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

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

I don't want anyone to take me wrong on my previous post. I too like the real deal Ameraucanas and Araucanas. I just don't like people ditcing my EE's.

 

[slackwater]

Rebel Roo - I agree. I think most of the people who have been here for more than a week have seen at least one thread where a newbie incorrectly called their EE an Am. And, unfortunately, some people are NOT very nice about it. If I see those threads, I usually try to chime in quickly with a gentle correction, before someone takes a more irritated approach. There are few other things here on BYC that seem to elicit such a strong response so quickly! And, to me, it doesn't matter the reason - I wish people would knock it off. Whether you are annoyed that hatcheries call EEs Ams and "dilute" the value of your real Ams, or whatever - NO ONE benefits from being jumped all over when they are innocently wrong.

Chickanmanfromarkansas - I disagree. Hatchery "Ams" are not mixed-color pens of pure Ams - they are EEs. Body color aside, Ams have a standard for leg color, eye color, muffs & beard, pea combs. They also have a standard egg color (though you obviously can't judge this at a show). Mixing a wheaten Am with a different color Am will not change the rest of these characteristics. On the other hand, EEs typically have green legs, various eye colors, may have pea combs, etc. That means that another breed was introduced - either very recently, or not carefully bred back out over time. That makes them EEs. Hatchery Ams may have been Ams at some point - but they aren't any more. They are NO WHERE NEAR breed standard - whether you consider the color or not.

Plus, I don't know any Am colors that look like chipmunks as chicks (though I have not seen all as chicks).

Anyway, back to the original point - I can understand why breeders get so touchy. But it doesn't help the newbie to be ridiculed. Let's all be nice!

 

[slackwater]

Quote:
THIS I completely agree with! For most, I think a simple, GENTLE, correction would be fine (when it comes to - what color should I show this Am (EE) under? - type questions) And I LOVE EEs for their variety (and egg color, though mine aren't laying). For most people, they are a much more cost effective way to add color to their egg collection!

 

[lildinkem]

There is so much mixed into the ORIGINAL AMERAUCANAS anyway, they were never real purebred bird.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

Quote:
Oh... I understand educating... it's the implied"attitude" from the teachers that was getting to me... and a lot of that attitude was comin out on the newbees that join this forum...
I really was beginning to wonder if anyone had "true" Ameraucaunas... There are many folks that take the advice that they receive here on BYC as Gospel... Do "all" of the educators here on BYC know what they are talking about?? I'll bet that most folks take the advice that they get here on 100% blind faith... Think about it... that's the kind of rep that BYC has... Folks truly believe that everybody here is a panel of experts... that's the vibe that I catch when reading a lot of posts. I've worked as a proffesional instructor and spent lots of time in a classroom... there's one thing that I have learned over the years, Some folks just don't make good teachers... I needed to be educated on this subject because our farm sells these birds... I don't want to sell a bird to one of my customers telling them that they have an Ameraucauna... when it might not be so! Like I said... You Guys are the best!

Wade

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Not to defend anyone ever being snide or nasty, especially when it comes to educating someone that doesn't know...but I think that some of the snippy comments come from this being SUCH a done over and over subject that it gets a little old (especially when there's a sticky on the subject, not to mention NUMEROUS threads that could be re-read). BUT, if someone is feeling irritated by answering the same question AGAIN, I think they need to skip it and move one, someone else will answer. Sometimes I answer the EE vs Ameraucana question, sometimes I don't, depends on my mood...

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

slackwater: Friendly disagreement. Back in the days before Araucanas were standarized all the hatcheries called their stock Aracauna's. Breeders were breeding two different types of Araucanas, the Tailess tufted kind and the muffed tailed kind. When they were approved for standardization (Araucana) the breeders of the muffed with tails had to come up with a different name for theirs so they called them Ameraucanas. That left the hatcheries with stock of the muffed tailed kind that they just started letting them breed any color to any color. However there are those hatcheries that do mix them with American breeds of chickens that I would say is not
are not any longer pure Ameraucana. You can read about this on the Ameraucana breeders web, under the history of the breed.


Edited for spelling.

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
I agree Cloverleaf. I am new to having chickens and have only recently discovered the difference between the two. I have to agree that I have noticed the snippy replies particularly on Ameraucana breed. The people who have been raising them have to remember that there are a lot of us newbies out there who can't tell the difference between a bantam and a standard when we start let alone the difference between an EE and an Ameraucana. If the few people who answer "snippy" would just remember that us newbies don't know about stickies and numerous threads until we have been "lurking" LOL around the site for a while, it would make some things easier. I like your approach Cloverleaf, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. And that's all I have to say about that!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
I agree Cloverleaf. I am new to having chickens and have only recently discovered the difference between the two. I have to agree that I have noticed the snippy replies particularly on Ameraucana breed. The people who have been raising them have to remember that there are a lot of us newbies out there who can't tell the difference between a bantam and a standard when we start let alone the difference between an EE and an Ameraucana. If the few people who answer "snippy" would just remember that us newbies don't know about stickies and numerous threads until we have been "lurking" LOL around the site for a while, it would make some things easier. I like your approach Cloverleaf, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. And that's all I have to say about that!

In that case, allow me to point out that my avatar is a bantam Ameraucana! LOL

 

[dsqard]

In that case, allow me to point out that my avatar is a [b :

bantam Ameraucana[/b]! LOL

Honestly didn't know the difference. Thought bantam was a breed not a size!

back at you!