you breed him back to his daughters you will be setting the undesireable muff color in that generation.