Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[fowlmouthgirls]

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.

You are right, and these were my quitters, also they were not washed just wiped a bit before I incubated them, so the color wasn't as true as it would have been had they been washed, they are a bit stained.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I've never seen an A1 or A2, A5 or many of those. I'd pay dang good money for a bird that lays that pretty A7 or even that unusual A1.

 

[fowlmouthgirls]

I hatched out a Wheaton a couple of years ago, and the day she laid her first egg, a beautiful A7, a chicken hawk killed her! I was so sad

 

[MrsBachbach]

I hatched out a Wheaton a couple of years ago, and the day she laid her first egg, a beautiful A7, a chicken hawk killed her! I was so sad

Oh my gosh! How awful! And that is just about right too. It's almost always the best birds that get taken. Some of the wheatens do have some good egg color.

 

[Sylvester017]

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.

On breed websites I've seen photos of eggs on platters with trophies and ribbons with judged colors of eggs - I've seen it with Ameraucanas and I've seen it with Marans eggs so judging in someplaces must be happening. The Ameraucana.org website said the eggs layed are blue (not green, sage, or seafoam) so I'm totally confused as to how a judge can judge an Ameraucana as SOP without knowing what the color of eggs will be? I mean if a customer wants blue eggs that's why they order an Ameraucana and not an EE - it's the reason I went with a more expensive Ameraucana rather than EEs because I wanted somewhat guaranteed blue eggs and not green ones. At the start of laying - my Amer's eggs are a sky blue and they get subsequently much paler but they will always be blue and never turn pale green at the end of the cycle. Because I don't show or breed and keep my flock as pet/utility I was more interested in good temperament Amers that gave blue eggs. I even settled for a PQ to get the guaranteed blue egg and haven't been disappointed in either her eggs or her personality. Her sister was better quality but unfortunately we lost her early on so never got to see eggs from her. A post mentioned that Lavenders might lay greenish eggs and that it would take several generations to breed back to blue eggs. OMG I'm glad I don't breed as that kind of thing would drive me nuts. Hats off to you breeders for doing all the hard work for us backyarders!

 

[Ravynscroft]

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?

Judges do not judge egg color when the birds themselves are shown... there is no way to guarantee an egg came from said bird...

There are shows that have egg color competition and that is when eggs are judged... the egg closest to the SOP in size, shape and color wins...

 

[Sylvester017]

I've never seen an A1 or A2, A5 or many of those. I'd pay dang good money for a bird that lays that pretty A7 or even that unusual A1.

The fearhersite.com - same color chart - has less green hues in their posted chart and below the Araucana/Ameraucana color charts showing ribbons for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place on eggs - just one of a few websites where I've seen awards for egg colors.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Arau/BRKArauEgg.html

 

[prepperchickens]

Your little chicken is most likely flighty or spazzy because she is being raised with guineas. I bought bantams and and guineas at one time . Raised 3 guineas with 2 bantams and they were nuts. Extremely flighty wanted nothing to do with me even though I was in contact with them 3 or 4 times a day. I ended up buying more bantams and separating them from the guineas for 2 or 3 weeks. Immediately after separating my chickens were curious and docile and would eat out of my hand and land in my lap or on my head . The guinneas were still freaks lol. Once they were big enough to be out of the brooder I let them all live in the coop/run together and now the guineas are adapting to the calmness of my bantams. I would get your chicken some chicken friends to chill with.

Hmm, are your guineas tame?guineas definitely have a big impact on the way chickens behave but my guineas have all been quicker to tame and more affectionate than my chickens to begin with. I lost my male guinea when he sacrificed himself for the girls, now I have the EE, a month old barred rock pullet, and a 2 mos old guinea hen. Macao, Lydia, Ducky. Macao the EE is the only skiddish one. I have 3 in the brooder, two 2 week old silver sebrights and a week old male guinea keet. Lydia the BR is a total lap chicken, and all my guineas have been crazy about me. Ducky plays tag with me, she runs up flapping her wings and tags me, darts off a few feet then stops and looks back waiting for me to chase her. When I tag her back she runs in a circle flapping her wings excitedly lol. She also flies onto me if I ever dare hold someone else. She will fly on my head if my shoulders are taken. Lydia does the same thing. Macao mostly panicked and runs for her life if I try to pick her up, lol. She's so cute but such a wimp. Once you're holding her she's OK.i honestly have felt like my guineas help to make my birds more outgoing. My sebright chicks were so timid but now that they see the keet running and jumping into my hand and begging to be held they have come around. I'm sure if the guineas weren't tame it would make the chickens more nervous seeing them freak out whenever a person came near but my guineas have been so easy to tame by just hand feeding and doing fun things for them like digging for earthworms in the yard together. After I started that they overnight began to hop up on my lap and follow me everywhere. Handling them alone isn't the best way to really tame them, it doesn't form the same positive association as treats and fun do. I will say that after my crazy, ADD puppy dog of a male guinea died my two hens and my one female guinea all became waaay more affectionate overnight. It's like he had been hogging me, whereas I always thought the girls just weren't interested. Maybe they didn't want to compete with him? Both my male guineas have been exceptionally desperate for treats and attention. Here are my girls from tonight. My husband was trying to work with the spastic EE named Macao and almost immediately Ducky the guinea got jealous and flew onto his shoulder. Then Lydia the barred rock did the same, which was a first, she flew from my shoulder to his. I took Lydia back on me and Ducky then flew onto my head from his shoulder. I'm told guineas aren't normally like this but I have not had to work that hard with any of them. It's the EE who is a challenge, she's been with us as long as the guineas but you'd think we just got her. She was almost 2 wks when we got her from rural king though, she was all alone. I think that was traumatic for her we got her the guineas for company not knowing what guineas even were, lol.

