Bottom line to all pureists. When you take a bird to a show and it looks like a purebred Ameraucana it will be judged as one. Even if she lays a white egg.
If you received a nasty or snobbish response to your EEers, well, what a shame and how dare they.. MOST Ameraucana breeders have a bunch of EErs as well and adore them just the same, but know the hours and money that they have invested in their Ameraucanas and consider it a courtesy to correct a misconception. I know one of the reasons people jump to correct is so that an uninformed EEer owner does not get his/her hopes up and begin dreaming about showing. Many, many, many EEers are brought to shows and the owners learn only after much preparation and some money invested, that they do not in fact have a bird to enter into the show. It's best to know right off the what you've got.
By the way, anyone want to start placing bets on how long before this thread is shut down?
Year of the Rooster
since all the hatcheries are selling something fake and taking the profit away from those who have the true Ameraucanas and Araucanas.
I myself do not think hatcheries are selling fake ones. They are for the most part (maybe not all hatcheries) have real ameraucanas but they do not seperate them into individual pens to breed true colors they are breeding for a variety of colors. That to me is the fun part of the Easter Egger chickens is the suprise of the different colors that arrive.
I myself prefer the muffed (bearded) one with the pea combs. They are the one that I myself will be breeding on though I will call them Easter Eggers to keep the Ameraucana and Aracauna people off my back.
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I myself do not think hatcheries are selling fake ones. They are for the most part (maybe not all hatcheries) have real ameraucanas but they do not seperate them into individual pens to breed true colors they are breeding for a variety of colors. That to me is the fun part of the Easter Egger chickens is the suprise of the different colors that arrive.
I myself prefer the muffed (bearded) one with the pea combs. They are the one that I myself will be breeding on though I will call them Easter Eggers to keep the Ameraucana and Aracauna people off my back.
Very true. I shouldn't have said 'fake' that was too blunt. By fake I meant to say... not the real deal, I guess. I do agree with you though that the colors are the fun thing about them.
Ameraucanas- a pure breed bred to a standard. EE non standard as to color or type or egg color. Just a matter of education. Are EE neat? Absolutely! The wide range of colors is very attractive, but they are not Ameraucanas. Nothing wrong with correcting the misinformation fostered by some hatcheries and some individuals. Inadvertant or on purpose. That's all it is.
Wow! You guys have done great on this post! I trully have a better understanding of why this is such a touchy subject with some folks... I do love my BYC family!! Oh by the way... for those of you who may have the following breeds, try this... Cross your Light Brahma Girls with your Ameraucauna Roo (this was my most popular chick this past season) you will get one of the prettiest. and calm (not to mention feather-footed) Easter Eggers that I have ever seen! Here's a pic of one hatched 7-29-2010...
I just wish hatcheries would stop calling their EEs, Araucana. EEs and Ameraucana have muffs/beard. Araucana have tufts. It's not even the same gene and does not look the same either. I think it just becomes very confusing for all involved when they are not labeling correctly.
I have raised and worked with all 3 and enjoyed each of them for what they were. All are beautiful, but are definitely not the same.
One thing I learned with my Black Jersey Giants from Meyer Hatchery. They were'nt Giants, they looked like Black Australorps and they threw an Ameraucana about every 10th chick. That is what I think of hatcheries. lolol
Think of it like this: Someone sold you a dog, You paid good money for it. It was advertised as a Lab... When it grew up you find it is black like a lab, it has droppy ears, but that cute little nose never grew-- It looks sorta like a black bulldog.. BUT you thought you were getting a Lab! You had done lots of research on many sites that sold Labs (think Hatchiers), you trusted the breeder to sell you what was advertised.. SAME w/ Ameraucana... Then you take your Lab to a dog show..... Do you get the message..now??