Ameraucana

[chrissynemetz]

I'm sorry but yes, if your bird looks like this one it's an Easter Egger cockerel.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Has anyone had experience with Ameraucana’s?

I agree with info already given... that is indeed a (handsome) EE cockerel... some of my biggest Stew Pidasso's and one of my least favorite breeds of rooster. Yet one of my favorites in hen!

Many hatcheries sell them with the correct spelling and note they maintain their line as "representation" to "show the wide variety of colors one breed can come in". Which basically means they are not bred to the standard of perfection to maintain pure color varieties for showing... EVEN if they were originally all of Ameraucana decent. I don't consider it complete dishonesty but it is a widespread miscommunication and frustrating to those of who work hard to maintain our lines.

Us BYCer's especially those that breed are a bit more particular and uhm... obsessive about our birds... and our word. You should have seen me trying to educate my LFS owner about the EE she was selling... can't remember if Ameraucana was spelled accurately or with an I. Really, non chicken people JUST don't get it.

My true Ameraucana boys have not displayed the human aggression seen in my EE boys. The EE are not bred or selected for demeanor by me the way my Ameraucana and other flock are heavily culled for any undesirable trait. My Ameraucana and others also come from breeders who presumably select much differently than hatcheries.

Good luck finding him a home. No shame in letting him go to feed someone's family.

Craigslist farm and garden section has been a good resource for me.

Best wishes!

 

[Ojwilli18]

I agree with info already given... that is indeed a (handsome) EE cockerel... some of my biggest Stew Pidasso's and one of my least favorite breeds of rooster. Yet one of my favorites in hen!

Many hatcheries sell them with the correct spelling and note they maintain their line as "representation" to "show the wide variety of colors one breed can come in". Which basically means they are not bred to the standard of perfection to maintain pure color varieties for showing... EVEN if they were originally all of Ameraucana decent. I don't consider it complete dishonesty but it is a widespread miscommunication and frustrating to those of who work hard to maintain our lines.

Us BYCer's especially those that breed are a bit more particular and uhm... obsessive about our birds... and our word. You should have seen me trying to educate my LFS owner about the EE she was selling... can't remember if Ameraucana was spelled accurately or with an I. Really, non chicken people JUST don't get it.

My true Ameraucana boys have not displayed the human aggression seen in my EE boys. The EE are not bred or selected for demeanor by me the way my Ameraucana and other flock are heavily culled for any undesirable trait. My Ameraucana and others also come from breeders who presumably select much differently than hatcheries.

Good luck finding him a home. No shame in letting him go to feed someone's family.

Craigslist farm and garden section has been a good resource for me.

Best wishes!

Thank you so much for the information. I find it to be most frustrating that the woman at Tractor Supply really lead on like she knew exactly what she was talking about, and that all the chicks given to us were for sure hens. We were excited that "Mrs. Tweedy", as we had been calling it, had such beautiful coloring and that we knew her eggs would be a different color than the rest. I started to become skeptical when it started becoming so much larger than the rest of the girls, and then slowly began to be the only one who started pecking me. I figured it was just because it was more weary than the rest, but this morning began to confirm my suspicion of it being a roo as I watched it peck the other hens a little more aggressively than usual and started to hold one hen down by the neck as if it were going to mount. I will still upload a picture of my actual chicken when I get home though, just to be sure because the picture I have provided is offline but it does look exactly like it to me. I have never tried to re-home a chicken before, I am thinking to try Craigslist as you and others have suggested and possibly the Under Cover Angles animal rescue site. Thank you again for all the help, and happy husbandry to you!!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

the woman at Tractor Supply really lead on like she knew exactly what she was talking about, and that all the chicks given to us were for sure hens.

Ya, many are convinced they know what they are talking about.

Even me... and have changed my understanding over time not being able to go back once realizing I had made a mistake on my advice.

Most hatcheries claim about 90% sexing accuracy. Some as low as 80%. I have bought a LOT of birds and they 90% is about right in my experience... noting that once I did get two boys labeled as pullets.

Aside from the sexing accuracy from the hatchery... we also count on store employees to label accurately and not mix up the birds when unpacking. TSC is fairly known for mislabeling their breeds. Yet I'm so glad they came to my tiny, middle of nowhere town.

My LFS and natural food type store also have posting boards for community use.

 

[aart]

To be fair, the misnaming of Ameraucana is the hatcheries fault.

 

[Ojwilli18]

To be fair, the misnaming of Ameraucana is the hatcheries fault.

That is very true. Understandable that in her defense, the woman was just doing her job and what she was told.

 

[Ojwilli18]

So this is what my chicken actually looks like

 

[Ojwilli18]

So this is what my chicken actually looks like

 

[Ojwilli18]

If the photo you found on the internet looks exactly like the bird you have then you have an Easter Egger cockerel.
Spurs do not develop until they are much older. Pullets and hens can also develop spurs so that is not an indicator of gender.
TSC does not sell Ameraucanas. They sell Easter Eggers which are hybrids.
Are you not allowed roosters where you are?

this is my actual chicken

 

[Folly's place]

As we've guessed from your description, it's an EE cockerel.
Mary