 

[kaitbray]

Hmm, are your guineas tame?guineas definitely have a big impact on the way chickens behave but my guineas have all been quicker to tame and more affectionate than my chickens to begin with. I lost my male guinea when he sacrificed himself for the girls, now I have the EE, a month old barred rock pullet, and a 2 mos old guinea hen. Macao, Lydia, Ducky. Macao the EE is the only skiddish one. I have 3 in the brooder, two 2 week old silver sebrights and a week old male guinea keet. Lydia the BR is a total lap chicken, and all my guineas have been crazy about me. Ducky plays tag with me, she runs up flapping her wings and tags me, darts off a few feet then stops and looks back waiting for me to chase her. When I tag her back she runs in a circle flapping her wings excitedly lol. She also flies onto me if I ever dare hold someone else. She will fly on my head if my shoulders are taken. Lydia does the same thing. Macao mostly panicked and runs for her life if I try to pick her up, lol. She's so cute but such a wimp. Once you're holding her she's OK.i honestly have felt like my guineas help to make my birds more outgoing. My sebright chicks were so timid but now that they see the keet running and jumping into my hand and begging to be held they have come around. I'm sure if the guineas weren't tame it would make the chickens more nervous seeing them freak out whenever a person came near but my guineas have been so easy to tame by just hand feeding and doing fun things for them like digging for earthworms in the yard together. After I started that they overnight began to hop up on my lap and follow me everywhere. Handling them alone isn't the best way to really tame them, it doesn't form the same positive association as treats and fun do. I will say that after my crazy, ADD puppy dog of a male guinea died my two hens and my one female guinea all became waaay more affectionate overnight. It's like he had been hogging me, whereas I always thought the girls just weren't interested. Maybe they didn't want to compete with him? Both my male guineas have been exceptionally desperate for treats and attention. Here are my girls from tonight. My husband was trying to work with the spastic EE named Macao and almost immediately Ducky the guinea got jealous and flew onto his shoulder. Then Lydia the barred rock did the same, which was a first, she flew from my shoulder to his. I took Lydia back on me and Ducky then flew onto my head from his shoulder. I'm told guineas aren't normally like this but I have not had to work that hard with any of them. It's the EE who is a challenge, she's been with us as long as the guineas but you'd think we just got her. She was almost 2 wks when we got her from rural king though, she was all alone. I think that was traumatic for her we got her the guineas for company not knowing what guineas even were, lol.

Wow!!! Your guineas are way more tame then mine. Although we are getting better , I have had them since a week old and they would rather die then let me hold them. I assumed at first that's how it goes until I separated my bantam chicks from them and all of a sudden my chicks were sweet hearts following me everywhere and fighting to see who can land on my head or shoulders first . I them integrated the guineas back and started hand feeding them their chick starter but they wouldn't eat much so I stopped . Wasn't much bonding there. I recently started bringing them dandelions and clovers from the yard and hand feeding them these . (They have picked their run clean) I think this has been the most beneficial at my efforts in taming as they will now come up to me immediately when they see me looking for treats, but still they do not want to be petted or picked up at all. I might try the digging for worms but it will be hard to created focused time for them since my chickens want all the attention lol . I would say my guineas are the exact same age as the once in your photo. I can't even picture them wanting to land on me! It's so weird that I've given the same time and energy to all the birds but they truly all have separate personalities!

 

[marchick]

If you could post a photo, that would help in determining for you.

I hope the pictures help! My camera doesn't take very good pictures!