Instructions
Choose breeding stock that conforms to the American Poultry Association's standards. Inspect the quality of the hens and roosters of the parent flock, if purchasing eggs to hatch or chicks to raise for breeding. As the flock grows, cull birds with undesirable traits that do not conform to the standard.
Allow about eight to 12 hens per rooster in the flock. Attain a specific trait by separating a single hen with a rooster to ensure which hen mated with which rooster.
Observe the flock during the spring and early summer breeding season. Notice the mating ritual, when the rooster does a little dance around the hen just before he grabs some feathers below her comb and climbs onto her back, digging his claws into her for stability. Look for the hen to lay fertilized eggs for the next seven to 10 days.
Collect eggs daily and store them in a cool place for no more than one week. Store the eggs with the pointed end facing down and turn the eggs 90 degrees twice a day. Once you've collected all of the fertilized eggs for the week, place the eggs into an incubator or under a broody hen. The eggs will hatch in about 21 days.
Keep records of the hens and roosters used in your breeding program as well as the new chicks. Continue to cull and breed your flock each breeding season, developing the desired traits in your flock's gene pool and maintaining the American Poultry Association's Ameraucana breed standards.
How to Breed Ameraucana Chickens
The Ameraucana chicken is more than just a chicken that lays colored eggs. It's a friendly chicken with tufts of feathers on its cheeks and chin. It has slate-colored legs and an inquisitive personality. Although its history dates back to the 1500s, the American Poultry Association did not accept the Ameraucana as an official breed until 1984, after years of debate over breed standards. Today, breeders work hard to maintain those standards in their flocks.