Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[THeelChickinKY]

Thank you, chickee and FVRM, for weighing in on my Wheatens' sex. I'm having a hard time being patient because of a full incubator filled half with Barnevelders and half with Wheaten Ameraucanas, we got 18 Barnevelders and only 2 Ameraucanas! Ahh! Shipping must have been rough for them.

 

[Mama Bay]

I should've asked on here before buying!

 

[rainbowchick]

I respectfully disagree. Eggshells, all of them come in either white or blue. So, if I buy Isbar eggs and they come to me in an EE olive 'eggshell' color, then I know they are not Isbar. No one can tell me that the egg is blue. A lot of eggs are blue if you were to go by that.
All that seems to do is lead to confusion and people getting ripped, especially if the Ameraucana doesn't live up to ABC's own standard .

That's what I am saying though. The Ameraucana Standard specifically says "egg shells". I think that is why the ABC-approved color chart has so many variations on it. I am sure even if you asked the top Ameraucana breeders, they would say that most of their eggs are not the "idealistic" A7 color. Besides, people don't get "ripped off" by reputable breeders who don't have A7 eggs, that's like being "ripped off" because eggs from show quality birds did not produce show quality chicks. That's just genetics, it's a crapshoot. Same with eggs. You can have Ameraucana parent stock with great blue eggs and still have some offspring with greenish eggs....

 

[Hinotori]

Quote:
There is a HUGE difference between green tinted and the olive/khaki (or brown) eggs that most of my Privett girls lay. The Cackle EEs I have actually lay some nice blue eggs. The hatchery birds have been better layers than my ameraucana so I get them for the laying flock since we sell eggs.

Body types on the hatchery birds are all over the place as are the feather patterns and combs. Even the offspring of the hatchery birds still sometimes have odd combs when bred to an actual ameraucana rooster. My best layer of them is small, scrawny, and more leghorn looking in body type.

 

[rainbowchick]

Yes, of course True Ameraucanas should not have Olive colored eggs. No one is saying that, and you'll see no olive colors on the chart either. But green is perfectly acceptable. Sorry to have opened a can of worms here...

 

[B-Goock]

I just ordered 10 Ameraucanas from heirloom orpingtons in fl. From what it reads on their website they are true ameraucanas. I guess I'll find out.

 

[MrsBachbach]

And they did email me back and say that they are Ameraucanas... Either they're lying or just don't know???

They don't know. Email them back and ask what color variety they are. I bet they won't be able to tell you. Ameraucanas come in eight recognized color varieties: Black,Blue, White, Silver, Buff, Brown Red, Wheaten, and Blue Wheaten. If they don't name one of those colors they are selling Easter Eggers. There are some color varieties that are not recognized yet, Lavender and Splash, but the club is working on getting those recognized.

 

[Mama Bay]

They don't know. Email them back and ask what color variety they are. I bet they won't be able to tell you. Ameraucanas come in eight recognized color varieties: Black,Blue, White, Silver, Buff, Brown Red, Wheaten, and Blue Wheaten. If they don't name one of those colors they are selling Easter Eggers. There are some color varieties that are not recognized yet, Lavender and Splash, but the club is working on getting those recognized.

Ok I will ask. I just don't understand why they wouldn't just sell them as "Easter Eggers"... People seem to like them and that would be so much less confusing!

 

[MrsBachbach]

My problem with their chart is that it doesn't correspond to their own breed description, which only lists blue.
They should list that span of color for eggs if it is part of their own standard. No?

Egg color is not part of the standard. The breed is just known for the "blue" egg color. They aren't brown or white, so they call them blue. Why are gray chickens called blue? Blue is subjective. If you lay that egg in the green grass it doesn't look green then. Looks blue to me. By itself, it could look more green than blue. Lighting plays a big part in how blue the egg looks also. Sunlight, artificial light, dim light, etc., all produces a different look.

 

[rainbowchick]

Egg color is not part of the standard. The breed is just known for the "blue" egg color. They aren't brown or white, so they call them blue. Why are gray chickens called blue? Blue is subjective. If you lay that egg in the green grass it doesn't look green then. Looks blue to me. By itself, it could look more green than blue. Lighting plays a big part in how blue the egg looks also. Sunlight, artificial light, dim light, etc., all produces a different look.

Sorry to keep adding fuel to the fire... but the Breed Standard as listed on the ABC website, *does* list blue egg shells. Hence, my attempt to explain that the egg SHELLS are still blue even if the exterior color is greenish... Anyway, I'll keep quiet now...