Backyard chicken keeping is an increasingly popular spare-time activity that is experiencing a resurgence . More and more city are undulate back ordinance that prevent keep poulet on your dimension , lead to an uptick in interest . There are century of different case of chickens to opt from – hybrids , heritage breeds , hybridization . One of those breeds is the Ameraucana chicken . alike toAraucanas , Ameraucanas are a beautiful breed of poulet that is highly prized for its alone appearance and dismal bollock .
All aboutAmeraucana chickens
When it come to picking the proper breed of wimp for your home or farm , fuck the basic of the strain will help you make that conclusion . A troop of Ameraucanas may be the right chickens for your place , but before you buy bird , let ’s do a deep dive on this beautiful , alone Gallus gallus .
Ameraucana egg color
Ameraucana chickens are a much - adored breed of chicken for their docile , quiet nature . Their eggs are also real head - turner . While most of the eggs you see for cut-rate sale in the depot are white or brown , the Ameracauna put down blue eggs . It ’s certainly a fun surprise to see these colorful , blue eggs mixed in with white and brown testicle !
Ameraucana laying age
Ameraucanas take a little bit longer to mature than their counterpart , the Aurancana . They begin laying ball usually after about 24 - 28 week . They lay 200 average - sized sorry eggs per yr , which is about 3 - 4 ballock per year .
AmeraucanaTemperament
Much like its cousin the Araucana , the Ameraucana chicken is a friendly , societal poulet that will quickly befriend the citizenry and animals that call your property home . They are know to be full foragers , but a bit meditative . These are beneficial chicken for urban Gallus gallus keepers , as they are relatively quiet .
When it comes to rooster , and this apply to just about every stock of chicken , if you treat them with respect and are kind , they will typically return the favour . have a go at it their boundaries and reading their eubstance language is important . If , despite all your sound campaign , your Ameraucana cock wo n’t give up being belligerent , it may be near to take him from the flock and look for a nicer rooster .
Purpose
Ameraucana chickens are a fairly small breed of bird , with hens only weighing about 5 to 5.5 lbs . Because of their modest size of it , they do n’t make very skillful meat Gallus gallus . They are decent egg layers , though hardly the most productive stock of chicken out there . Still , they ’ll produce about 200 medium , grim nut for you each year .
Coop and run
Chickens be given to foot up high-risk behaviour when their coop and run are n’t up to their standards , so making sure you have the appropriate cook and flow for your Ameraucana chickens is vitally authoritative .
Ameraucanas wish to have plenty of coop and run space to go about the line of work of being a good chicken . The more space you may render them , the glad they ’ll be and the more ball they ’ll lay . Ameraucana chickens should be put up 10 or more hearty feet of free stove area per bird .
wimp move and coops should be kept properly cleaned out and provide fresh straw regularly . At least one nest box per laying hen is preferred , although they can support “ buddying up ” and set eggs in the same nest loge . These chickens are known to wander some and will at times regain originative blank space to rest their eggs .
Common Ameraucana chicken problems
The Ameraucana chicken is a hardy , heritage breed . Keepers of this volaille do n’t generally run into any strain - specific issues . The two big downside to this boo is its broodiness and the number of egg it lays per twelvemonth . But for many who keep Ameraucanas , what they miss in egg output they make up for by being in effect - natured and laying neat , blue eggs .
Viral diseases
Chickens are susceptible to a issue of viral illness , including Marek ’s disease , vaian flu , fowl syphilis , Newcastle disease , and bronchitis . Some of these conditions are more vulgar than others . Signs of a viral infection among your chickens include sneezing , cough , reduce egg output , rock-bottom eating , flatness , discharge around the centre and sinuses , sores , and paralysis in the type of Newcastle disease .
Most chicks win from a reputable stock breeder or hatchery are vaccinated against the more vulgar viral infections , like Marek ’s . chick win from smaller - musical scale sellers may not be inoculate . Always require if your chick have been vaccinated and what they ’re vaccinated for .
