BBS Ameraucanas

Her Chickies first began working with BBS Ameraucanas in March 2024. BBS stands for Black, Blue, and Splash, referring to three distinct varieties, all of which are recognized by both the American Poultry Association (APA) and American Bantam Association (ABA).

Our Beginning

It was a rough start with our Ameraucanas, as they were our first Standard bred breed. Before them, we had only kept layers and hatchery birds from the feed store. Raising birds bred to the Standard was and still is a very different experience from raising hatchery chicks. I often find myself worrying about their survival—not because they are inherently weaker and less hardy birds, but that they meant so much to me after I had lost half of my layer flock in 2024. They were the start of a new year in the new year.

It didn't help that each bird felt like a walking, squawking $100 investment—not including when you consider the cost of raising, feeding, and housing them.

Our start was made even harder when we trusted another breeder. Hindsight is 20/20 though. We were unfortunately scammed when purchasing our first “Ameraucanas.” After paying for SOP BBS Ameraucana chicks, driving an hour out, and meeting a stranger in their barn, the birds grew up to be Easter Eggers with straight combs, green legs, and poor type. Again, hindsight was 20/20 and I realize now that I should've done more research... But that's what pushed me harder to continue working with BBS Ameraucanas. I culled all of those birds and sourced from more reputable breeders from out of state.

It was a harsh learning experience that I would not wish on anyone, but it ultimately has made me a better breeder.

In my honest opinion, the first year is always the hardest. Once you get through it, the process becomes easier. That said, these birds still feel like walking hundred dollar bills. If anything, some of them have only increased in value.

Despite the worst being over, it still took another two years for us to see the fruits of our labor.

Three generations. 

It took three generations before we started to see the results of our breeding. The offspring of our third generation vastly exceeded all previous generations with wider heads, thicker brows, shorter beaks, better type... We could clearly differentiate the fourth generation of chicks from prior generations without any identification (leg bands, etc.).

Breeding Differences

Working with BBS is like juggling three balls—and sometimes having another thrown into the mix. You are essentially managing three separate varieties, each with its own Standard. This is very different from working with a single variety like Black or White.

BBS involve three separate varieties, two of which with endless possible variations due to the blue gene being an incomplete dominant gene which can range from dark Blues & Splashes to extremely light Blues & Splashes. So while Ermine are simply black and white, Blue and Splash come with a lot more complexities. There is a lot more to consider as well, such as variations in lacing, depth of color, and the amount of splashing. 

However, BBS has been around a lot longer than Ermine has and thus type is generally superior. This is honestly why I will always choose to hold back a Black from BBS or Black than a Black from Ermine.

Leakage

Leakage in Splash males is another challenge. It is not uncommon to see once in every season and can still appear even from visually “clean” parents. I’ve always believed that for every superior bird produced, there is often an equally inferior one—and in BBS Ameraucanas, that often shows up as leakage in Splash males. This leakage typically occurs as a light orange to golden hue on the hackles and saddle feathers and should not be confused for sun bleaching. Leakage in Splash varieties is not exclusive to Ameraucanas either. It is a struggle that every variety and breed has. This struggle has predated my birth.

At Her Chickies, we have made serious efforts in culling any bird producing and/or expressing leakage of any kind. All breeders are visually "clean" and while the occasional inferior offspring pops up, it is a rare occurrence.

Blue Genetics

The blue feather gene (Bl) is an incomplete dominant gene. This means that a Black bird carries zero copies, a Blue bird carries one copy and a Splash bird carries two copies of the blue feather gene. A Black bird cannot "hide" blue and cannot produce offspring that carry blue unless paired with another bird that carries blue. A bird either carries blue or they do not.

Recessive Genetics

Our BBS Ameraucana pens are clean for lavender and recessive white. <3

We tested our second and third generation breeders and all of them came back clean. This means that all future offspring should be clean as well.

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