Ameraucana, Araucana or Easter Egger

[hinkjc]

Mdbucks, to determine if she is true ameraucana would depend on what created her and if she meets the standard of perfection for the breed.

I use black ameraucana in my EE pen and get chicks that look like true black ameraucana, although I sell them as easter eggers because the father is an EE.

Jody

 

[mdbucks]

I have no pedigree for it(I know chickens dont have pedigrees). I got him along with 8 others when I got my guinneas, the guy had them(chicks) in a brooder, and said some were Arucana, or Americana, then said they should all lay colored eggs and were easter eggers. Well of the 8 6 have crowed so i dont thinkI will get too many eggs.

this is another from the same hatch I know nothing like the other but he is a sweetheart.

i know no petigree for him either so just a mutt EE

 

[joebwe25]

I'll take your advice.
She's an EE from now on!
Thanks for all your help,
Joe

 

[joebwe25]

Well, alright, here's the deal:
Orscheln's, the place I bought the chicks from,I don't know WHERE they got their chicks from.
So they had C.M. Hatchery's chicken posters there.
It only has Araucanas on it.
That's what we WERE going to get, but the farm store only had Ameraucanas.
They also said there wasn't to much difference between the two.
That's what they said.

 

[kcfuerst]

Araucanas are rumpless chickens.

Amauracanas have tail feathers.

Araucanas are rare.

Lucky You!

 

[hinkjc]

I'm not sure why this is so confusing and it has been explained over and over on here, but I will try one more time.

Araucana - rumpless and tufted (not muffed/bearded - tufts/feathers grow straight out of a lobe on the ear or neck) They should lay only blue eggs, but greenish eggs are common. You can view the breed requirements and other pics on the Araucana Club Site.. http://www.araucanaclubofamerica.org/

Pic of tufts:

Pic of rumpless birds:

Ameraucana - muffed/bearded and tailed birds. They should only lay blue eggs as well, but greenish tints are seen. The ameraucana club site can offer great info on this breed requirement.. http://www.ameraucana.org/index.html

Pic of some pure bantam buff ameraucana..

You will typically not get any of the preceeding two breeds at a hatchery. CM Hatchery calls their chicks Ameraucana/Araucana (a sure sign they are easter egger mutts). They also state the typical disclaimer

This is a rare breed known commonly as the Easter Egg Chicken because of its ranging egg shell colors.

This is a false statement because easter eggers are not rare - every hatchery has them and as we are finding out, so do most backyard chicken owners thanks to the deceptive practices of hatchery sales.

If you want an Ameraucana or Araucana, go to the breeders club to locate someone who breeds true to the breed or locate a reputable breeder elsewhere. Ask lots of questions and educate yourself before you make a purchase. Good breeders are honest and happy to share pictures of their stock and reputable hatcheries will tell you what they have are Easter Eggers (and not the real thing).

Easter eggers have muffs/beards and are tailed. They lay any color egg due to being cross bred with different breeds of chickens. They were created by crossing Ameraucana with various breeds to provide the poultry enthusiast with a colorful bird that lays colorful eggs with better production and/or meat capabilities. Easter eggers are most commonly mistaken for Ameraucana because they share similar characteristics, however if they do not meet the standard for Ameraucana they are what is referred to as Easter Eggers. Here are some examples of EEs I have:

I think that covers everything and hope it helps clarify a lot of the questions that keep going around about these different breeds.

Jody​

 

[speckledhen]

Jody, I think hatcheries are really to blame for this. People believe that the hatchery must know what breeds it's offering for sale and can't understand how they can get away with selling a mutt chicken as a purebred bird. Then, as we've seen, they are shocked when their pullet lays a brown egg since they bought the bird specifically for blue eggs.

 

[jessied1227]

hinkjc - your birds are absolutely beautiful!

Now - a question to you since you seem so knowledgeable...the 4 "Americana" chicks I got @ the Farm Show are most likely EEs?

Here is a pic of one of the chicks:

The legs are kind of this strange slate/green color. I was told the hens should lay green eggs.
Thanks-
Jess

 

[speckledhen]

True Ameraucanas should lay blue eggs, not green, although some do lay greenish/blue. And the legs are supposed to be slate blue, not greenish, so I'd say Easter Egger. Not sure if they change any later, but here's a pic of one of my blue true Ameraucana chicks awhile back-nsturally, I defer to Jody's wisdom on this breed.

 

[hinkjc]

Green feet are a sure sign of EEs as well. The color of slate is actually blue - it won't have any greenish color to it. I agree with speckledhen on the egg color. It is my understanding an Ameraucana can be dq'd for laying green eggs...I don't know if its ever happened tho.

Jody