Bacterial illness
Bacterial infections are a real concern for chickens , as coops , runs , and the outdoors , in general , can be oasis for bacteria . The most common bacterial infections for Gallus gallus are salmonellosis and colibacillosis . These infection can be fast disperse and taint integral mint .
Signs your chicken may be struggling with a bacterial infection include slenderize testis lay , breathing problem , reduced appetite , and dying . Salmonellosis does n’t always present symptom in poulet .
Fungal diseases
The two most common types of fungal disease are incubator pneumonia and roundworm . tinea can be spread to humans as well , so if you surmise your chicken have ringworm , deal them carefully and wash your hand and clothes like a shot .
Brooder pneumonia tends to only taint immature chicks spending their first few weeks in a brooder . roundworm usually realise up on its own with time . Keeping brooder and coops clean is key to ward off these fungal infections .
Parasitic infection
Like most of our pet , chickens can know leechlike infections . Worms , ticking , louse , and pinch are some of the more common ones . Symptoms of these sponge include loss of appetite , slackness , peel aggravation , and unexpected loss of feather outside of normal molting .
Be wary of used chicken coop . Always disinfect them soundly before innovate your chickens . Replace henhouse bedding often and periodically disinfect crybaby coops to concentrate the comportment of parasite .
Injuries
It can be a rough and tumble life for chickens as they go about prove pecking orders and foraging for food . Injuries , specially animal foot injuries , are n’t uncommon . Most surface - horizontal surface injury will clear up on their own , but substructure injuries are specially touch on as the poulet ’ talon tend to come into contact with their own manure as well as other pathogens in the grunge and on the terra firma .
usual signs of a metrical unit hurt are difficulty walk or order weighting on the foot as well as lethargy . In the case of bumblefoot , a type of staph infection , both the volaille ’ dactyl and sometimes total feet can become swollen-headed with pus - filled abscess . Foot injuries should be treated and bandaged as soon as they are noticed .
Egg binding
testis binding is an often tragical issue for chickens . It ’s caused when an testis becomes stuck between the hen ’s womb and cloaca . Signs of orchis book binding let in weakness , unfitness to light , often choosing to sit or lay on the terra firma , filter out , and a deficiency of egg laying . bollock binding can quickly become a black condition and will broadly ask a trip to an avian veterinary to fix .
“Pasty butt”
Pasty butt , sometimes called pasty release , is a middling common condition that afflicts chicks . It can promptly become a life-time - threatening matter if not treat . Pasty vent tend to be induce by emphasis and dehydration . It come when fatheaded stools block the chick ’s venthole , preventing it from passing muck .
Eventually , the biddy will become sick and reject to run through . Signs of pasty backside include smaller chick sizing and a viscous matting of muck over the blowhole . This condition is easily treated by cleaning the affect domain and remove the stuck droppings .
BreedingAmeraucanas
Breeding your Ameraucana chickens does n’t differ significantly from breed other types of heritage chickens . Providing your Australorp hens access to an Australorp rooster and allowing nature to take its course will yield goodish , strong chicks . A ratio of 10 hen for every rooster will typically yield good fertility rates . you’re able to give up a contemplative hen to sit on her eggs or hatch them in an incubator . A quick pathfinder to hatch :
For more information , determine out our comprehensive guide onincubating chicken eggs .
What to feedAmeraucana chickens
Up until about 16 weeks old , your Ameraucana chicks should be fed a commercial-grade biddy newbie feed with 18 % protein . This lend protein will help your youthful skirt grow and develop into healthy razz . After 16 weeks , they can be switched to a 16 % protein layer provender to patronize healthy feathers and in force egg production . Chickens savour being put out to pasture where they can rust grass , bugs , and other plant life . They will also fain eat some fruits , vegetable , grain , and leafy common . Free - ranging your birds will also cut down significantly on your provender costs .
For more information , check out ourcomprehensive guide on what foods chickens can and can not corrode .
