Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[AinaWGSD]

I'm really liking this little blue pullet. I'm not 100% sure that she's not an EE, all I know for sure is that all of the eggs for the hatch she came out of were green (my black ameraucana hen lays a green egg almost the exact same shade as my EE) and fertilized by my blue ameraucana rooster before we had to get rid of him. Two of the five were pullets and this is the one we're keeping.



Her muff's not too bad, IMO, but you can't tell since I managed to get these shots between thunderstorms this afternoon (thank goodness, we needed the rain!) and they're all wet. Part of me thinks it might be fun to take her out to a show or two next year, and part of me thinks that it really wouldn't be worth the biosecurity risk since I can't breed her (going to have to move soon and it's doubtful whether I'll be able to keep any of the chickens, getting another rooster is right out) and my chickens are mostly just backyard eye candy and egg producers.

 

[Mahonri]

LaLobaBlanca, I really like your splash boy, but your BW boys have too much black in their hackles.
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So wish I could breed, I'm letting my membership in the ABC lapse.... even though I still have four nice girls and a BW grandson of Geoffrey hatched at Easter in the grow out pen..... When he starts to crow... I'll have to sell him.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Lol yeah the blue is in the eye of the beholder. even the blue ones seem like there is a little greenish tinge. one of my ee lays a green egg the other lays a bluer egg than the true ameraucana I have but I like them all anyways. They are all so freindly but do not seem to like our heat as much as my other two breeds I keep.

I'm really liking this little blue pullet. I'm not 100% sure that she's not an EE, all I know for sure is that all of the eggs for the hatch she came out of were green (my black ameraucana hen lays a green egg almost the exact same shade as my EE) and fertilized by my blue ameraucana rooster before we had to get rid of him. Two of the five were pullets and this is the one we're keeping.



Her muff's not too bad, IMO, but you can't tell since I managed to get these shots between thunderstorms this afternoon (thank goodness, we needed the rain!) and they're all wet. Part of me thinks it might be fun to take her out to a show or two next year, and part of me thinks that it really wouldn't be worth the biosecurity risk since I can't breed her (going to have to move soon and it's doubtful whether I'll be able to keep any of the chickens, getting another rooster is right out) and my chickens are mostly just backyard eye candy and egg producers.

 

[Arctic Chick]

You need sweedish flower hens!

There was someone from Alaska on the Easter Hatch Thread that had them and they do very will up there. There is also another Icelandic breed that thrives and lays well in the cold north. They would die where I live since they can't take the heat. We had two days with highs of 107 here.

I lost a Marans Cockerel.

Ron

Ron

I am so sorry to hear about your bird Ron!!! I would just melt away starting at 80 degrees! Yes, I have seen the Swedish Flower hens, they are adorable!
Anything from Iceland does so well here as we are about the same latitude. I used to have Icelandic sheep, will so again one day. The Ameraucana does very well here and I really like their personalities. I like dual purpose birds, as you can eat them if they don't pan out for breeding. I only want to keep one breed, as it is very complicated to keep birds here in the first place and I am meticulous about who breeds with whom. I keep pedigrees/family trees for my birds. I have to keep it small to stay strait on goal. The first time I saw an Ameraucana, I fell in love with the beard and muffs, it was a white roo and it reminded me of Santa, lol. Does anyone else remember the first Ameraucana they saw? What made everyone else want Ameraucana chickens? Love to hear the stories!

 

[Cats Cradle]

I think you are misinterpreting/misunderstanding what is meant by "as defined in the APA and/or ABA standards" and/or "even if a bird meets an Ameraucana standard breed description, but doesn’t meet a variety description or breed true at least 50% of the time it is considered an Easter Egg chicken". To say "a purebred Ameraucana that does not conform to the standard IS an EE" is incorrect because that would include a Splash or SW. Both of those are not in the APA or ABA but they DO breed true 100% of the time. However, this would define a BBS x WBS as I put forth earlier as an EE.

In reality, there is no such things as a "purebred" chicken. Kenny Troiano has written extensively on this in his book and in the PP. And it is also equally incorrect to say than an "Ameraucana" means it is "show or breeder quality". It would be completely incorrect and inaccurate to use the above definition to say that an Ameraucana that is not "Show Quality", or rather is "Pet Quality", is an EE. The terms SQ or PQ are completely subjective. What is SQ for me may not be for a far superior breeder to myself and vice versa.

And btw, if I were to guess I would say that the vast majority of EE's are the result of breeding EE's together and in the lesser cases breeding an Ameraucana to another breed. An Araucana bred to another breed would also be an EE. So in the majority of cases, while I have nothing to substantiate this or could come close to proving it, I feel pretty confident in saying that the vast majority of EE's are mixed breeds.

God Bless,

Thanks for trying to help clear this up for me! I know I have a ton to learn and I anticipated struggling with things like genetics and such. I didn't anticipate having such a difficult time understanding the difference between an EE and an Ameraucana! I know that part of the difficulty is even the breeders that have been here a while don't all agreee exactly, so there probably isn't a "one size fits all" formula like my very left brained mind would like there to be.

I also had no idea that there's no such thing as a purebred chicken! I have red a few of Kenny Troiano's posts in PP and got a lot out of them. I really enjoy the way he explains things, so thank you for mentioning his book(s)! I've ordered them and can't wait to read them!

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
It is funny living in California. I have relatives form the San Francisco Bay Area that won't come inland in the Summer. It can be Foggy and 60 Degrees there and 105 here. It is a 1.5 hour drive from here to there.

I absolutely understand about loving the Ameraucanas. I only have EEs but they are really great! I love the muffs and the pretty eggs.

Ron

 

[Arctic Chick]

It is funny living in California. I have relatives form the San Francisco Bay Area that won't come inland in the Summer. It can be Foggy and 60 Degrees there and 105 here. It is a 1.5 hour drive from here to there.

I absolutely understand about loving the Ameraucanas. I only have EEs but they are really great! I love the muffs and the pretty eggs.

Ron

Many years ago, I lived in Ventura. I still have friends there. I think EEs are the prettier, more interesting and a fun bird to tell you the truth! I would love to go to an EE show! Are there mixed bird shows? I know Alaska has a fun mix breed dog show!

 

[Cadeau]

Can anyone tell me more about the preferred coloring for BW boys and girls?

I'm reading about black in the hackles of a blue bird and smudging and other things - so...
what is preferred for Ameracauna?
and what are trouble spots?

Both Ameracauna and the Wheaten/Blue Wheaten coloring are new to me (nothing like a challenge, huh?!

)

 

[LaLobaBlanca]

Can anyone tell me more about the preferred coloring for BW boys and girls?

I'm reading about black in the hackles of a blue bird and smudging and other things - so...
what is preferred for Ameracauna?
and what are trouble spots?

Both Ameracauna and the Wheaten/Blue Wheaten coloring are new to me (nothing like a challenge, huh?!

)

I'm also interested in the answer to this question.

 

[DMRippy]

Can anyone tell me more about the preferred coloring for BW boys and girls?

I'm reading about black in the hackles of a blue bird and smudging and other things - so...
what is preferred for Ameracauna?
and what are trouble spots?

Both Ameracauna and the Wheaten/Blue Wheaten coloring are new to me (nothing like a challenge, huh?!

)

That threw me too. The splash has more color in his hackles so that was really throwing me off. I know that pullets are preferred without black in the hackles. I need to go read.......