Blue/Green Egg Layer Breeds

[Better Than Rubies]

Hey, guys. I know there are threads on something like this, but I have a question about it.
I know Araucanas, Ameraucanas, and Easter Eggers are all different breeds, but I was wondering, what is an Americana? Is that another spelling for EEs, or is that a misspelling of Ameraucana?
And what birds were Easter Eggers created from?
And do Araucanas lay green or blue eggs, or both? I know EEs lay a variety; what's the EEs normal, though?
And do Ameraucanas only lay eggs in shades of blue?

 

[BYCforlife]

Americana is a misspelled Ameraucana.

That's all I know. ;-)

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Oh, okay; that makes sense. Thanks.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Ameraucana and Araucana are breeds. EEs aren't a breed. Americana is a close enough to fool the naive into thinking they're buying Ameraucana name that hatcheries use. Just a marketing ploy.
You're going to get different opinions about this whole subject. Some are going to say EEs came first and were not bred to any standard then dedicated breeders started with the EEs to create the Ameraucana and Araucana.
As stated EEs aren't a breed so yes the others were created by a landrace that layer blue eggs but imo that race were not and should not be thought of as EEs.
The term Easter eggers came after the APA recognised the other two.
When the blue egg layers ( yes Ameraucana and Araucana should only lay blue eggs) became popular and the demand out paced their availability breeders started crossing them with other breeds to increase blue egg layers and keep up with the demand. In the process they where crossed with brown egg layers and started producing green egg layers as well as white egg layers which produced a greater variety of shades of blue. It was also rumored that pink egg layers were also coming out at the time. It turned into an "Easter egg basket of colored eggs" being available instead of the white or brown eggs that were the norm at the time. Hence how the blue, green, and pink layers became to be called Easter eggers.
Like I said you'll get different opinions but that's just my opinion and experience as someone that raised Araucana then Ameraucana in the last half of the 70s into the early 80s.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Some are going to say EEs came first and were not bred to any standard then dedicated breeders started with the EEs to create the Ameraucana and Araucana.

Whoa; I never heard of that; just that Araucanas and Ameraucanas were bred to get the EE.

And thanks for that information. You sound very knowledgeable.

 

[FowlStuff]

Here are a couple Questions & Answers from my FAQ page that may help also.

Aren't Ameraucana, Araucana and Easter Egg chickens the same?
Ameraucana (often misspelled "Americana") and Araucana chickens are both relatively new breeds and both lay blue eggs. They are different breeds with different characteristics that are defined in the APA and ABA standards. Easter Egg Chickens or Easter Eggers are not a "Standard" breed (they really aren’t even a “breed” of chicken). They are mixed breeds (aka mutts or mongrels) that happen to possess the gene for blue eggs. Just like a mixed breed dog may make a great pet but be disqualified if entered into an AKC sanctioned dog show, mixed breed poultry may be great for the backyard/barnyard but they are not “Standard” bred for exhibition and would be disqualified if entered in an APA sanctioned poultry show. Only standard breeds are meant for exhibition.

§ Wyandotte, Ameraucana, Plymouth Rock, Chantecler, Leghorn & Cornish are just a few examples of (standard) breeds of chickens. There are also some breeds, such as Braggs Mountain Buff, that are not recognized by the APA but because they breed true they are a breed of chicken by definition.

§ Red Star, ISA Brown, Cornish-Rock cross & Golden Comet are a few examples of hybrid or crossbred chickens. They are the result of crossing two breeds to produce offspring that are meant to be either superior layers or meat birds. These are not breeds (as the parent birds were) and they do not breed true. Breeding a hybrid to a hybrid does not produce a hybrid or as an example, a Golden Comet cock bred to a Golden Comet hen will not produce Golden Comet chicks.

§ Easter Eggers & many “Heinz 57” variety barnyard chickens are examples of mixed-breed chickens. These are not breeds since they don’t breed true or meet the standard (APA) requirements and they are not hybrids (crossbred) because they are usually not the product of a cross between two standard breeds.

How do I know I'm really getting Ameraucana chickens?
If they are advertised as Americana, Americauna, or Easter Egg chickens, you can be sure they are NOT really Ameraucanas. If they can't get the name right, they don't know what they have. Also beware of the fine print that says their chickens "are recommended for egg laying color and ability and not for exhibition" or “Our flock is multi-colored with a wide variety of colors and feather patterns” or “** Breeds marked this way are production strains and Should Not be used for 4-H”. Those disclaimers and similar ones mean they are selling mongrel chickens (mixed breeds), not Ameraucanas. Most commercial hatcheries will sell anything that doesn't lay a white or brown egg as an Ameraucana or Araucana when they are really just Easter Eggers which is not a “breed”. Also, when it is time for “chick days” at feed stores you can bet what they sell as Ameraucana and Araucana chicks are really Easter Eggers too, because they come from the big commercial hatcheries.

A chicken is an Ameraucana when it meets the APA Standard breed description AND meets a variety description or breeds true at least 50% of the time, whether the variety is recognized or not. Since the APA only judges on phenotype (what is seen and not genetics), you could say if a bird meets the APA Standard’s Ameraucana description to the extent that it could be exhibited in a sanctioned show and not be disqualified by a competent licensed judge it is an Ameraucana.

Educate yourself about Ameraucanas before you buy. Besides all of their great practical qualities, Ameraucanas, especially bantams, from Fowl Stuff are also great for 4-H, FFA and other youth poultry projects such as showmanship competition.

 

[julietta]

This is how mine lay.

 

[FowlStuff]

These were from my LF blacks. Not all varieties lay eggs as blue as these and of course different stains by different breeders of the same breed and variety can vary. Cackle Hatchery got their start in LF black Ameraucanas from me and were most interested in good blue egg color. They also wanted to use them to improve the egg color of their Easter Egger flock.

 

[Amer]

Sometimes people do misspell Ameraucana on here though. I've seen them say Americana instead. Like when I am talking about mine, they'll say "those are nice Americanas!" Or something.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Those are some pretty eggs!