Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[FowlStuff]

Araucana and Ameraucana all started from Easter Eggers. When the blue egg layers were first imported into the U.S., they were all called Araucana, and nicknamed Easter Eggers. They were pretty much the same thing we call Easter Eggers, these days. A group of breeders selectively bred for specific traits. They got their birds recognized as Araucana. All the birds that no longer met the new breed standard became known as Ameraucana.
A different group of breeders start selecting for a different set of traits. They got their birds recognized as the Ameraucana breed we know today. Hatcheries and feed stores just never bothered to rename their birds to reflect the change.
It's the Easter Egger that came first. The birds the hatcheries are selling are descended from the originally imported birds, completely unrefined.

I agree with most of what you said, except what I highlighted in blue (another poster changed that line to blue, so I followed suite). I would edit that sentence to say something like The birds bred to a Standard that included tails and muffs became known as Ameraucanas.

Our new Ameraucana Handbook includes Mike Gilbert's HISTORY OF THE AMERAUCANA FOWL and it covers the nitty gritty details. Every 1st time member of the Ameraucana Alliance receives a handbook and annual dues start at just $10 per year!

 

[pips&peeps]

Anyone can read the breed history here for free: http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/history.html

 

[samouw]

The archives tell a different story: http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/history.html

And, if you really want to delve into what happened, as written about by the people that were there and involved in it...start reading the old bulletins in our archives. http://www.ameraucanabreedersclub.org/archives.html
This is still a work in progress, but lots of interesting facts and perspectives from over the years.

History is easy to "re-create" when it isn't documented, and only a few people still around to validate it. We are at the point with the Ameraucana history where this is happening. Don't take someone's word for it - go to the source.

 

[Chantecler7]

Anyone can read the breed history here for free: http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/history.html

Richard Orr did the best he could with that work, but it leaves out a lot of detail that is incorporated into the newly published history compiled by yours truly from original source documents that he did not have access to, much of it personal correspondence that was saved and preserved. Also letters published in Poultry Press in the 1970's as well as correspondence with the publisher, who was Bob DeLancey at that time.

 

[samouw]

Richard Orr did the best he could with that work, but it leaves out a lot of detail that is incorporated into the newly published history compiled by yours truly from original source documents that he did not have access to, much of it personal correspondence that was saved and preserved. Also letters published in Poultry Press in the 1970's as well as correspondence with the publisher, who was Bob DeLancey at that time.

Which is one reason why having the archives available for anyone to research is so important.

 

[Chantecler7]

That's just it. The newsletters don't tell the whole story. The papers I have in my possession are not duplicated elsewhere, and that is why I wrote a more extensive history. Actually, there is enough material for many hundreds of pages, but I just included what I thought would be the most interesting to the majority of readers.

 

[FowlStuff]

Richard Orr did the best he could with that work, but it leaves out a lot of detail that is incorporated into the newly published history compiled by yours truly from original source documents that he did not have access to, much of it personal correspondence that was saved and preserved. Also letters published in Poultry Press in the 1970's as well as correspondence with the publisher, who was Bob DeLancey at that time.

Richard wrote The Early History of the Ameraucana Breed and Club, back in 1998. Mike referenced it in our new Ameraucana Handbook and it is available from the History button on our site. I loaned my personal collection of club bulletins to Richard to use for his article and he also interviewed some of our original Ameraucana Bantam Club (ABC) members, since he didn't join until 1993. Last year Richard made a few corrections to his paper and forwarded them to me. He came to Michigan, back in the 90s, for one of our National Meets. He is now 87 years old and the last I heard he is still working as a sheriff.
Richard's and Mike's history papers do not contradict each other and are complementary, dealing with much of the same subject but from different perspectives and experiences and providing different details.

**Edited by Staff**

 

[samouw]

That's just it.   The newsletters don't tell the whole story.   The papers I have in my possession are not duplicated elsewhere, and that is why I wrote a more extensive history.   Actually, there is enough material for many hundreds of pages, but I just included what I thought would be the most interesting to the majority of readers. 

Then why not make that available to everyone, Mike, instead of just a chosen few?

 

[FridayYet]

That's just it.   The newsletters don't tell the whole story.   The papers I have in my possession are not duplicated elsewhere, and that is why I wrote a more extensive history.   Actually, there is enough material for many hundreds of pages, but I just included what I thought would be the most interesting to the majority of readers. 

Hope you have copies stored safely in a second location. Would be a shame if something happened to them.

 

[samouw]

Or, even better, make all your source documents available, so people can study, research, and read for themselves.