CAN/SHOULD YOU MIX VARIETIES OF THE SAME BREED?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desert Damsel 

We have 10 Ameraucana hens all are the silver variety. We want to breed them BUT NEED A ROOSTER. There is a breeder in Phoenix with Wheatens. CAN/SHOULD WE MIX VARIETIES?

. If you went to the trouble of getting the Silver Ameraucanas, why not stick to that variety ? There is a parent club where you  can search for another breeder of Silver Ameraucanas.  http://www.ameraucana.org/

breeder's directory in PDF form: 11= silver large fowl ; D= sells adult stock.

http://www.ameraucana.org/DnLd/BreedersDirectory.pdf

Clifford, Dawnalysce (2011) 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, splash LF A C D

668 Norridgewock Rd

Fairfield, ME 04937

(207)634-3420

tdlclifford@roadrunner.com

===========================

Clionsky, Larry 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15 A B C D E

9 Zion Church Rd

Grantville, PA 17028-9651

(717)469-7509

Lclionsky@yahoo.com

===========================

Fegan, James 1, 7, 11 D E

278 County Road CAN 12

Champion, MI 49814

(906)486-9464

lorpman@aol.com

=============================

Hogan, Debra 1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 15 A B C D

6262 Pleasant Grove Road Birchen, Blue Golden Duckwing,

Pleasant Grove, CA 95668-9703 Golden Duckwing, Lemon Blue

(916)761-3678, (916)655-1001, (916)991-5048 Blue Birchen LF

happybarsranch@gmail.com

==============================

Howington, April 1, 3, 5, 11, 13, splash LF A B C D E

PO Box 1432 splash wheaten LF

Burnet, TX 78611

(512)755-5056

Handhpoultry@aol.com

=================================

Jacques-Gill, Wanda 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 A B C D

181 Madison Road

Durham, CT 06422-2910

(806)349-9716

wjacquesgill@yahoo.com

========================================

Ribbeck, Jean 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, lavender LF A B C D E

PO Box 461

Newman Lake, WA 99025

(509) 226-3833

jribbeck@q.com

===========================================

Teague, Christina 3, 11, splash LF A C D E

400 Fall Creek Church Road

Bennett, NC 27208

(336)581-3703

sweetannie245@hotmail.com

============================================

Urch, Duane 1, 11 A B D E

2142 NW 47th AVE. 14

Owatonna, MN 55060

(507)451-6782

dpurch@netzero.net

=============================================

Wase, Mary 5, 11 C D E

29 North Vernon Street

Athens, NY 12015

(518)945-1527

guilmarfarm@earthlink.net

========================================

Wigffield Sr, Richard 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15 D

6200 Old Carlisle Road

Dover, PA 17315

rswigfield@verizon.net

=====================================

First I just have to ask, sorry, you sure you have Ameraucanas? Because your avatar shows an Easter Egger. Just wanna make sure there's no confusion here.

Second - You can mix varieties, yes, but only certain ones if in real need. Now, Wheaten, I'd strongly say don't do. However blacks or blues are a great option. Both they and silvers carry the silver gene, and you won't be messing up the silver color itself however your fist generation will not be showable, as they won't be silver nor true black. Duckwing (silver) is recessive to extended black, but those two genes are the only difference, and many Ameraucana breeders are actually doing just that cross to improve silver size, so, I say it's perfectly fine.

If you have true Ameraucanas. If not, use whatever color you want, just don't sell them as Ameraucanas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desert Damsel 

What is the difference between EE and Ameruacanas physically?

this discussion may become entertaining

Quote:

Originally Posted by v.cyr 

 

this discussion may become entertaining

 I'd say so...hum... EE's are a mutt version of the Ameraucanas. The Ameraucanas are a

different breed but descended from the original South American stock.

Ameraucana breeders fight a constant fight not to let their breed be confused or polluted by the mutt EE's.
flame suit on, 

 Karen

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3riverschick 

 I'd say so...hum... EE's are a mutt version of the Ameraucanas. The Ameraucanas are a

different breed but descended from the original South American stock.

Ameraucana breeders fight a constant fight not to let their breed be confused or polluted by the mutt EE's.
flame suit on, 

 Karen

 

but they also insist that any non standard colored offspring from two full ameraucana parents is an EE, not an ameraucana, which nonsence...

Okay regardless of all that, a green legged one is an Easter Egger. A gold duckwing one (pictured in the avatar) may possibly be pure Ameraucana from a mixed color breeding but there's a ooh 75% chance it is an Easter Egger.

To the OP, an Easter Egger is a mutt who lays blue, green or brown eggs. It looks very similar to Ameraucanas but doesn't breed true, has yellow skin most of the time, and is not purebred. Hatcheries and Feedstores sell them as Americaunas and the sort, but, the stock sold is actually the "Easter Egger."

Ameraucanas are a white skinned, white soled blue laying chicken who does indeed come in more than just the 8 recognized colors, MOST people agree that an Ameraucana is allowed to come in splash and Lavender included, some people agree that any other crossing of colors is allowed too as long as the rest of the bird matches the SOP and its direct parents were in fact purebred.

No profiling meant but because you mention a Barred Rock, chances are you got yours from a hatchery, feedstore, or breeder who got theirs from such, making yours in fact Easter Eggers.

I know the hen in the avatar looks like a silver Ameraucana, but, silvers have white and black necks, not gold and black. They have gray and black backs, not brown/gold and black. Their breast is a lighter more salmony color, not a more orangey brown color. The difference you're seeing is the gold gene vs the silver gene, but, there are no golden based Ameraucanas however I'd imagine either that hen or your others show the most obvious EE trait - Yellow soles and/or green legs.

A purebred Ameraucana actually can't have yellow soles or green legs because the trait is recessive, meaning if you even did one oops breeding, you wouldn't see it until you fully incorporated it into the genepool. (made it pure and breed true) - That would take breeding back to the parent of the oops bird again, then breeding continuously for that trait.

But like said, nothing wrong with Easter Eggers. They're just not the same thing. They originated from the same stock Ameraucanas did more than 20 years ago, but, since then have been bred quite separately.