Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Red Banks]

That's what I mean. Easter Eggers are beautiful birds, and highly in demand. I love mine, but they aren't pure aneraucana. People aren't trying to be mean and call yours mutts. They are trying to help you learn.
It could be worse. I posted pics of my black copper Marans on another thread and they told me to eat them

Been there, done that. My Marans Cockerels have been given away..... my pullets are part of the laying flock. I have some pretty Ameraucanas but now understand there are better. The good thing is I can always use the eggs and keep my pretty pullets that I love in my laying flock. They can be perfect just as they are and I can enjoy their antics.

 

[Kraut]

The bird in question is a Blue Wheaten.
Figured I'd ask over here too in this thread since it is an Ameraucana thread and the fact I am a little nervous about this bird being a boy. As I mentioned before, the darker red feathers near the wings worry me as well as lots of blue feathering. I have never had Blue Wheaten Ameracauna's before, so I don't know about the changing of their juvenile colors. What do you think, pullet or cockerel? The bird is ~7-8 weeks old.

All the same bird. First picture is outside, the rest are inside:

 

[NDgoatgirlNV]

It's a good thread to be a part of, and I came to join it exactly the way you did. I bought feed store "ameraucanas". I got the same response you did when I posted pictures, and I can't lie, I was heartbroken. Same thing with my black copper marans. My first few years of keeping chickens, I didn't know the difference, either. I didn't even find BYC until this year, and I have learned more here in 10 months than in 7 years on my own. Easter Eggers are great chickens. I love mine, and sell them as fast as they hatch. The only difference is I advertise them as Easter Eggers. I advertise my ameraucanas as ameraucanas. If you aren't showing, and you only want pretty birds that come in a wide variety of colors that lay pretty eggs, then Easter Eggers can't be beat. If you want to raise a pure breed, and try breeding to improve your flock, then you need pure Ameraucanas

I'll most likely be purchasing the " real thing" next spring. Who would you recommend as far as hatcheries/breeders are concerned?

 

[scflock]

I'll most likely be purchasing the " real thing" next spring. Who would you recommend as far as hatcheries/breeders are concerned?

I got mine from Paul Smith.. Just like birds from any breeder, not every one will be a show bird, but all are a good foundation to start with. I bought 17 straight run, and a few of them are exceptional. Like I said, I still have my Easter Eggers and love them, but this thread made me want to get a pure flock. When you see your feed store/hatchery birds beside birds from a breeder that cares, the difference is obvious. My Easter Eggers make the pretty egg cartons that people can't get enough of, but people will drive for hours to buy my Ameraucanas

 

[NDgoatgirlNV]

I got mine from Paul Smith. Smithey Poultry. Just like birds from any breeder, not every one will be a show bird, but all are a good foundation to start with. I bought 17 straight run, and a few of them are exceptional. Like I said, I still have my Easter Eggers and love them, but this thread made me want to get a pure flock. When you see your feed store/hatchery birds beside birds from a breeder that cares, the difference is obvious. My Easter Eggers make the pretty egg cartons that people can't get enough of, but people will drive for hours to buy my Ameraucanas

That Rooster in the second from the last photo is gorgeous!

 

[scflock]

That Rooster in the second from the last photo is gorgeous!

Thanks, he is a splash. those are called black, blue, splash, and if you breed them together those are the only three colors they throw. You can also breed certain colors to only throw one color. There is a chart that I can post tomorrow, or maybe someone else can throw it up

 

[ChickChuck22]

All the birds are stunning! Getting an ameraucana roo so I can create my own EE and OE, does anyone have a good suggestion to put in with the roo, I was thinking BCM for darker green, but I would love to see what a Vorwerk x Ameraucana would be like! So many possibilities, love it!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

All the birds are stunning!

Getting an ameraucana roo so I can create my own EE and OE, does anyone have a good suggestion to put in with the roo, I was thinking BCM for darker green, but I would love to see what a Vorwerk x Ameraucana would be like! So many possibilities, love it!!!

How exciting to make your own OE's! My friend and I were not fans of our Cuckoo Marans or BCMs and re-homed them because they were mean but Marans are not the only dark egg layers around - there are Barnevelders, Welsummers, (and some say Langshans can lay a dark egg but that's just hearsay on my part) so don't limit yourself to just Marans as an only choice for making OEs. Somewhere in my article reads I came across someone who was experimenting making avocado layers - a really dark dark green egg and the photos were gorgeous if they can be believed!

 

[Sylvester017]

The bird in question is a Blue Wheaten.
Figured I'd ask over here too in this thread since it is an Ameraucana thread and the fact I am a little nervous about this bird being a boy. As I mentioned before, the darker red feathers near the wings worry me as well as lots of blue feathering. I have never had Blue Wheaten Ameracauna's before, so I don't know about the changing of their juvenile colors. What do you think, pullet or cockerel? The bird is ~7-8 weeks old.

All the same bird. First picture is outside, the rest are inside:

Youtube video titled "How to tell a rooster from a hen in a 2-month old chick"

 

[desertrocks]

I also have one that looks just like him. He is an excellent flockmaster and very protective of his girls. As far as being aggressive, the only time he has shown any towards me was 1 time when I was looking at one of his girls and she let out yell. he started towards me but as soon as I faced him, he stopped.
This probably has a lot to do with imprinting my Alpha status when he was free ranging the yard. He loves canned cat food and would chase the cats off of their dishes in the morning. Whenever he chased them, I chased him, just like he would if someone was getting after his girls. He is the first to the pen door to see what I haveand I generally make it a point to offer to him first so he can distribute if he chooses to. He is 10 months old and an absolute joy.