Can anyone tell me if these are true Aracuana chicks?

They're not crosses of specific breeds. Hatcheries keep breeding flocks of Easter eggers. Not Ameraucana, not Aracauna. The breeders are mixed color birds who usually have genes for blue or green eggs. They often have pea combs, beards/muffs, green or dark legs. These aren't universal traits, they're just common factors with hatchery Easter eggers. Sometimes you'll get a clean faced bird, or one with a straight comb, etc. Egg color can be all over the place.

I'd say EEs too, it's sad that most hatcheries sell them as Ameraucanas. Araucanas are "rumpless", from what I've read true Ameraucanas have a certain feather coloring and lay shades of blue, EEs are Ameraucana + something else. I LOVE the EEs, they do have personalities and the variety in colors a big plus to a boring flock As for eggs I've had shades of green to blue green and I know which has laid due to the shade colors. You'll enjoy your EEs

donrae said:

They're not crosses of specific breeds. Hatcheries keep breeding flocks of Easter eggers. Not Ameraucana, not Aracauna. The breeders are mixed color birds who usually have genes for blue or green eggs. They often have pea combs, beards/muffs, green or dark legs. These aren't universal traits, they're just common factors with hatchery Easter eggers. Sometimes you'll get a clean faced bird, or one with a straight comb, etc. Egg color can be all over the place. 

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What they said, if they carry the blue/green egg gene they have lineage back to the Mapuche Fowl aka Araucana at some point, but it could be 1000s of generations removed or 1 generation removed along with an unlimited amount of other breed combinations and barnyard mutts mixed in along the path to what they are now...

anc2908 said:

So they could be a mix or Aracuana, Americuanas and whatever else right? If a hatchery or feed stores Sells them as aracuana are they usually aracuana/Americuana cross or is there even any way to really tell?

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Hatcheries have birds that descend from the original imported birds. All true Araucana, Ameraucana, and hatchery birds have the same imported stock ancestry, but the true breeds have been refined and bred to a specific standard for years now. Hatchery birds are completely unrefined and have not been bred for anything other than egg color. They have nothing in common any more with the true breeds other than some distant ancestry. They are not mixed breeds, just more of a 'landrace' or 'type' than a breed.

Oh well, I'll love them all the same either way. I just don't understand how these hatcheries can sell them as Aracuana or Americuana if they are Easter Eggers and sell birds actually labeled as EE too.
I don't show them or breed them at this point but if you do decide to go that route how do you go about buying a true Aracuana or Americuana. I have yet to find any locally directly from a breeder so I'm not sure what my other options would be other than going through a hatchery or local feed store.

anc2908 said:

Oh well, I'll love them all the same either way. I just don't understand how these hatcheries can sell them as Aracuana or Americuana if they are Easter Eggers and sell birds actually labeled as EE too.
I don't show them or breed them at this point but if you do decide to go that route how do you go about buying a true Aracuana or Americuana. I have yet to find any locally directly from a breeder so I'm not sure what my other options would be other than going through a hatchery or local feed store.

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They get away with it because that's what those same birds were called, back in the 60s. Then the Araucana and the Ameraucana became recognized breeds. The commercial chick industry just never bothered updating their stock to properly represent the breed, and they never bothered to change their advertising and labeling to reflect that they no longer had Ameraucana or Araucana, or never had them in the first place.

If you want to go the show stock route most folks have hatching eggs shipped. Although you really never know who might be breeding some rare breeds locally. It may be a long shot for Aracauna, but you might find Ameraucana breeders around you with a wanted ad on CL.

donrae said:

If you want to go the show stock route most folks have hatching eggs shipped. Although you really never know who might be breeding some rare breeds locally. It may be a long shot for Aracauna, but you might find Ameraucana breeders around you with a wanted ad on CL.

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X2, also, find poultry shows in your area, attending is s great way to network and find folks with stock you want.

Definitely some good ideas. I've had quite a bit of difficulty just finding SLW in this area, much less Aracuanas but I will have to look into any local shows. Craiglist usually has more variety than our local trade times and small animal auctions but haven't came across any of the more specific breeds I'd like to have. Sadly I'll probably have to end up traveling a decent ways to find most of them I'd say