Hi all, I am mostly a lurker here since I don't have Ameraucana, but I do have their cousin the Araucana, so all your info is valuable to me also.
Here is an
ebay ad, and since I am an awful person I am going to post my email conversations with this ebayer here, the Araucana Club Website, and BYC Araucana Forum. It does have relevance to your breed. I thought it was interesting due to the perpetual misinformation that is floating around out there.
It will take up tons of space. Sorry about that.
Ebay Ad
42 Araucana Very fresh & fertile hatching eggs
White rumpless roos on wheaten, white, & blue hens -some bearded-some tufted-some tailed-some rumpless
Eggs are blue
FREE bonus Black Star eggs"
My original email - As I read it over, I know it was kinda snippy. Sorry about that.
"Just wondering if you were aware that you are selling them as araucana and they are obviously not. While the roo appears to be, he is not tufted, and none of the hens pictured have tufts, so there is no way anyone who buys these eggs will get tufted chicks. Your hens are bearded and muffed, which are Easter Egger traits not Araucana traits. Not trying to be snippy, just hoping to save you some aggrevation when you get someone who is unhappy because they failed to do the research about what an Araucana really is and then believed they were getting them from you. If you would like info on the Araucana please feel free to look at my website.
http://www.cashsblueeggs.com/"
Ebayers reply
"What we have is Araucana & Americana but only blue egg layers-we have rumpless,tailed,bearded,tufted,muffed,etc.I can not possibly put up anymore pics to be anymore clear.They show the beautiful varieties we get & never a pink egg. I have been breeding birds for 25 yrs. And these are some of the best ever-I have spent the past 4 yrs on them perfecting no pink eggs.I have sold many eggs & even more of their chicks-no one has been disappointed yet.But I do understand where your coming from & I do not take it the wrong way. I went to your site & I have many birds that look just like yours-only difference is mine are affordable. Merry Christmas"
My reply"
No Problem, its just that your add does not say Araucana/Ameraucana mix eggs, it says Araucana. Also most of the birds pictured are not ameraucana or araucana and non of the birds pictured are tufted. So your add was confusing to me. But we each have to make decisions as we see fit on how we present ourselves.
Yes your birds would be more affordable since they are not purebred. Mine are purebred Rumpless, Tufted, Araucana chickens. I breed raise and show my birds. I raise no other birds. I have been focused on the Araucana for the past 5 years. I have purchased all the books written regarding the Araucana. I have made it a point to get to know other breeders that breed raise and show Araucana. I have been writing a book on the Araucana for the past year, filled with the history and controversies that have led to what they are today. I am kind of an expert on what is an Araucana.
I started out by buying birds from someone who said they had Araucana. I was greatly dissappointed by their misinformation. What I received was easter eggers, which is a mix breed bird that can at times resemble an Ameraucana chicken. However in most cases the easiest way to tell is they either have yellow or green legs ( Ameraucana have white or blue leggs because they have white skin), they are lacking a beard or muffs, or both, their color is not one of the approved colors for the Ameraucana.
Thank you for your reply and hope you have a lovely day."
Ebayers reply
"A picture is worth a 1000 words-I have said plenty in my ad. I have not misrepresented my beautiful flock in any way. You seem to be the only confused one. Have you seen my whole flock? As you keep insisting on what they are. As I said before 25yrs myself & my 21yr old daughter who has been showing since she was 9 & has an bachelors of science in poultry from the UW Madison & is a state certified pullorum tester-guess that makes 2 experts here & we have the trophies to prove it! 2 UW poultry professors have comment on the quality of our flock & they are experts! Please if you are not interested in saying anything nice please don't say anything at all-makes you sound jealous & small. I am glad to know that other people take pride in their birds as I do."
My reply
"
Again thank you for your reply. I believe you misunderstood my interest. Your
ebay ad was brought to my attention after I had seen comments about it on two other Araucana forum sites. It was the consensus that you were unaware of what an araucana was based on your ad and the pictures you have posted to represent your ad. As you say a picture is worth a 1000 words. Therein lies my confusion. I appologize for any ill will you felt coming from myself, it was not intended. I was not commenting on the quality of your birds as birds, but as Araucana. And I was only commenting on the pictures of the birds in your ad. I will say that the rumpless roo pictured is quite lovely and has nice conformation. However none of the others exhibit Araucana type. When seeking validation about ones breeding flock it is always best to look to the Standard of Perfection as written by the American Poultry Association which outlines very clearly what an Araucana is. This was set forth almost 40 years ago to be a guideline for all those wanting to breed this wonderful breed of chicken.
The experts you have mentioned seem to be health experts and not breed experts, but I could be wrong. I am sorry you feel I was sounding jealous, if you have seen my birds on my website you know that is not so. I would love to see pictures of your other birds especially the tufted Araucana, as I love talking to other Araucana breeders about their birds. We can all learn from each other to help better the breed. I am constantly asking questions of other serious Araucana breeders.
I have sold hatching eggs on
ebay many times before and my pictures have always been of True Rumpless Tufted Araucana chickens because my add heading was for Araucana hatching eggs. When I open your add to look, I expected to see pictures of Araucana and only say one possible Araucana, the lovely afore mentioned roo. I suspect when others open your ad they are looking for real araucana eggs also, and will be mislead."
I don't think the person really cares that what she has is not as advertised. In hindsight it could have gone better if my original email was less confrontational, I admit. My only excuse is I hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet.
I thought you all might find it interresting.
Lanae
just kidding. 
