Black Copper Marans and Easter Egger Chicks

gapey

Songster
5 Years
Sep 15, 2014
233
120
111
Monroe, WA
I've read true araucanas are rare and most of those sold as araucanas are actually easter eggers. I brought some new chicks home today and two are supposed to be black copper marans that they say originated from Bev Davis and Wade Jeane lines. The other two are said to be "Americana (Araucana)" they also had easter eggers so I took that to mean the Americana/araucanas they had were not Easter Eggers. It's all confusing to me and I don't know why people can't get them all straight it makes it confusing for everyone. From what I've read I thought there was no such thing as an Americana and that there are Araucanas, Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers and that the first two are more rare. I'm guessing I ended up with Easter Eggers but it may be too early to tell. The two are colored very differently. I guess it doesn't really matter. It's not like I'm going to breed them, I just got them mainly for their colored eggs anyway.

The marans seem to sleep much more than the other two and much quieter and it looks like they're already getting little feathers on their wings?

Here's the family portrait from day 1.



Also have 2 adult buff orpington's and 3 production reds. Am I crazy for getting chicks this time of year?
 
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Hope this helps.
There really are 2 breeds. Araucanas and Ameraucanas developed from the former. They have further been crossed and anything that isn't one of the first 2 are mutts AKA Easter Eggers.

True Araucanas are rumpless and have ear muffs.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Arau/BRKArauTrue.html
http://www.araucana.net/history/

Ameraucanas have tails, tuffs and a beard.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Arau/BRKAmer.html
http://www.ameraucana.org/standard.html

EEs
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Arau/BRKEaster.html
 
"Americana" is a common name for EEs. Yes, it is certainly very confusing! Take a look at the articles ChickenCanoe copied, they are good ones!! :)
Yeah that makes sense though others say there's no such thing as an Americana. Their listing has "Americana (araucana)" and Easter Egger chicks separated by commas as if they were two different breeds. I should have asked them what the difference was between the two just to see what they say. I can see stores getting them confused but people that actually raise the chicks themselves should know the difference and use the correct terms. Maybe I will email him anyway and see if he responds.
 
So I emailed the guy I got the chicks from and he wrote back asking me to call him. So I did and he explained why he listed them that way. He said he uses whatever terminology the breeders use and agrees that they are basically all easter eggers. Since he got two batches of chicks from different breeders, one calls them easter eggers and the other calls them americana (auracana) and so that is why he lists them both. I guess that makes sense. If they were true araucanas they'd be much more expensive than $5. He says he has thought about changing his listings so it just says easter egger but didn't want to offend the breeders.
 

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