What breed?

[sdmotherhen]

When we got our chickens, my boyfriend went to the store and picked them out. In one bin, there were Buff Orpingtons and Araucaunas. Wel we got ouselves a white chicken with green legs and tufts on her cheeks. I thought it was an araucauna, but today someoe told me it wasn't. My profile picture shows her, can anyone tell me what she is?

 

[popsicle]

Doubtful Araucana, perhaps it should be Ameraucana?

 

[stephanie1992]

could be an easter egger since it came from a feed store

 

[hdowden]

if you didnt get it from a true breeder then its an ee. all hatcheries and farm supply stores sell ee's

 

[Pele]

if you didnt get it from a true breeder then its an ee. all hatcheries and farm supply stores sell ee's

Agreed, very common practice to mislable their birds in order to get better sales. Araucanas are exceedingly rare and hard to obtain. And you definitely wouldn't be paying 2 to 5 bucks a chick for them.

EEs are a mixed bird that have a high chance to lay either green/blue/pink eggs. They can lay other colors, but those are the most common.

 

[popsicle]

Again, I'm no expert. There isn't a registry to say the bird is an EE or an Ameraucana that I know about. If the most common excuse for why hatchery EE are EE and not Ameraucana is because they are "non-standard color." Why isn't it possible that a white one actually be Ameraucana?

Example, why couldn't a kid could get this same white bird and enter it into a 4-H show/fair as an Ameraucana? I know kids get other breeds from hatcheries (not "true breeders") and get ribbons.

 

[hdowden]

4-h is a lot different than an actual show and most of the time ee's have green legs

http://www.ameraucana.org/


What are Easter Egg chickens?
The Ameraucana Breeders Club defines an Easter Egg chicken or Easter Egger as any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene, but doesn’t fully meet any breed descriptions as defined in the APA and/or ABA standards. Further, even if a bird meets an Ameraucana standard breed description, but doesn’t meet a variety description orbreed true at least 50% of the time it is considered an Easter Egg chicken.

The Ameraucana breed has specificrequirements with regard to shape, weights, coloring, comb, earlobes, and so on. While it is true that commercial hatcheries continue to cash in on crossbred mongrels by advertising them as Araucanas or Ameraucanas, it takes much more than eggshell color to make a true breed.

Which varieties are recognized by the American Bantam Association and by the American Poultry Association?
Eight varieties have been recognized by both organizations since 1984. They are: Black, Blue, Blue wheaten, Brown red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten, and White. These same eight specific color patterns are recognized in both large fowl and bantams (miniatures).

 

[hdowden]

the op's chicken has green legs which also makes it an EE

 

[Pele]

4-h is a lot different than an actual show and most of the time ee's have green legs

http://www.ameraucana.org/


What are Easter Egg chickens?
The Ameraucana Breeders Club defines an Easter Egg chicken or Easter Egger as any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene, but doesn’t fully meet any breed descriptions as defined in the APA and/or ABA standards. Further, even if a bird meets an Ameraucana standard breed description, but doesn’t meet a variety description orbreed true at least 50% of the time it is considered an Easter Egg chicken.

The Ameraucana breed has specificrequirements with regard to shape, weights, coloring, comb, earlobes, and so on. While it is true that commercial hatcheries continue to cash in on crossbred mongrels by advertising them as Araucanas or Ameraucanas, it takes much more than eggshell color to make a true breed.

Which varieties are recognized by the American Bantam Association and by the American Poultry Association?
Eight varieties have been recognized by both organizations since 1984. They are: Black, Blue, Blue wheaten, Brown red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten, and White. These same eight specific color patterns are recognized in both large fowl and bantams (miniatures).

x2!!

Also, another major issue with the hatchery stock is that it is a mixed bird. It's literally a mutt and will NOT breed true characteristics. That bird will throw all sorts of crazy colored offspring in unpredictable colors. The very antithesis of purebreeding. It's like going to the pound, picking up a vaguely spotted dog, and selling it to someone else as a Dalmation. It's a disservice to the breed, and will not produce more Dalmations.