Hahnchen Farms
Ameraucanas:
Self Blue (aka Lavender), Black Cuckoo, and Self-Blue (Lav) Cuckoo
Lovely Lavenders/Self Blues
We have chosen to focus on our Self-Blue Ameraucanas and raise this color, breeding to the SOP (Standard of Perfection according to the American Poultry Association).
Self-Blue is a recessive dilute of Black with the lav gene, and it takes two copies of the gene (lav/lav) to make this color. One copy of the gene with (lav/black) is referred to as "split to lav" or simply, "splits." This means they carry only one copy of the lav gene but don't express it, since it needs two copies to show the lavender color.
We interbreed Black into the line periodically to keep the color nice and keep it from being washed out, and to reinvigorate the line in terms of egg color and feather quality, therefore we will occasionally have Black Ameraucana splits for sale, or (black/lav).
Our line of Black Cuckoos are Blacks carrying or split to lav, so we also have Lavender Cuckoos. Both have great color and make beautiful baby chicks!
Lavender chick
This hen, Blanca, is one of my favorites. She has great color, plumage, and body conformation. Notice that she has all-over solid lavender color with no "ticking" showing through.
Even though she is young, she will do well in the shows when she gets a little older.
(Shown next to her is a curious black copper Marans.)
Update on Blanca:
In February of 2021 she won Best of Variety and Reserve of Breed at the Canadian Valley Poultry Show in Norman, Oklahoma.
She has beautiful color, conformation, and comb, and was bred to the Ameraucana Standard of Perfection.
All our stock originated with Paul Smith, the president of the Ameraucana Breeder's Club, and we try to do our part to further the breed by breeding to the SoP.
Two cuckoo Ameraucanas looking at one of our Black Marans hens.