The Ameraucana bantams at Bantam Hill are primarily from two sources Mike Gilbert of Holmen, WI and John Blehm of Birch Run, MI both long time and well know breeders of Ameraucana’s. The white, blue and black Ameraucana bantams have been bred long enough at Bantam Hill to really be called our own strain, although they originated from both Mike and John’s flocks. The buff, wheaten, and blue wheaten lines combine birds from both Mike and John’s flocks. The brown reds are of Mike Gilbert’s line.

2006 Fall  Breeding Pen Comments
The 2006 breeding season was one of the most frustrating I have ever experienced. The weeks of triple digit heat and 75% cockerel hatch rate were the foundation for  a  breeding season that seemed to produce very few quality birds. We did make limited progress in lavender, red, and silver bantams. The few black bantams produced were of good quality, but in general the losses from the heat devastated the young bantams leaving the breeding pens looking very much like they did in the spring. Finally, we lost the original white bantam cock from Mike Gilbert. I was quite sad at his passing, but his blood lives on in our lavender, white, blue, and black Ameraucana.

2006 Spring Breeding Pen Comments

Black – These pens are black cocks over black hens

Blue – This pen is currently set as a splash cockerel over black hens (100% blue offspring) and one blue hen. If the cockerel is lacking in fertility a blue cock will be substituted which will result 50% black offspring and 50% blue offspring.

White – This pen is set as white cocks over white hens.

Buff – This pen is set as a buff cock over buff hens.

Wheaten – This pen is set as a wheaten cock over wheaten hens. Offspring from this pen should be 100% wheaten.

Blue Wheaten – This pen is headed by a cock new to Bantam Hill from Mike Gilbert of Wisconsin. Offspring from this pen will be 50% blue wheaten, 25% wheaten, 25% splash wheaten.

Brown Red – There are two pens of brown red at Bantam Hill; one for producing cockerels and one for producing pullets.

Black Gold – This pen will produce black gold of varying quality. The cockerel is excellent, from Mike Gilbert of Wisconsin, and one of the pullets is very good which was produced by Bob Walchak of Wisconsin, along with pullets and hens that were produced at Bantam Hill. Black gold is not a recognized variety of Ameraucana currently.

2005 Breeding Pen Comments

The fall of 2004 saw the addition of fresh blood to the wheaten, blue wheaten and buff lines from the flocks of Mike Gilbert and John Blehm. Progress is being made toward the silver Ameraucana at Bantam Hill. The progress is slow, but the end result will be a very beautiful addition to the world of Ameraucana. These black bantam Ameraucana have improved in the last two breeding seasons.The weak spot in the blue Ameraucana at Bantam Hill has always been in the male birds. The 2004 breeding season saw dramatic improvements in color and comb! The blues have come into their own. The surprising strength in the Ameraucana bantams at Bantam Hill is the buff. One of my buff pullets was awarded Reserve AOCCL at the Springfield, MO poultry show in October 2003— I was stunned and pleased. Unfortunately the fertility of the buff has been poor and the fall of 2004 saw the addition of pullets and cockerels from John Blehm and Mike Gilbert in the hopes of increasing fertility or at least the numbers of buff. I am still using my original white Ameraucana rooster from Mike Gilbert! I am saving two outstanding cockerels this season, but hope to get another year out of the old guy! These birds have been consistent and outstanding producers. The fall of 2004 saw the replacement of the rooster heading the pen with hopes of improving the coloration of the male blue wheaten offspring at Bantam Hill and the addition of several blue wheaten pullets from John Blehm’s line in the hope of improving the color of the blue wheaten female at Bantam Hill. The fall of 2004 saw the replacement of the wheaten cock heading the pen with the hopes of improving the coloration of the male wheaten offspring at Bantam Hill. We produce and keep both creamy and dark wheaten hens in the hope of producing outstanding male and female offspring. The brown red is one of the favorite colors at Bantam Hill. They are sweat tempered birds and come from the line of Mike Gilbert.