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

[Rebel Rooster]

OK... I usually don't post topics... but I read a lot of them and I try to help folks if I possibly can. That's how I was raised... Now to "MY" topic,,, What the heck is it between these two breeds (Ameraucauna/EE) that seems to raise the dander on some folks!? Geeze! I can't tell you how many times that I've been reading a post (usually by a newbee) asking about their "Ameraucauna" chick and wondering about the egg color or what the birds will look like, accompanied by a fuzzy pic (that I can barely make out to be a chick) and the first response is going to be a "stern" correction to the "poster" that "they do (NOT) have an Ameraucauna! I Quote... "What U have is an EASTER EGGER! NOT AN AMERAUCAUNA! THEY "WILL" LAY A BLUE OR GREEN EGG BUT THEY ARE A MUTT!" Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah! I would be wondering, what the toot did I do to tick these folks off??? Well shave my leggs and call me slick! Dang!!! Talk about gettin bit! And all "I" could see in the pic was a blurred blob... how the heck do u know what it is??? I've been corrected more than once on BYC concering this subject... What is it? Are there only 4 or 5 people in the country that have "Real Ameraucaunas"?? I bought "Ameraucauna" hatching eggs from a certified breeder in Indiana... heck, the beautiful blue eggs arrived with a certificate of authenticity that I could have "cared less" about... Well........ You better dang well be ready to show it if you claim to have "Ameraucaunas" Buddy!! Maybe some of those "How dare U claim to have Ameraucaunas" people can help me out here...
Old "Rebel Roo" really wants to know!

 

[Braclin]

It happened to me.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

Sooo touchy about this subject aren't they...

 

[Braclin]

Sure are!! Was just discussing that with someone lastnight. Put a picture of a pair I bought on the Ameraucana thread and was basically attacked over it. I didn't know the difference and havent been back on thread. How are people to learn if they are talked too like idiots.

 

[gryeyes]

Hey, I got it 'splained to me too. Above all else, I just want healthy chickens and I think it's nifty some lay blue or green eggs. But, as time has passed, I've decided I'm lucky I have EEs - so much easier to get THAT spelled correctly every time, so nobody ELSE jumps all over my post about it.

 

[key west chick]

I have all 3. Ameraucanas, Araucanas, and EE's. I love them all. The true people invest a lot of time and money into breeding a "pure" breed. Its frustrating to them to have a so called "mutt" breed being advertised and sold as the "pure" breed they are trying so hard at improving. Plus it makes it worse that most hatcheries sell these "mutts" to feed stores and other people that aren't familiar with the different breeds. Most people that breed these breeds really dont mind explaining the difference to people. Its just when people have bought them from a hatchery that sold them as Ameraucanas or Araucanas, and they argue with the true breeders that they have true birds, well, thats when things get heated.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

I think the main problem is that many people don't know the difference and since the breed (or breeds if we're including Araucana in this too) is so hard to develop, people may be picky since all the hatcheries are selling something fake and taking the profit away from those who have the true Ameraucanas and Araucanas. Many times people that order from a hatchery think what they order is what they get. Technically they do get what they order but they just don't take in the quality of the birds. Does that make sense?

IMO, i think calling them a "mutt" is a little harsh. I usually prefer Hatchery Ameraucana/Araucana, but in a way I guess they can be mutts. You could cross a true Ameraucana with another breed of the same color and get a bird that still looks very similar to an Ameraucana.

 

[Morgan7782]

I have seen the mutt comment posted as well, but I love mutt dogs, so it doesn't bother me. I have an Easter Egger that was sold to me as an Ameraucana, and I know some chicken folk who introduce their EE's as Ameraucana. I've come to expect it, how could we not? I love my Easter Egger girl and wouldn't trade her for any purebred show quality chicken any day.

 

[HBuehler]

It's not a raw nerve...it's if your not corrected at some point you will continue to call them by what they are not.This doesn't help anyone.The poor person that bought their Ameraucana and then the first egg is brown..how depressing is that? And how about paying more money thinking you have a real true Ameraucana and finding out it's not...yes,you should have done your homework but still the seller should know what they really have not what they think they have.Educating people to the differences between them will hopefully reduce those problems..will not remove them until hatcheries take responsibility and change the naming of theirs.
I feel bad for the new chicken owner that bought their EE as an Ameraucana so once again it's about education...There is nothing wrong with EE's many of us Ameraucana owners/breeders have both but we call them correctly.We spend countless hours and money improving our Ameraucana flock always trying to get the best we can get but our EE flock is my fun flock that we enjoy just as much..I can sell the chicks cheaper and buyers are just as happy since they will get colored eggs from my flock-not all EE's lay colored eggs but I'm honest with them and they know these are not the Ameraucana's that meet breed standard.If they want those I take them to my Ameraucana pens.
And yes,we have Ameraucana's so yes BUDDY I will put my chickens where the writing is

I can tell you without looking your stripey brown blurry picture of a chick is an EE no doubt no if and no way around it...sorry! How can I tell? I know the accepted colors and requirements for the breed as well as rest of us(hopefully)that breed them.Are they rare? Yes,they are rare when you remove all the EE's from the equation.
So if old rebel roo want's to know the difference between the 2 do your research start here....www.ameraucana.org everyone that is thinking about buying them for the first time should really check out the website and learn for themselves the breed standards so they know when they start out.
In the mean time we will continue to educate those that need to be told the TRUTH

 

[cafarmgirl]

I don't think there's anything wrong with being corrected about something, it's how you go about it. I learned pretty quickly on BYC that my hatchery Ameraucana was really an EE. I was fine with that. The problem is when people jump you about it and get all obnoxious about it. I too have seen quite a few threads like that. I was very appreciative of the friendly person who took the time to spell it out to me instead of just making snide comments. Fortunately I think there's still more friendly, helpful folk on this forum then not.