Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[sssharon]

Well, it looks like you're in the same boat as me. Mine has green legs and pea comb so I don't know. I only know what I learn from other people on this site. I guess if they have green legs they are not Ameraucanas, they're EE. I don't really care. I like chickens that are pretty and different and a lot of people really like EE's. I like mine, I hatched him out of my grandkids eggs and he and the other two I hatched along with him have given me a lot of entertainment. My EE came from 2 pure white EE's that my son in law was told were Ameraucanas and evidently the hatcheries sell them as A's when they are not. So any way I ended up with 3 mutts and don't care. I like them anyway. I definitely am no authority but there are people on this site that must be. Sounds like the person you got your chicks from gave you A's and EE's and your happy with them. I wouldn't cull the mutts. People love to buy your chickens.

 

[MacCana]

The legs on my blue wheaten and white are greenish. But they were blue when I got them if you can believe that. The white was actually in a separate cage alone bc it's tail had been picked at. It was the only white one. When I asked the guy why it was alone, he said he thought it's legs were blue bc it's sick LOL. I had to talk him into selling her to me. He was very confused as to why I'd buy a "sick" bird. He figured since it was white, it wasn't an "ameraucana" like the others. I couldn't even say anything to him lol. That's what it;s like buying chickens from strictly horse people...but they have a store & order them from an individual breeder- who sells them as Ameraucanas. Even if the green legs make it technically an EE (which is after all, anything from an ameraucana look-alike down to all the details except one fault...like green legs, to what my possible barred rock EE is, which is obviously a mutt. As she has white legs), I still will love & hug & pet on them until it's time to retire in old age at my mother's property lol.

 

[WendyF]

@MacCana They are both adorable, but your barred one just kills me with cuteness factor! I bet if you put her pic on the Easter Egger Club thread they can chime in too about her mix. @pips&peeps can you please tell me what you see in her pullet that makes you say ee? I'm trying to learn how to distinguish between the 2 in case my chicken math ever does me wrong again .

 

[MacCana]

Awww thank you so much!! I will try to in the morning. She's still brand new to me , but I feel so lucky to have walked into that lady's back yard& seen her! She's so different & incredibly soft. Even the husband likes her. I got her & a Gold laced Wyandotte that day. Can't wait until they come out of quarantine & get to join the others.
I'm guessing she called them EEs bc their legs aren't blue. The standard calls for blue legs. Any faults turns them into EEs. In my opinion, and not to offend any breeders, but I don't see how that makes them so different as to consider them a different breed. My opinion doesn't make the rules though & I'm perfectly happy with Easter Eggers as well. Where I live, they are in high demand. As are Ameraucanas & Silkies & Cochins. Kinda funny really, considering the latter 2 aren't very productive as layers, and I live in a rural area. I'm very excited though, and am in great anticipation of my first eggs from them. I swear I have dreams about what egg colors they will be !!!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

I pegged hatching eggs at about 50% hatch rate, but hadn't factored in weather. I do have a styrofoam incubator, a genesis hovabator from a friend who is a Maran and Silkie breeder. Now you have me thinking I may try a hatch of Marans (I can get fertile eggs free) this fall, then order the Ameraucanas in the spring. I do have the upper hand in having a breeder friend who has been using these brand incubators for hundreds of hatches. She can teach me all I need to know.

FYI eggs are a real gamble . I buy some and also sell some . You can find someone to sell some about anytime . That is not to say you should buy then . Cold or hot weather can ruin your chances of a good hatch . Good can range from 2- 6 out of a dozen eggs . If you are incubating for the first time do not buy shipped eggs . You must learn to operate your incubator first on your own eggs or locally purchased eggs . If you are using one of the Styrofoam incubators there is a learning process to get good hatches .

I agree with Jerry find some local eggs to test hatch. Shipped eggs are a crap shoot especially in a foam incubator . also if you try Marans ( which I do not raise but raise Penedesenca which also have dark thick eggs ) I find they often will take a extra day to hatch. I stopped trying to hatch mine with anything else I was finding my lighter eggs like Ameraucana , Easter Eggers , Icelandics would be hatched and almost fluffy by the time the Penedesenca started to hatch.

 

[rainbowchick]

I agree with Jerry find some local eggs to test hatch. Shipped eggs  are a crap shoot especially in a foam incubator . also if you try Marans  ( which I do not raise but raise Penedesenca which also have dark thick eggs ) I find they often will take a extra day to hatch. I stopped trying to hatch mine with anything else I was finding my lighter eggs like Ameraucana , Easter Eggers , Icelandics would be hatched and almost fluffy by the time the Penedesenca started to hatch.

That is very good to know, as I was thinking I'd be able to do simultaneous hatches of Marans and Ameraucanas next year. Although, my friend told me once that her shells were actually quite thin because it is a closed line of Marans (I suppose from inbreeding). Any thoughts on that? Do you really think it's the eggs themselves, or simply the breed?

 

[tatinatimom]

Is she an EE or Ameraucana?

 

[MacCana]

tatinatimom, what color are her legs?

 

[sssharon]

MacCana, that last reply really made me laugh! Funny stuff. Well, my Pearl definitely is an Earl. He crowed this morning and crowed 3 more time in succession so it's a given. I can't keep him because I live in the city so I already got someone to take him. I waited to long to get him a collar they sell on my pet chickens to curb the crowing. Well, one good thing I'm sure your's is a pullet. I see no comb or start of one and she should probably have at least a start of one, so that's a plus for you. You can raise yourself some more little easter eggers. To bad I can't send you Earl. At least he's going to a good home. I already sold these people 3 leghorns I had so my poor Earl and his BF are going to be reunited with those birds from Hell. That's why I sold them. They were awful.

 

[pips&peeps]

Is she an EE or Ameraucana?

EE.

If a bird has green legs, it has yellow skin. Ameraucanas have white skin. You can see this really easily on white birds, because they have a yellow beak.

Also if the color is not one of the standard colors it is more than likely and easter egger.