Dominant White Ameraucana Chicks- Standard Size

The beautiful coloration of the Ermine Ameraucana is based on a strange and wonderful genetic mutation called Dominant White.

Dominant white Ameraucanas are a unique and highly sought after color as they are needed to breed Ermine Ameraucanas. The color expression of the Ermine Ameraucana is caused by a co-dominance factor – both alleles are expressed and the phenotype is a mixture of patches of each. Lesser understood gene modifiers allow a certain amount of black to leak through the Dominant White. These patches of breakthrough black can be seen on the birds flesh, shanks and beak. Without getting too deep into genetics, a dominant white ameraucana and a black ameraucana will create an ermine ameraucana.

Dominant whites are characterized by their pink/white shanks and beaks instead of yellow or slate. They will be purely white commonly with 1-2 black feathers as leakage. If your bird has yellow or slate legs it is NOT a dominant white and will NOT produce ermine chicks! 

*Dominant White Ameraucanas should not be shown as White Ameraucanas as the white breed variety is a recessive white with the bird’s shanks and beak presenting as slate colored. A Dominant White (WIDW) bird has pink shanks and beak – a disqualifier at an APA show.

Breeding for Color:
Ermine x Ermine breeding will result in roughly 25% Black, 50% Ermine and 25% Dominant White offspring.
Black x Ermine breeding will result in a roughly 50/50 split of Black and Ermine offspring.
Ermine x Dominant white breeding will result in a roughly 50/50 split of Dominant White  and Ermine offspring.
Black x Dominant White breeding will result in 100% Ermine offspring.
Dominant White x Dominant White will result in 100% Dominant White offspring.
*In cases when breedings do not have the expected results, one of the birds in question likely carries recessive white. Recessive white is found on a different allele and can cause problems in the colors of this variety.

*It should be noted that the Black Ameraucanas produced from any crosses with birds with the Dominant White genetics DO NOT carry the Dominant White genetics at all. They are simply Black Ameraucanas.

***All of our chicks are sold straight-run (unsexed) unless otherwise specified***