Ameraucana versus Easter Egger

[Providence Chick]

My Easter Eggers have blue eggs...all the way through.

Hmmm, interesting. I will be checking mine out when they begin laying!

 

[Kiki]

We just bought a variety (of our choosing) to get a variety of colored eggs. Ameraucana's are still rare enough that we were only allowed to buy 3. As I understand it, based on our hatchery, Ameraucana's egg shells are blue all the way through, whereas an EE will be shades of blue, green, pink etc on the outside but inside will be white. We also got EEs, Welsummers, Speckled Sussex, Golden Cuckoo Marans, and Silver Gray Dorking. Looking forward to our first eggs to compliment our Buff Orpington girls.

You might want to keep reading about Ee's vs. Ams.
Neither are rare.

 

[junebuggena]

whereas an EE will be shades of blue, green, pink etc on the outside but inside will be white.

False. There are only two genes for shell color, white or blue. Blue is dominant over white. Blue eggshells are blue all the way through, regardless of breed. Brown eggs are caused by a coating applied to the outside of a white shelled egg. Green eggs are the result of that coating applied to the outside of a blue shelled egg. There are over 9 known genes for the coating, which is why there are so many shades.

 

[Providence Chick]

You might want to keep reading about Ee's vs. Ams.
Neither are rare.

They are for the hatchery we used. I believe it meant they are unable to offer them due to not able to have enough to go around. They cap you at 3.

 

[Kiki]

They are for the hatchery we used. I believe it meant they are unable to offer them due to not able to have enough to go around. They cap you at 3.

Oh Ok.

 

[WalnutHill]

We just bought a variety (of our choosing) to get a variety of colored eggs. Ameraucana's are still rare enough that we were only allowed to buy 3. As I understand it, based on our hatchery, Ameraucana's egg shells are blue all the way through, whereas an EE will be shades of blue, green, pink etc on the outside but inside will be white. We also got EEs, Welsummers, Speckled Sussex, Golden Cuckoo Marans, and Silver Gray Dorking. Looking forward to our first eggs to compliment our Buff Orpington girls.

Ameraucanas in named color varieties are not rare. The hatchery you are ordering from may simply not have either much demand or local supply for hatching eggs or chicks.

As for shell color, white and blue are through and through. Brown is painted on white for brown shells, or on blue for green shells and olive shells. Since Easter Egger isn't a standardized breed they can lay anything, but in my flock an Easter Egger has at least one Ameraucana or Araucana parent and lays blue or green eggs. As for feather colors, though, they can be pretty diverse!

My Easter Eggers have blue eggs...all the way through.

Depending on the genetic makeup of the bird, quite likely!

 

[mockingbird]

I like to call my Ameraucana/Dominique crosses "Ameraniques" and avoid the whole EE definition controversy

My reasons for crossing the two were:
1. to flush out any recessive yellow skin genes in my "pure" blue ameracauna flock.
2. to produce some green egg layers
3. to produce a slightly heftier dual-purpose chicken in the event I decide to process excess cockerels

I have only been working with my flock for about a year and want to make sure my Ameraucanas are what they are supposed to be before offering them for sale as such. Anything that does not hatch out according to APA breed standard for blue or black ameraucanas will become an "Easter Egger." Well except for any Splash ameraucanas which I hope will eventually be admitted to the breed standard - but that is a subject for another thread. I keep all three colors in my flock for balance and enjoy the diversity of color!