Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[johnderosa1]

Your comment about green being blue with a faint coat of brown.... However the underlying color of the egg can vary somewhat from blue to green blue and perhaps even green. A good way to check the actual shell color is to crack the egg and peel of the inner membrane... The color you see there is the true shell color

I found this discussion on blue and green eggs fascinating and since I knew absolutely nothing about what makes eggs blue, I did a quick Google search and came up with this article:

http://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/gms1-genetics-of-egg-color/

Here's some of what I found:

A white egg is normal for wild chickens and is represented genetically by "o."

A blue egg, besides containing all the normal minerals of a white egg, also contains oocyanin which is a byproduct of bile.  Genetically, blue eggs are represented a "O."  I would expect a purebred Ameraucana to be genetically OO.  An EE might be Oo.  The blue egg is dominant over the wild-type white egg.

As Pips&Peeps said, brown color is a paint that is added at the end of the whole egg production process.  The brown can be washed or sanded off the egg since it is just a surface coating unlike the blue which has oocyanin incorporated right into the egg shell itself.  There are a lot of genes that influence how much brown pigment (protoporphyrin) is laid down.  There are even genes that inhibit the expression of brown pigment.  A coating of brown over blue will give some of the green colors, ranging from light green to dark olive green.

I only have two Ameraucanas laying eggs, but I am going to try sanding the eggs to see how the color differs between the sanded and unsanded portion of the same egg.  I may try washing them and scrubbing them, too.

I would be interested to know what would happen if the person with the extremely green egg sanded a part of it.  Perhaps the green is really just a light coating of brown pigment on top of a blue egg.

 

[pips&peeps]

Yep, just crack the egg.

 

[Hinotori]

The eggshell halves at the top are from a very pigmented egg that looks like it has green in it to me when just looked at by itself. It's not as deeply colored as some I've gotten. I rather like that deep color and have been trying to think of some craft to do with those eggs to really show them off. The three actual green eggs on the left are from EEs carrying brown. I know that if I compare the actual green eggs to the others, there is no doubt which are blue and which are green.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

My blue ameraucana rooster is limping. Great, I only have one back up rooster and he is blind in one eye. I am not quite sure what he did. I checked the pen and everything. They have a little spot of snow in it, but other than that it is good. There bedding is getting close to being ready to change, I am going to hold of until late this weekend, because the snow should melt then. I picked him up and examined him, which he was less than happy about. I looked and felt his foot. It looks a tad bit swelled, but not terrible. It isn't red, so i assume it isn't irritated. It does feel very warm.

On a brighter note, I have my order in with Paul and Angela Smith. 15 chicks- 5 blue, 5 black, 5 splash. As long as I get at least 2 black and 2 splash pullets, I will be really happy, even if the other 11 turn out to be cockerels lol,

 

[ShinShien]

My 6 ameraucanas. can't tell if they're blue or splash, and the one in front doesn't have tufts on its face.

 

[DMRippy]

My 6 ameraucanas. can't tell if they're blue or splash, and the one in front doesn't have tufts on its face.

None are splash.

 

[dstokely]

I have been a member for a while, but this is my first posting. I have had numerous laying hens - RIR, Buffs, Black Stars, Red Stars, Black Giants and last year, I ordered 5 Ameraucanas. After reading here and checking my ladies out, seems as if I have Easter Eggers. A couple lay beautiful blue eggs, but Easter Eggers none the less. However, I just put in my order for day old chicks with Paul Smith. I ordered 3 black, 3 blue, 2 splash, 2 blue wheaton and 2 lavendar. I sure am hoping I don't wind up with more than half roosters or should I say cockerels. I don't intend to show, just want pretty babies.

 

[wannabeefarm]

As I read thru the early post. I see a lot about lacing. Could anyone tell me a post/page number that is a good example of lacing. I am trying to learn. Or post a picture of a hen with good lacing? I want to know what to look for.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I have been a member for a while, but this is my first posting. I have had numerous laying hens - RIR, Buffs, Black Stars, Red Stars, Black Giants and last year, I ordered 5 Ameraucanas. After reading here and checking my ladies out, seems as if I have Easter Eggers. A couple lay beautiful blue eggs, but Easter Eggers none the less. However, I just put in my order for day old chicks with Paul Smith. I ordered 3 black, 3 blue, 2 splash, 2 blue wheaton and 2 lavendar. I sure am hoping I don't wind up with more than half roosters or should I say cockerels. I don't intend to show, just want pretty babies.

You won't have to worry about the Easter Egger problem with Paul and Angela's birds! Every one my my Smith birds from last year have gorgeous big fluffy birds and muffs. You'll get the usual roll of the dice cockerel/pullet ratio.

 

[ShinShien]

Close-up of Splash. He/she's the lightest of the bunch and has odd dark-colored feathers on the tail.