Ameraucanas or something else?

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Definitely not Ameraucanas! This seller absolutely had to of known that those weren’t Ameraucanas since they don’t represent them in any way, Easter eggers would have been more representative of the breed. I don’t know if you just want the blue eggs or if you want true Ameraucanas, but some traits you can look for if true Ameraucanas are what you want are:
- The seller will mention specific feather color (lavender Ameraucanas, white Ameraucanas, BBS Ameraucanas, etc)
- Ameraucanas have slate colored legs and pink/white skin
- Ameraucanas have a beard and muffs
- Ameraucanas have a pea comb

If you can’t find any locally then Meyer Hatchery and Cackle have true Ameraucanas (they mention the specific color pattern in each listing too). I recently got some hatching eggs from a place called Gypsy hen who has show quality Ameraucanas and the chicks are gorgeous already! I don’t show chickens I just like having pretty hens lol! If all you want is the blue egg then cream legbars are a nice choice, or of course Easter eggers too. Both are pretty breeds of birds too!

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Definitely not ameraucana, possibly Easter eggers

EE for sure

 

[g12ace]

Sorry about that, and unfortunately we see so much of it here from small breeders and large hatcheries a like. I don't think most folks are malicious, but some certainly are and that seems like the case here.

A started pullet, like you have here (thank goodness they aren't cockerels) are usually pretty desirable on Craigslist and in my area, fetch $20 or so a piece.

For marketing purposes, those look like "golden comets" (the orange ones) and fluffy is right on the OE. Possible legbar and cuckoo Maran influence.

Lastly, finding real ameraucana chicks or chickens is getting to be very, very difficult - and the sellers marker is rife with dishonesty. @CaliforniaMountainChicks has good ameraucana sourcing resources.

If you are just after a nice blue egg, a crested cream legbar is a great bird, and is also "autosexing" so you can tell males from females at hatch. They also have a very cute tuft on their head, like your black pullet there.

I'm so shocked because it's the top rated hatchery in NJ and I haven't seen a single complaint online.

I definitely wanted Ameraucanas specifically because I think they're absolutely adorable with the beards and muffs. She's now telling me all 3 are prairie blue olive eggers and doesn't know how the mistake happened, even though she looked in the box before handing it to me when we went to go pick them up.

Is there any chance these are prairie blue olive eggers? I tried to google this breed online, but couldn't find any that looked like my pullets.

She suggested I sell them too, but it would break my heart if they weren't going to a good home or if they had to be split up because they seem super bonded.

Thank you so much for the suggestions on Ameraucanas. I will definitely try to find them again next spring. I have a human baby on the way, it's now a little too close to my due date to start a new batch of chicks.

Thank you!!!

 

[BastyPutt]

I have a human baby on the way, it's now a little too close to my due date to start a new batch of chicks

Congrats on this, first and foremost

3 are prairie blue olive eggers

I believe it would be prairie bluebell eggers. A blue olive egg would be a trip, and I'd say hold onto them for dear life.

It is a possibility the seller is buying and reselling chicks. Both of these birds, are hatchery type mixes - and is uncommon for small operations to sell sexlinked birds. Sex linking is great, but leaves the breeder with assumably 50% of nearly unsellable cockerels.

With that said, depending on your flock goals, all three of these chickens are going to be excellent layers for you, and it looks like you should expect eggs from them very soon. So that is a positive.

Anyway - good luck on the human baby!