Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[MrsBachbach]

I have 2 19 week old Black Ameracauna chickens and I am fairly certain I know their sex, but was hoping someone more experienced than me could confirm

I believe this one is a rooster:







But the only reason I think that is because his comb is larger than the other one. He does not crow and avoids all fights. (To be fair, the other roosters I have are considerably larger ...)

I would be surprised if this one wasn't a lady:





Thanks so much for any help

The first one is an easter egger, it has a single comb instead of a pea comb. However, based on the picture of the body, it looks like a female to me. I do not see any saddle feathers growing on it, so I think it's a girl. The second one also looks to be a girl and that is what the comb should look like on a female Ameraucana.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Thanks. What are you looking for on eyers, ears and beak. I am spending a lot of time learning HRIR which is my passion. These are a hobby part and I don't know the standard. I did read some on the club site.

Ear lobes should be red and free of any white enamel color, eyes should be bay in color, not green, gray, brown or too orange. You want to check the beak and make sure it fits nicely together. If you see daylight between the top and bottom when closed, it doesn't fit nicely and it could be passed on to offspring and may even be worse.

 

[shyBadger]

The first one is an easter egger, it has a single comb instead of a pea comb. However, based on the picture of the body, it looks like a female to me. I do not see any saddle feathers growing on it, so I think it's a girl. The second one also looks to be a girl and that is what the comb should look like on a female Ameraucana.

Thanks for the help - I am happy I was wrong! Looking forward to their blue eggs

And just to make sure that I grasp the whole easter egger vs Ameraucana - basically major faults will make them no longer a member of that breed, even if they were born to two Ameraucana parents? (I got both birds from Sand Hill, so I suppose I cannot actually confirm the parents were pure). I looked over this link: http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/faq.html and that seems to be the gist. I never understood that part of a chicken being an easter egger, I always thought it meant they were mixed. Or does the lack of a pea comb signify that it is mixed? And does that mean I should be concerned about the one that looks like an Ameraucana? (I don't currently have plans to breed, just curious)

 

[junebuggena]

Thanks for the help - I am happy I was wrong! Looking forward to their blue eggs

And just to make sure that I grasp the whole easter egger vs Ameraucana - basically major faults will make them no longer a member of that breed, even if they were born to two Ameraucana parents? (I got both birds from Sand Hill, so I suppose I cannot actually confirm the parents were pure). I looked over this link: http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/faq.html and that seems to be the gist. I never understood that part of a chicken being an easter egger, I always thought it meant they were mixed. Or does the lack of a pea comb signify that it is mixed? And does that mean I should be concerned about the one that looks like an Ameraucana? (I don't currently have plans to breed, just curious)

If your purchased them with a variety/color specified, you got their Ameraucana. If color/variety was not specified, you got their Easter Eggers. Hatchery Easter Eggers are not mixes, they just haven't been selectively bred to meet a breed standard.

 

[SuQMar]

I wil post a pic when I get a good one, I'm not good at trying to taking a pic of a moving target. But I have a 20wk old Black Ameraucana Rooster than was brought over from Holland.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Thanks for the help - I am happy I was wrong! Looking forward to their blue eggs

And just to make sure that I grasp the whole easter egger vs Ameraucana - basically major faults will make them no longer a member of that breed, even if they were born to two Ameraucana parents? (I got both birds from Sand Hill, so I suppose I cannot actually confirm the parents were pure). I looked over this link: http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/faq.html and that seems to be the gist. I never understood that part of a chicken being an easter egger, I always thought it meant they were mixed. Or does the lack of a pea comb signify that it is mixed? And does that mean I should be concerned about the one that looks like an Ameraucana? (I don't currently have plans to breed, just curious)

The lack of a pea comb definitely means it's mixed. It may not even lay a blue egg. There are some things you can see that show a mixed heritage bird. It may have some Ameraucana mixed in it, but that single comb means that at least one of the parents was mixed too. As far as the other, it looks correct, but as you say, since the other is mixed and so is at least one parent, it could be questionable. Not familiar with Sand Hill, so can't help there.

 

[MrsBachbach]

If your purchased them with a variety/color specified, you got their Ameraucana. If color/variety was not specified, you got their Easter Eggers. Hatchery Easter Eggers are not mixes, they just haven't been selectively bred to meet a breed standard.

Easter Eggers have a breed standard? Oops. NM. REad your message wrong.

 

[daxigait]

Ear lobes should be red and free of any white enamel color, eyes should be bay in color, not green, gray, brown or too orange.  You want to check the beak and make sure it fits nicely together.  If you see daylight between the top and bottom when closed, it doesn't fit nicely and it could be passed on to offspring and may even be worse.

Thanks. I will examine them.

 

[ChuskaMtns]

Easter Eggers have a breed standard?  Oops.  NM.  REad your message wrong.

I read it the same way too! :-D. Grabbed my Standards to look up Easter Eggers, did not find them. Then re-read the post.

 

[Saris]

The lack of a pea comb definitely means it's mixed. It may not even lay a blue egg. There are some things you can see that show a mixed heritage bird. It may have some Ameraucana mixed in it, but that single comb means that at least one of the parents was mixed too. As far as the other, it looks correct, but as you say, since the other is mixed and so is at least one parent, it could be questionable. Not familiar with Sand Hill, so can't help there.

Can't the single comb (since it's recessive) be a throw back from the introduction of another color, like when chocolate or lavender was introduced. I've also heard that someone somewhere brought in sumatras at one point to improve the blue edging in Ameraucanas. Isn't it just a DQ fault if all the other parts of the bird fit the SOP?

ETA: Like if an Ameraucana has brown eyes, it's not in the SOP but it doesn't turn an Ameraucana into an EE if it's eyes are brown. You just wouldn't breed those birds.