Strange offspring from Black Ameraucana?...pictures added

I have two chicks from black parents. Hatched, they had black fluff. So far so good. Now they are getting their second set of feathers and their wings are barred black and white! Is this usual? Will the adult feathering be black?

That is a little strange, My black chicks start black and stay black. IN the Ameraucana's that is. My Australorps (yes Sue I know you love them), they start out penquin looking, and it isnt until the get their adult feathers that they turn completley black.
I am wondering if you have something in your hen or rooster in coloring that was masked by the black? Only time will tell I guess?

Hidden River wrote:That is a little strange, My black chicks start black and stay black. IN the Ameraucana's that is. My Australorps (yes Sue I know you love them), they start out penquin looking, and it isnt until the get their adult feathers that they turn completley black.
I am wondering if you have something in your hen or rooster in coloring that was masked by the black? Only time will tell I guess?

Oh" are we now talking about Australorps? I sooo love my Australorps. You will never find a friendlier chicken. I dream of Australorps. ( in a nice way mot a kinky way )

Dan!

Can you get us pictures Sue?

coopslave wrote: Dan!

Can you get us pictures Sue?

I will try to remember. I think I need to go out with my camera tomorrow night and go crazy.

Dan, I think you mean nightmares.

Here is one of the chicks

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The parents have very dark legs, but these guys, no so much so...yet!

Never saw a black ameraucana come out like that! Definately a barred pattern there.

Ok, do you have any barred birds? I am trying to wrack my brain. 1 dose (female barred, male red or black) leaves cuckoo barring in males and black females. 2 doses (barring in both parents) gives barring in males and barring in females. 1 dose (male barred, female other) can lead to random cuckoo barring showing in both sexes.

I don't think it is genetically possible to get barring like that (not the fake, juvenile barring you see some times) without a barred parent. It is not something that 'hides' in black. It doesn't look to have a beard? What is the comb like? He is also showing yellow in the leg, which your Ams won't.

See the white spot on the top if its head? That tells you that it is going to be barred. How many did you get that had the spots on the head?

It will be cool to watch him grow.

No barring here since I sold the Cuckoo Marans two years ago!

I am wondering...they were in with the birds that came from Perfoemance. I just assumed they were from my hatch. You can see some of the performance chicks around them. They are Crevecours. Also pure black. Maybe they came from Performance? In that case they could be anything. Their heads are unique. Very predatory and coarse compared to the Creves.

So they could be anything that Performance sells. Suggestions?

My next hatch should have some black Ameraucanas in it. I will be watchimf those babies feather out very carefully.

Sue, what kind of comb does it have?
It is very interesting looking for sure. It will be cool to watch it grow out.

It looks like it is going to be a peacomb. I will get some head close ups today. I think I will go over to the Performance site and have a peek at what they have.

Performance has Plymouth rock, Cuckoo Maran, Dominique.

Dominique does not have a single comb, right? Are they black at birth? Tha would be my guess.

Schipperkesue wrote:Performance has Plymouth rock, Cuckoo Maran, Dominique.

Dominique does not have a single comb, right? Are they black at birth? Tha would be my guess.

That sounds like what you might have. They have a rose comb, don't they? I think someone here breeds them.

Just had a look. It looks like a pea comb with a little bump to the rear. Could that be the makings of a rose comb?

Those chicks definitely had at least one barred parent, and from the look of that one little boy, I would guess two barred parents.

Yes Sue sounds like a Dominique. Miry on here breeds them so she would have more info for you. But I am pretty certain they have rose combs and that is what the comb you are describing is.

Does the little "bump" look like it might be a spiked rosecomb?
I would say Dom roos in the pic, look at the little spurbuds already...
If they are pullets they will have much more black on their legs and not so much white in the feathering...
I like that they can be easlly sexed at hatch, might be why they only sent you roos though....
Want some girlfriends for them?
Dominiques are kinda ugly, hyper adolescents but grow up to be stunning adults( with amazing flying abilities)!

mirycreek wrote:Does the little "bump" look like it might be a spiked rosecomb?
I would say Dom roos in the pic, look at the little spurbuds already...
If they are pullets they will have much more black on their legs and not so much white in the feathering...
I like that they can be easlly sexed at hatch, might be why they only sent you roos though....
Want some girlfriends for them?
Dominiques are kinda ugly, hyper adolescents but grow up to be stunning adults( with amazing flying abilities)!

Thank- you Miry, but NO MORE BREEDS! Hee, hee!

The pictures are of just one little chick, but the other is identical. I did a little research and I concur, two little cockerels. I wonder if Performance could not make my order and threw in a couple extra Doms. If that is the case, they could at least have given me a true pair!

Does anyone need some Dominiwue boys?

If you like Americaunas Sue, you would like Doms, they have the same type of vigourous, "Im gonna live" attitude!

You temptress!

I know I would like them! That is the problem!

Oh yes, you know me Sue!
and you just need to add some very unrelated lovely ladies from my stock and you will be all set!

I had one more look and it looks like they have white eyeliner around their eyes! Do you see this in Doms?

It IS a Dominique. I was looking throught the Performance chicks last week wondering why one had a black fluff on its head.....you got one of my Dominiques and I kept a Crev......

chicken crack wrote:It IS a Dominique. I was looking throught the Performance chicks last week wondering why one had a black fluff on its head.....you got one of my Dominiques and I kept a Crev......

Well, then, TRADSIES!

Are you coming to Wetaskiwin? We can swap there.