Americana is a bigger?

[chickiepie]

I just got chicks yesterday (first time). Good news is, they are still alive! Woo!

My question is, the Americana is bigger than the others and has already a decent amount of little feathers on her wings. Is that breed bigger, or did I get a chick that's already a little bit older? I guess it doesn't really matter. I am just thinking that one is going to try to escape the brooder soon.

 

[FMAFarms]

Ameraucanas mature faster than most other chicks. You'll see their little wing feathers peeking out by their third day, and they'll probably be the ones zipping around the brooder as though they're doing a 100-yard dash. And they'll be the first to be testing their jumping abilities, too. Yesterday I found one of our new Ameraucana chicks, Keynoter, happily perched on top of the Sweeter Heater. Silly things.

 

[chickiepie]

Thanks! I had to go to the farm store again today and asked them. She said they were a week older. Do you know if they lay earlier than average too?

 

[PioneerPrincess]

Our three-week old EE chicks are bigger and heavier than our other chicks, which are the same age as them.

 

[pips&peeps]

chickiepie, your birdie is an easter egger and should lay around 20-22 weeks. True ameraucanas mature slowly and usually don't lay until around 26-28 weeks.

Have fun with your chicks!

 

[chickiepie]

pips&peeps, thanks! I figured it was after reading many threads here. I look forward to getting eggs in the fall!!

 

[FMAFarms]

According to the Ameraucana Breeders Club, if the hen lays a blue-green egg and has typical Ameraucana coloration (a wide variety of colors, shading from pale wheat to brown-black) recognized by the APA, then it's an Ameraucana. Easter Eggers lay blue, green, and even pink eggs and don't quite meet the APA standards of description for Ameraucanas. Araucanas are the much more difficult to find chicken breed of Chilean origin, with pronounced cheek tufts and no tail feathers due to the lack of a final vertebra. These mature much more slowly that Ameraucanas and are usually only available from specialized breeders, as true Araucanas have a lethal gene allele that makes viable hatchings tricky. Even "rare chicks specialists" like McMurray Hatchery sells Ameraucanas, not Araucanas, even though they're listed as "Ameraucanas/Araucanas." And some hatcheries just lump everything together as "Easter Eggers."

But as noted before, yes, Ameraucanas mature rapidly than most standard breeds, although their point-of-lay is an average of 22 - 24 weeks from our experience with our Ameraucanas (which they were purchased as "Araucanas" from McMurray and most definitely are not; we have not used McMurray again). Hope that helps!

 

[dutchhollow]

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
This is not true, there are only eight accepted colors of ameraucana. There are a couple new varieties in wide circulation right now, but pale to brown black is not an accepted color. Ameraucanas do not mature that fast, easter eggers on the other hand do. The are bred by hatcheries for production. Which generally means they are crossed with production type birds.

 

[chickiepie]

Thanks for the info! Very confusing, this American/Ameraucana/Easter Egger business!! The feed store advertised this one laying blue eggs, but it sounds like its a wait and see. Our chick seems to be double in size everyday and today I caught her trying to fly around in the brooder.