Aaracana, Ameraucana, (Americana), Easter Eggers

[DreamsInPink]

I'm really new to chickens and I know there are tons of threads and articles and debates about this breed. Here is what I think I know...

Easter Eggers are kind of the mutt version of Ameraucana, right?
Americana isn't even a breed, it's a misspelling of Ameraucauna, right?

But what's an Aracana?

And what is the major attraction of Ameraucaunas anyway?

I'm just trying to learn a little bit here. I have 3 EE ordered from MPC for June. I'm just looking forward to getting some green and/or blue eggs.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

They talk about this extensively on the Easter Eggers thread. This is what I took from someone who claims to have helped create the Ameraucana.

The Easter Eggers are not a proper breed. They are what is called a landrace
Ameraucana were developed using the Easter Eggers line. They used Easter Eggers and selectively created a proper breed
Yes Americana is just a misspelling

 

[junebuggena]

They talk about this extensively on the Easter Eggers thread. This is what I took from someone who claims to have helped create the Ameraucana.

The Easter Eggers are not a proper breed. They are what is called a landrace
Ameraucana were developed using the Easter Eggers line. They used Easter Eggers and selectively created a proper breed
Yes Americana is just a misspelling

x2
It's the Ameraucana that has Easter Egger in them, not the other way around.
And Araucana is a rumpless breed that has ear tufts, not muffs (fluffy cheeks). They have yellow skin/legs, and lay blue eggs.
The main attraction for Ameraucana is the reliability. You know what you are getting, and you can be sure of blue eggs.
There are no guarantees with Easter Eggers, since they have never been bred selectively toward a specific standard.
Americana and Americauna are intentional misspellings that some breeders and hatcheries use to trick uneducated buyers into thinking they are getting Ameraucana, when, in reality, they are just Easter Eggers.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Now I admit this is where I get confused.
Araucana I think are blue egg laying Easter Eggers. They used them to get the blue eggs
The major attraction is they lay blue eggs and are a rare breed. You will find many have a favorite breed. I personally love my Barr Rocks and so plan on getting a couple from a proper breeder. Some people like having a rare breed.

 

[DreamsInPink]

x2
It's the Ameraucana that has Easter Egger in them, not the other way around.
And Araucana is a rumpless breed that has ear tufts, not muffs (fluffy cheeks). They have yellow skin/legs, and lay blue eggs.
The main attraction for Ameraucana is the reliability. You know what you are getting, and you can be sure of blue eggs.
There are no guarantees with Easter Eggers, since they have never been bred selectively toward a specific standard.
Americana and Americauna are intentional misspellings that some breeders and hatcheries use to trick uneducated buyers into thinking they are getting Ameraucana, when, in reality, they are just Easter Eggers.

Now I'm really confused... by you saying it's the Ameraucauna that has EE in them, not the other way around. How is that?? So the EE came first? And with my EEs that I ordered, there's no guarantee I'll get green and/or blue eggs?

Araucana and Ameraucana are totally separate breeds that just sound similar?

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

No you will get either green eggs, blue, or pink. That makes them easter eggers. But beyond that everything could be different. The birds coloring can vary significantly. They all lay pretty eggs but can look very different

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

From what I get the Easter Eggers line created both the Araucana and the Ameraucana birds. They are related, but like distant cousins.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

They took Easter Eggers and selectively bred until they created the Araucana and the Ameraucana.

 

[DreamsInPink]

It's all so very complex.

 

[junebuggena]

Now I'm really confused... by you saying it's the Ameraucauna that has EE in them, not the other way around. How is that?? So the EE came first? And with my EEs that I ordered, there's no guarantee I'll get green and/or blue eggs?

Araucana and Ameraucana are totally separate breeds that just sound similar?

Okay, Araucana and Ameraucana are two different breeds, both derived from the same originally imported stock. Araucana are rumpless, tufted, have yellow skin, lay blue eggs, have pea combs, and only come in a few colors/varieties. Ameraucana are bearded, muffed, have white skin, slate legs, lay blue eggs, have pea combs, and only lay blue eggs.

The original blue/green laying birds that were imported into the U.S. were referred to as Araucana, but they were basically what we consider Easter Eggers. A handful of breeders began selectively breeding for a set of traits and after a few years, got their Araucanas accepted as a recognized breed by the American Poultry Association. Since the name Araucana now only applied to the birds that met the breed standard, the birds that did not meet this standard became known as Ameraucana. A different group of breeders began breeding their birds towards a different set of goals, thus creating the Ameraucana breed that is currently accepted by the American Poultry Association. Since the acceptance of the Ameraucana as a breed, hatcheries have not updated or changed their marketing or labeling of their birds to reflect the changes that have occurred. And they refuse to acknowledge that their birds aren't actually Ameraucana, as per the breed definition. They are still breeding from birds descended from the original import stock, towards no common standard or set of goals. It's these birds that are commonly known as Easter Eggers.

You see, Easter Eggers are the originals, unrefined. The two other breeds were created using the Easter Egger as the foundation.