Ameraucana Breeders Club

The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club => Breeding => Topic started by: Fyremare on November 18, 2014, 11:21:19 AM

Title: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Fyremare on November 18, 2014, 11:21:19 AM
Silver Ameraucana cockerel, hatched 6-6-14, photo's taken 11-14-14

I haven't weighed him, need to find a way to do that!

Comments wanted  ;D

Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Susan Mouw on November 18, 2014, 12:21:57 PM
I can't wait to see what the experts have to say - he's beautiful! His looks might be enough to sway me away from the wheatens.
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Mike Gilbert on November 18, 2014, 12:51:03 PM
I can't wait to see what the experts have to say -

Expert = pretty much anybody from out of town, and they used to wear ties.

He looks very good to me.   Maybe a little cold?    Would be interested in his weight.
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: John on November 18, 2014, 01:12:43 PM
Quote
He looks very good to me.
That was my first impression also.
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: DeWayne Edgin on November 18, 2014, 06:12:51 PM
You can always mail him to PA if you don`t like him! I like him.
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Mike Gilbert on November 18, 2014, 06:20:15 PM
You can always mail him to PA if you don`t like him! I like him.

DeWayne, the new owner of that buff cockerel picked him up at my place today.  Thought he was very nice!
Thanks for helping that family out.   They have two or three buff females to use with him.
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: DeWayne Edgin on November 18, 2014, 06:24:41 PM
Glad i could help out Mike. Thanks for the update.  :)
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Fyremare on November 20, 2014, 01:16:30 AM
Thanks Mike, John and DeWayne!

 He looks cold?? Does that mean you live in a warmer climate than me Mike? LOL! BTW... it's been tooooo darn cold here in Vermont lately, WOW. But I guess the Polar Freeze hit others worse.

I will try to find a way to weigh him. What do people use for that? The old fashioned "get on the scale without the bird and then with the bird"?!
Maybe I will take him to my Dr appot tomorrow.... not. LOL!

I have 8 others to look at in a critical way, and I will want some help learning how to look at the birds in finer detail. I am going to grow out as many as I can handle... some of the pullets have come out nice also. Oddly I only got maybe one cockerel from my own breeding pair, and four pullets. Not bad since the rest of the flock was about 80% male.

Looking forward to Silver chicks from you in the spring John..... Hope things go well during hatching season  ;D.

Thanks for the comments,

Chris K
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Mike Gilbert on November 20, 2014, 07:55:59 AM
I use a postage scale that only goes up to ten lbs.   I cut a small piece of carpet and attach it to the platform with rubber bands so they don't slip around on the metal surface.   It takes a few moments to get them to sit still.    I bought a digital scale for that purpose, but my wife confiscated that for her kitchen.
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Russ on November 20, 2014, 09:50:53 AM
postal scales with small carpet here also remember to zero it out the cock he came from weighed 6.5lbs so if he comes close to that i would use him for several years putting him over daughter. Grand daughter etc
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Fyremare on November 24, 2014, 12:17:22 AM
postal scales with small carpet here also remember to zero it out the cock he came from weighed 6.5lbs so if he comes close to that i would use him for several years putting him over daughter. Grand daughter etc

And at what age do we consider him mature for weight? I always thought a year, but these Silvers seem to take longer for full maturity. He is about 7 months now.
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Russ on November 24, 2014, 08:12:28 AM
he will get a little bigger for sure. At his age anything over 5 or 5 1\2 lb would be great. That would hopefully put him around 6 1/2 lb or better by spring according to my records.
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Connor Hogan on January 09, 2015, 01:47:22 PM
The name of your posting makes me want to look at this
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Susan Mouw on January 09, 2015, 02:33:35 PM
I can't wait to see what the experts have to say -

Expert = pretty much anybody from out of town, and they used to wear ties.

He looks very good to me.   Maybe a little cold?    Would be interested in his weight.

In the Army, we used to call that "flagpole expert", Mike - anyone outside of the shadow of his home post flagpole was an expert.
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Fyremare on February 04, 2015, 07:18:41 PM
Sadly I had to make the choice to cull this beauty for wry tail. So... out of 35 Silvers from 3 sources to choose from, I am down to 5 cockerels and my senior cock, 10 pullets and my senior hen. Not a single egg from any of the little rascals yet! They also have not been put in their breeding sets yet either.
Thanks for picking on me! Love it!!!
Chris
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Mike Gilbert on February 04, 2015, 07:40:46 PM
If the 15 are all worthy of breeding from I would call that very good results for a multi-color variety.   
Title: Re: Silver Am cockerel for evaluation
Post by: Fyremare on February 05, 2015, 12:01:30 AM
Thanks Mike,
I am still a novice at choosing, and I'm sure there is a bit more refinement to go. Some are 2 months behind the others. i have to remember that sometimes before I judge too quickly. One younger cockerel has a good black chest but still waiting for his beard to blacken more. The girls are a bit harder for me to judge. Once this wretched Northeast weather gets better, I will attempt to get decent photos. I appreciate you all helping those of us who are just getting started. I am truly happy to have many founders/breeders to learn from. Thank you all so much!