Araucana, Ameraucana or EE???

[paltinas]

First, let me just say I am a 1st time chicken owner and having a blast.

I have 2 Barred Rocks, 2 White Silkies, 2 Polish Crested......and 2 I am not sure what???

I bought 2 what I was told are Araucana pullets from a local Agway store....But I have just found this message board and read a few posts where it seems as if most of the Araucanas or Ameraucanas are turning out to be EE....What is the difference?

Photos are below....

Thanks!!!
Shannon
New Hampshire

 

[paltinas]

 

[SeaHen]

Yours look just like one I bought out of the "Araucana" bin at Wilco Farm Store. Funny thing was, I bought two other chipmunky chicks from the "Ameraucana" bin next to it the same day. The hatcheries were Dunlap and Privett, but I don't know which hatchery supplied which chicks. I was really confused and asked the clerk about tufting and rumplessness, leg color, etc., and he looked at me like I was loony tunes. In the end, any of these chicks coming from a commercial hatchery are Easter Eggers because they are mutts that carry the colored egg gene but don't fit the breed criteria for Araucana or Ameraucana. Yours are very cute though!

 

[anniem]

Quote:
That's where we got ours from! I think both those are from Privett. I did kinda chuckle that they had the 2 different bins, I wonder what someone would say that is (or thinks they are) knowledgeable about it? I had a very young girl swear that wing sexing was totally reliable--I should have asked her if she'd take "George" my sexed EE pullet?

Or my SS that went roo--privett has gone 2 out of 6 wrong, hopefully next year is better!

Anyway, I 2nd what you already found and what seahen said. They probably have some Ameracauna background, but they are mutts.

 

[MikasGirl]

Hi!!

You have Easter eggers, and they will most likely lay blue/green eggs for you. Araucanas are quite rare, they are rumpless and have long tufts. However, they are known to carry a lethal gene...so... Ameracaunas were bred to lay those gorgeous colored eggs and not carry that other gene. Ameraucanas are pure bred and have big fluffy muffs (cheek feathers) and beards. Most EEs also have muffs/beards. While Ameraucanas come in certain breed standard colors, EEs can be any color in the rainbow. In my opinion, EEs are the most stunning, cute chicken ever, there are so many beautiful color patterns. Oh, EEs also have green legs, while Ameracaunas have blue legs. Have you checked out the breed index off the main page of BYC? There are pics and info on most breeds. Your chicks are so cute! Have fun with your babies

 

[MikasGirl]

Yikes! SeaHen and AnnieM....haha, I just noticed we got our chicks from that Wilco also, haha! Luckily this time around, we knew they were mislabeled as Ameracaunas, but we wanted EEs. When I told the clerk I wanted Easter Eggers, she was like what's that?? Then I tried to explain tufts, genes, muffs, etc. and she too looked at me like I was some kind of a chicken freak. Oh yeah, she also sold us a Silver Laced Wyandotte roo (she said she knew for sure, and we believed her since it was our first time with chickens years ago). Guess what, we ended up with a Barred Rock pullet. Every spring we look and she is the one that is always with the chicks

I think she needs tot ransfer depts, but anyway, just wanted to say hi...sorry OP for being a thread hijacker~ Kim

 

[claychickens]

Just for fun. I had a couple of my Barred Rock Batams go broody on me so just for fun I got 4 fertile eggs from a local Ameraucana Breeder. I have no Roosters nor do I want any. I live in a nieghborhood where Roosters would not be welcomed. They hatched 6/09/10. 2 are bright eyed and full of life. 1 did not hatch and 1 looked very bad. Found it on its back gasping for air yesterday morning. Picked it up gave it some sugar water with a suringe, again at luch and when I got home. This morning it seemed to be doing well. Pecking at the food and so forth. It still looks a little puiney.