Ameruacana hen or rooster?!? 8 weeks old

[Michael OShay]

Thanks ;(
Thankfully grandma lives somewhere they allow roosters so we will still get to see he grow.

I need to read up on the ameruacana verses easter egger... From what I understand it's a mixed breed. The farm store definitely labelled them ameruacana a but they also labelled them pullets so oh well...

Easter Eggers are hybrids bred by crossing blue egg layers with brown egg layers to produce offspring that lay eggs in colors other than just blue (olive, green, beige, and sometimes even a pale pink). Hatcheries (and by extension the feed stores which buy from them) frequently and incorrectly market their Easter Eggers are Ameraucanas (often misspelled as Americana or Americauna) or Araucanas. The only hatchery that actually sells true Ameraucanas is Meyer Hatchery (MyPetChicken gets its birds from Meyer) which breeds Blue Ameraucanas, and Meyer charges 5 times as much for their Ameraucanas than they do for their EEs. There is a good article at http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html explaining the difference between Ameraucanas, Araucanas, and Easter Eggers.

 

[Hapee Chicks]

How much do Ameraucanas weigh compared to R.I.I.s

 

[Michael OShay]

How much do Ameraucanas weigh compared to R.I.I.s

Ameraucanas tend to run a little lighter (1 to 1 1/2 lbs. less) than RIRs.

 

[drumstick diva]

definitely cockerel sorry

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

How much do Ameraucanas weigh compared to R.I.I.s

According tom one of my books, Ameraucana hens should weigh a pound less than a Rhode Island Red hen. The roosters should weigh two pounds less. Of course, it depends on individual lines and if the RIRs are from a breeder or a hatchery.

 

[junebuggena]

My Easter Egger cockerel is pretty big, about 8 pounds at 7 months old.

 

[Michael OShay]

Ameraucanas tend to run a little lighter (1 to 1 1/2 lbs. less) than RIRs.

My Easter Egger cockerel is pretty big, about 8 pounds at 7 months old.

My answer to the question was based on the average weight of true Ameraucanas rather than EEs. Because EEs are hybrids, their weights can vary quite a bit, depending on which breeds were used in the crosses.