True Breeding Ameraucanas ....or are they Easter Eggers???

[juleeque]

Hello, I bought a couple chicks a couple years ago and am now learning about true breeding. But after reading about all the genes and all, am still confused. Lemme throw out my question...
I bought a couple unrelated Ameraucana chicks a couple years ago. And have just started breeding the hen and roo. I've been searching on how to find the difference between a pure Ameraucana and Easter Eggers. While some sites kinda go into detail, I'm looking to maybe clarify if these are pure on just plain Easter Eggers. I am on my 3rd clutch and so far all the females all look alike-- like the mother. Is that what true breeding means? If so, how do you know if the chick will look like the male or female? I haven't kept the roos long enough to know if they look like the father or not.
I will post some pics tomorrow. thx

 

[donrae]

A couple of good screening questions to tell the difference....

Ameraucana only lay blue eggs. If your birds lay greenish eggs, they're EE.

Where did you purchase them? Unless it was from a breeder who could specify what color bird you were getting (black, wheaten, etc), they're Easter eggers.

Do they have blue/slate legs and white skin? Green legs or yellow skin mean EE.

Pics would help confirm. Just cause they look like momma doesn't mean they're pure bred, unfortunately.

 

[juleeque]

the momma has slate grey legs and white skin. I'll have to look at roo tomorrow.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

99.99% your birds are easter eggers. True Ameraucanas conform to the Standard of Perfection and are sourced via breeders. One cannot procure true Ameraucanas from a hatchery or grain store. To get a good start in Ameraucanas, search on-line for the Ameraucana club. Choose on variety and procure stock from a breeders. Your initial investment will be more expensive that hatchery stock; however, the years of time and thousands of dollars saved will be very much worth your while. Also, find specialty blogs that deal with Ameraucanas specifically where your potential stock can be vetted.

 

[juleeque]

Ok, I finally got pics and a bit of time to post pics. I did not buy these from a hatchery or feed store. These were bought from an individual who had the hen and roo on the premisis. She said they were Ameraucana.
Both the hen and roo have white skin, and 'I think' they have slate legs, she lays blue eggs. On the hen you can see the little red by the ear. Both have full muffs and beards. Not the greatest of pics, and it's kinda shady/sunny out...which may effect colors.


hen, see the red by her ear, muff and beard

hen legs


hen


roo, it doesn't look like it but he does have a big poofy beard and the red by his ear-- pretty lipstick!


roo legs, do legs chg color with age?


not a great pic, but you can kinda see his coloring

 

[juleeque]

thank you in advance for help

 

[donrae]

Sorry, but they're Easter eggers. The don't conform to standardized colors for Ameraucana, and the rooster's legs are willow green, not slate.

Doesn't mean the seller deliberately misled you. She likely bought her birds from a hatchery as Americauna and believed them, bred her birds and sold the offspring. It's very common. But, if you're going to breed any pure bred animal, you need to do research on that animal, and what color variety you want to breed. If you decided to breed Plymouth Rocks, for instance, you'd decide if you wanted White, Barred, Buff, etc. You wouldn't buy some of each and mix and match them. Same with Ameraucana. If you want to breed them, do research and decide which variety you want to breed, then find a source for eggs or chicks and go from there.

Or, hatch eggs from your Easter eggers. Not a thing wrong with them

. they just don't meet a breed standard. Other than that, they make great backyard birds, with colorful feather patterns and a variety of egg colors.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Ameraucanas are, perhaps, the single most misrepresented breed. If you put a cock with the blue leg gene over another hen, the resultant pullets will lay colored eggs, because the blue egg gene is dominant. It's a new breed that hatcheries grabbed onto quickly as a money maker. They literally sell any mutt with the blue egg gene as an "Amaraucana," which, of course, it is not.

Now, when the blue egg gene is over a white egg gene, the eggs are blue; when over a brown egg gene, they're green. Both were used in the formation of colors, thus there are plenty of standard-bred birds that lay greenish eggs. In strains where the brown egg gene is present, only way to achieve the blue egg without outcrossing and destroying the given variety pattern is to select for it slowly over time.

It is always exciting when one decides to start breeding. Might I save you a loss of valuable time and money and suggest that you procure breeder birds right from the start. There are websites you can find to vet stock source for you, or, if you find something here, post it and/or pm me and I can let you know what I'm seeing.
Good luck!

 

[Wappoke]

Ok, I finally got pics and a bit of time to post pics. I did not buy these from a hatchery or feed store. These were bought from an individual who had the hen and roo on the premisis. She said they were Ameraucana.
Both the hen and roo have white skin, and 'I think' they have slate legs, she lays blue eggs. On the hen you can see the little red by the ear. Both have full muffs and beards. Not the greatest of pics, and it's kinda shady/sunny out...which may effect colors.


hen, see the red by her ear, muff and beard

hen legs


hen


roo, it doesn't look like it but he does have a big poofy beard and the red by his ear-- pretty lipstick!


roo legs, do legs chg color with age?


not a great pic, but you can kinda see his coloring

I had a pair of easter eggers that had a phenotype ( what the bird looks like) much like yours. Your rooster appears to be a purebred-most likely a columbian restricted wheaten genotype. I can not see his breast so that is my best guess.

 

[juleeque]

well...Easter Eggers are ok, I do have a pretty flock, and they lay pretty good too
I was just wanting more clarification so I don't deceive anyone when I sell my chicks.
Thank you for all the info,
blessings...juls