Don't worry, we all learn at one time or another. I just updated this from something else I learned just a day or so ago.
Ameraucana
Americana, Amaroucana, Emerikana... no, it's Ameraucana. The standard blue-green egg layer, the breed that's rocking the backyard flocks everywhere with it's lovely disposition and beautiful eggs.
The breed originated in the USA in the 1970's when project breeders wanted a standard sized breed that layed blue-green eggs. They used Araucana and standard breeds to create the Ameraucana, that would productively produce and lay large sized eggs. They come in Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten, and White, and always carry the "chipmunk" cheeks and muffs, and have blue-grey skin. They have no comb, which makes them great for cold weather. This is a pure-breed, not a mix.
For more on Ameraucana, check out
www.ameraucana.org.
Araucana
People always think that the Ameraucana and Araucana are the same breed. They simply are not. The Araucana originated hundreds of years ago in Chile, and where slowly introduced to other Spanish colonies and cross-bred to eventually create the Ameraucana. The Araucana are rumpless and have feathers that stick off the cheeks like protruding ears. They are smaller in size, and lay blue-tinted eggs.
Easter-Eggers
Easter-Eggers are mixed breeds, a combination of an Ameraucana and any other breed. They often carry the characteristics of Ameraucana with the puffy cheeks and occasionally sporting muffs. The typically lay more green or tinted eggs in a variety of colours, hence "Easter-Egger". F2 birds almost always lay green eggs, where as the first cross generation lay anything from pink to green-blue eggs. The colors depend on the breeding combination, and many many crosses can be found. Like any hybrid, this breed is less prone to decease and genetic problems.
