Newbie From Florida

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10whiskers

10whiskers

Chirping
5 Years
Jun 28, 2014
104
14
68
Florida
Hi all!

I was going start my first backyard chicken project with four to six laying hens. I had everything planned on how to go about this and suddenly, I lost my mind and will be picking up twelve straight-run, four day old chicks tomorrow. Last month, I went to see a complete set-up someone was selling due to an in the near future move. That is when I saw my first blue-green egg.

I never even knew such a colored egg existed. I found out it came from one of their Ameraucana's. A breeder nearby listed a last batch chicks of the season and 26 of them were Ameraucana's. As I was emailing the breeder, I fully intended to grab every last one, so I would be assured to get four to six laying hens, but I somehow found part of my mind and the breeder is holding twelve chicks for me. He will let me pick twelve out of the 26 chicks. Of course, since it's my luck, I'll probably end up feeding and housing twelve roosters for six to seven months. (I'm assuming that is how long it takes for a rooster to start crowing There is much more to this, but I will not shock you with further details for now. So now you know, there really are all kinds of nuts in Florida :0
 
Welcome to BYC! If the egg was blue-green, then the birds are Easter Eggers and not true Ameraucanas, which lay strictly blue eggs. Easter Eggers are often sold by hatcheries (and even breeders) under the names Ameraucana (often misspelled Americauna or Americana) or Aracauna (which also lay true blue eggs), but in fact are hybrids produced by crossing either Ameraucanas or Araucanas with other breeds to produce eggs in different colors (various blue and green shades, beige, and occasionally even pink and gold). You may actually like the Easter Eggers better as they typically outlay their blue egg laying parent and do lay eggs in various colors. Good luck with your flock.
 
Alright
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great to have you joining the BYC flock
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BYC has a very useful learning center
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They really develop fast as this one is 23 week and has nearley 20 chicks and yes she let other hens give her egg's but she was producing egg's at 14 weeks and the roosters will be crowing as late as 14 weeks because the roo's develop faster then the pullets do .....
 
Some don't know better, some do and called them "ameraucana's rather than easter eggers because they will try to get more $$$$ for them.

I hope that isn't what happened with you. Easter eggers are plenty good in their own right.
 
Thank you for the welcome!

Thank you for the information. The people I saw a month ago, who are selling their whole set-up, aren't the same people who are selling me the Ameraucana chicks. I do remember the the first people telling me they had some Ameraucana's and Easter Eggers, so I guess I just didn't know who laid which egg.

Anyway, this "breeder", who kind of got testy in one of his emails tonight, said he had been breeding for over forty years and also listed Easter Eggers, Buff Orpingtons's?, Lavender Orpingtons, and RIR Mixed (whatever those breeds are) as other chicks he was selling for the last batch of the year. I'll be happy if I get four to six hens out of the twelve chicks. But tomorrow, I'll know where he lives if when the first laid egg isn't at least a blue-green color. *getting the cement mixer out now* Grrrr..... heh. I'm glad you pointed out, that Easter Eggers are typically better layers. That would be acceptable to me even if they aren't "true" Ameraucana's, that is if, I get an egg at all. Too bad there isn't a divining rod for sexing chicks. I've never played Russian Roulette and I'm sure going to hate picking twelve chicks tomorrow. Of course, I could increase my odds if I got more than twelve chicks... naw, well maybe...
 
Hopefully this breeder will admit his "marketing error" and start selling them as Easter Eggers rather than Ameraucanas. Since I don't breed them for show, I actually prefer the increased laying ability of the Easter Eggers and my granddaughter loves getting the eggs in different colors. They actually are nice chickens even if they aren't what they were advertised as. Good luck in your dealings with the breeder and your Easter Eggers.
 
I'm sorry. I don't write very well which leaves behind much confusion, I'm sure.

The breeder I'm going to tomorrow (actually today, now) listed these kind of chicks for sale: Ameraucana's, Easter Eggers, Buff Orpingtons's, Lavender Orpingtons, and RIR Mixed. I'm hoping this means he has Ameraucana's as well as Easter Eggers. But since I've heard good things here about the Easter Eggers, I'll still be happy as long as I get some hens and they lay blue or blue-green eggs. I'm not into showing these and by the price, I wouldn't imagine these were bred for that purpose. I've never owned chickens, but I know from owning and pricing dogs, that there is a huge difference in show quality VS pet quality prices.

All have a good day or night and I'll try to post pics of the chicks asap. :)
 
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Hello there and welcome to BYC!

So glad you could join our community!

Enjoy this new adventure you are on and welcome to our flock!
 

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