Ameraucauna Vrs Easter Egger! Such a "Raw Nerve" with some folks!

[dldolan]

Thanks for taking a stab at her color--I have been looking through photos to try and see if I could find another hen with similar color to her but no such luck. She positively glows gold in the sunlight! I got her from a young couple local to me who is raising Cochins, Brahmas, Welsummers, RIRs, and "Ameraucanas". Funny, they said they only had purebred Ameraucauna fertilized eggs to sell (I'd asked about getting some when & if any of my hens go broody) as those were the only roosters they kept. Not worried--gorgeous mint green eggs keep coming, and she's getting friendlier by the day! (I've only had my hens five days!) They all got to go out in the garden for the first time tonight for an hour and came in easily (she was first!) when I shook the rainstick and called "treats"! (My chicken version of Pavlovian training!)
Cheers!

 

[jeb251]

wow she is a beautie, look like a project waiting to happen

 

[TurtleFeathers]

Ok, what I've never understood is this:

A silkie is a silkie is a silkie (or insert breed of your choice, but I'll just use silkies as an example). Regardless of whether its from show quality/bred to standard parents from a breeder, a multi colored bird from a mixed-color backyard silkie flock, or a hatchery bird - its STILL a silkie chicken.

But Ameraucanas are different. Regardless of whether the bird is from a breeder whose flock is show quality/bred to standard/penned by color, from a mixed-color backyard flock, or a hatchery stock, if its anything other than black, blue, white, wheaten, blue wheaten, brown red, buff or siliver (accepted Ameraucana varieties), its no longer an Ameraucana, but becomes an Easter Egger.

Why is that?

(For what its worth, I have Ameraucanas from pure breeder/show stock, and I have hatchery "Ameraucanas", but I call them ALL Easter Eggers.)

 

[Hennypen]

For full blooded Ameraucanas that are not to "standard" colors, I'd prefer they be called something like "Non-standard Ameraucana" vs Easter egger. They're still Ameraucanas just not "to spec".

I do understand the negative attitude toward birds being called Ameraucanas who clearly lay olive colored eggs though.

 

[blefky]

Quote:
I second that. We all need to learn, but gently sure feels better.

 

[megcpat]

Part of the requirement for Ameraucana varieties is that they breed true a percentage of the time. This is key. The Ameraucanas and the Easter Eggers meet a different need in the poultry world in this respect. If you like white birds who lay a blue egg and want a yard full of these birds that you like, well, buying white Ameraucana stock is your ticket. They are a known (as much as any creatures can be - sports happen, ets) genetic possibility. You're going to be pretty upset if you buy a white Am rooster and a white am hen and start hatching out black babies - an absolute possibility with Easter Eggers.
If you love surprise in life (!!!!!!!!!!!) easter eggsers are pure joy! Pretty birds who lay pretty eggs and the offspring just keeps you guessing, or really challenge and expand your understanding of poultry genetics!! I love the blue Ameraucanas, love love love love love those blue feathers. I want better detail in my feathers. If I keep buying blue ester eggers, I will have no chance of ever hatching out that lacy blue wonder that I dream of, but if I start with established stock and continue on from there, then I have a marvelously fun project on my hands and hope of making headway at some point.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

dldolan- I have an EE that looks a lot like your girl and I love, love, LOVE that coloring. Your girl is GORGEOUS!!

The joy of EEs is that you just never know what you'll get when they hatch out. For those of us that loved Christmas morning as a child, EEs are the gift that keeps on giving. All of mine have had great personalities and fun shades of green eggs. It makes for a lovely egg basket.
I love EES!

Now, I also have a BBS ameraucana line that I am systematically working on to make better. It takes time and energy and money to improve this line. It also takes lots and lots of breeding and culling. It is work and effort to improve. I want to one day have the reputation of having quality BBS ameraucanas. I have gorgeous birds with gorgeous blue eggs. I am working towards even more gorgeous birds with even bluer eggs. There are ameraucana breeders across the country doing the same thing in an effort to make this breed the best it can be. It is really, really frustrating when this effort is negated by uneducated or irresponsible breeders that call whatever they hatch an ameraucana. It is cheating to use the ameraucana title for something that isn't even remotely an ameraucana. It would be like me trying to pass off a Kia as a Porsche. Both are cars, but their is a big difference in quality.

That being said, there is no excuse for rudeness. This site is here to be helpful and educational. Since there is such confusion, it is places like this that will help teach the difference between the types. To quote my dad, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Tone of voice is really hard to convey online and you have to be extra careful. Smilies help, but it is still tricky. I'm sorry you were yelled at and that you had a bad experience. Most of us are really nice.

 

[pokeytolman]

Quote:
Our hen is a little darker but has some of the same coloring . We bought her from a local little hatchery in Oregon City. As AM but we new There was a good chance she was EE.

On topic I can see the annoyance factor in this from the purist point of view, but think Cloverleaf has the right of it there have been posts that seem to have been made on the last nerve.
Suggesting to someone that there hen may be an EE would may be be better than telling them . This way you put the Idea in there head and let them discover it themselves.

 

[TK Poultry]

It doesnt make me mad that I have to explain the difference more than once. What irritates me is that some show their EE's in open shows agains pure ameraucanas and what makes me even more bad is that they enter them as AOV and then they can win something. What bothers me is some judges don't know the difference, or maybe they don't know if that is a new color or what not. I have both Ameraucanas and an EE. I love them both but my EE has a modified floppy pea comb and wattles. she is amazing knows her name and lays a salmon-y pinkish egg for me. My ameraucanas they have true pea combs no visable wattes, beards and muffs and lay nice blue eggs!

here is one of my Bantam Ameraucana pullets. She lays a nice blue egg, and just came off a huge win of Reserve Grand Champion Bantam!

here is my EE Mongoose. This is an old picture from a year ago. I have some other pics of here but I cant find them

 

[dldolan]

Thanks for the kind words on my hen. I am fascinated by the posts on this thread! I am learning so much. And to think i picked "Dulcinea*" just because I wanted some feather & eggg color variety in my flock of five! She is fast becoming my favorite as she is super social with me and so expressive! And a treat girl! Figs, melon seeds and scratch. I think she will do tricks for these items!!
Why didn't anyone every tell me chickens were this much fun???

When she eventually goes broody can I buy a few fertilized pink layer's eggs for her to set???!!! What a blast! How do you figure the color crosses? I read above you could cross a white hen with a white rooster and get black babies~! (But blue eggs?) Or, what if I wanted to continue to try and get this gorgeous golden color with black accents, how does one do that? (photos in my two previous posts)

Grazie, thanks, danke, merci!


*In Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote, the ideal beauty is Dulcinea whose "hairs are gold". My kids love the musical "Man of la Mancha"!