Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[MrsBachbach]

HELP! In my continuing quest for an all blue/black Ameraucana flock, I ordered some eggs from someone in NY (I'm in Washington state) who claimed they were purebred BLUE/BLACK and Lavender Ameraucanas. Well, I happen to have some purebred Ameraucana hens and one rooster (from a very trustworthy someone here on the forum, as a matter of fact), and I'm seeing true Ameraucana eggs every single day. When these so-called "purebred" eggs showed up today, I was shocked to find large GREEN eggs in the box, not the smaller BLUE eggs I've come to recognize as Ameraucana.

Being rather new to the breed (just about a year now and NO hatches of my own), I know that my knowledge is fairly limited. But I don't think these are the correct eggs. I took a picture with the eggs I was sent compared to the eggs I'm getting from my current flock of Blue, black, and wheaton Ameraucanas. My egg is on the bottom row (says MINE on it) and the top eggs are what I was sent.

Can anyone confirm that these are NOT Ameraucana eggs? Or am I totally wrong here? They are ALL green, every single one of them, and most are big like this one on the top left of the picture. I'm used to these small, light blue eggs from my Ameraucanas.

HELP????



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Quite a range of blue and bluegreen on the Ameraucana egg color chart. The light eggs in your picture are probably from hens that have been laying for several months. They tend to get paler in color later in the laying season or if the hen is a frequent layer. After they molt and then start laying again their color generally is darker. Nothing wrong with the size, they may be from hens not pullets. Some birds just lay smaller eggs like yours do.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Quite a range of blue and bluegreen on the Ameraucana egg color chart.  The light eggs in your picture are probably from hens that have been laying for several months.  They tend to get paler in color later in the laying season or if the hen is a frequent layer.  After they molt and then start laying again their color generally is darker.  Nothing wrong with the size, they may be from hens not pullets.  Some birds just lay smaller eggs like yours do.

x2

Also, @optycal you mentioned Lavender, right? Some breeders of the Lav Am's did cross in Lavender Orps for the color... this does cause them to lay green or greenish eggs... they should be rebred back to others to correct egg color...

 

[MrsBachbach]

I just bought 3 Ameraucanas from a local breeder. I am new to the chicken world but wanted the novelty of some blue eggs but also to stay in a true breed so that I can breed and sell chicks in the future. One is a white splash, one seems to be a blue of sorts and the other is black with copper breast. They have the beards the gray feet and tails of an ameraucana but I don't think these are the "standard" colors. Does this make them still true amercaunas? Or a bit of a cross of some sort?

Hard to tell based on just these pictures. One does look like a blue and the other a splash, but closer pictures of the head and comb and feet would help. The other with the copper in the chest very likely is not Ameraucana. There shouldn't be any copper in the breast of a black or a blue. Makes you question the background of the others also.

 

[fowlmouthgirls]

THANK YOU for the replies, folks. I knew I could count on you guys to help me here. I didn't know there was a color chart. Is it here on the site, by any chance?

I have a couple EEs in my flock currently, and they lay those huge green eggs, so I was really worried when these supposed-Ameraucana eggs came in looking just like my EE eggs.

I guess I'll see if these will hatch (they were sent with NO cold pack in an uninsulated box. . . I'm worried they're all dead.) I'll probably keep the chicks that hatch (if any at all), but I definitely will NOT breed them nor will I buy from this person again.

If anyone knows of a reliable, honest Ameraucana breeder who will ship either day-old blues/blacks or the hatching eggs, I'd love to get that info <3

I am NOT looking to sell eggs or chicks myself. These are my pets and egg-producers, just for my own use and some eggs for friends.

Optycal, here is a pic of 6 of the 12 eggs I just hatched out. I know for a fact that they come from an Ameraucana breeder, I know locally. I think they can come in really blue to slightly blue green, almost a sea foam green. I would hatch them out just to see!!

 

[Sylvester017]

Optycal, here is a pic of 6 of the 12 eggs I just hatched out. I know for a fact that they come from an Ameraucana breeder, I know locally. I think they can come in really blue to slightly blue green, almost a sea foam green. I would hatch them out just to see!!

I don't show or breed but I have a curiosity question. Would show judges accept eggs in these shades or would they DQ them?

 

[MrsBachbach]

I don't show or breed but I have a curiosity question. Would show judges accept eggs in these shades or would they DQ them?

I've been to a few shows and I have never seen a judging of eggs. Of course, I've never seen a bird leave an egg in a cage for a judge to consider either. I'm not sure it is even considered when judging.
How would that work if only one chicken out of dozens laid an egg and the others did not? Is it a matter of if it's there they will consider it for DQ only? Because I can't see how it would gain points for the bird when all the other birds have not left an egg.
Most birds shown are pullets that haven't come into lay yet anyway. That is when they are in prime condition, right before lay.

 

[kaitbray]

Hard to tell based on just these pictures.  One does look like a blue and the other a splash, but closer pictures of the head and comb and feet would help.  The other with the copper in the chest very likely is not Ameraucana.   There shouldn't be any copper in the breast of a black or a blue.  Makes you question the background of the others also.

The breeder was pretty trustworthy and had been in business for over 40 yrs. He breeds many different breeds and had all the feathered out chicks of all his breads on one run so I might have accidnently picked up a totally wrong breed or perhaps he's had some fence hopping roosters going on , but I trust that the splash and blue are true, it's the copper one I'm puzzled by, too pretty not to pick up though

 

[fowlmouthgirls]

I don't show or breed but I have a curiosity question.  Would show judges accept eggs in these shades or would they DQ them?

 

[MrsBachbach]

Optycal, here is a pic of 6 of the 12 eggs I just hatched out. I know for a fact that they come from an Ameraucana breeder, I know locally. I think they can come in really blue to slightly blue green, almost a sea foam green. I would hatch them out just to see!!

I see one, maybe two in there I would like. I have noticed that light makes a big difference in how blue the egg looks. What looks good in the hen house, looks not so good in the artificial house light.

 

[MrsBachbach]

The breeder was pretty trustworthy and had been in business for over 40 yrs. He breeds many different breeds and had all the feathered out chicks of all his breads on one run so I might have accidnently picked up a totally wrong breed or perhaps he's had some fence hopping roosters going on , but I trust that the splash and blue are true, it's the copper one I'm puzzled by, too pretty not to pick up though

I'd say the copper one is a definite no.