Can you I.D. my mystery chick?!

[gcbsmommy]

Hi all!

I ordered some chicks from Murray McMurray - we have 16 buff orpingtons, 10 americanas, and this mystery guy! Much lighter yellow feathers and gray legs. ID thoughts? A wheaten americana? ?? They gray legs are stumping me. Thanks for any help you can provide this fledgling chicken enthusiast!

 

[ramirezframing]

cant see your picture

 

[gcbsmommy]

Rats! I can see it but let me try to load it another way............... Any better?

 

[my sunwolf]

Rats! I can see it but let me try to load it another way............... Any better?

Looks like an Easter Egger that's just very light in coloring (they are called Ameraucanas on the hatchery pages but from McMurray they are always Easter Eggers, a mixed bird).

 

[gcbsmommy]

Thanks so much! Can you explain what the difference between Americans (as spelled on the Murray McMurray site), Americaunas, and Easter Eggers is?

If Cap Garland is an Easter Egger, what do you think might be the cross of breeds that produced him or is he just a variation within a particular breed?

Sorry if this is a naive question - I know I have a lot to learn.

 

[my sunwolf]

Thanks so much! Can you explain what the difference between Americans (as spelled on the Murray McMurray site), Americaunas, and Easter Eggers is?

If Cap Garland is an Easter Egger, what do you think might be the cross of breeds that produced him or is he just a variation within a particular breed?

Sorry if this is a naive question - I know I have a lot to learn.

Ah, it's a complicated question that doesn't have a real solid answer, there are major debates about it here on BYC. This is a good article on it.

These are my definitions...

Araucana: rumpless, tufted, pea comb, lays blue eggs, only comes in specific colors (as recognize by the APA)
Ameraucana: beard, muffs, pea comb, lays blue eggs, only comes in specific colors (as recognize by the APA)
Americana: misspelling of Ameraucana
Easter Egger: some sort of Ameraucana cross, or an Ameraucana that does not meet APA standards, as bred by individuals or hatcheries; can have almost any attributes and can lay almost any color egg

 

[gcbsmommy]

That is very helpful - thanks! I even misspelled the misspelled Americana (Americans?!?) and you still tracked with me - so thank you so much for that and for the info. I can't wait to see how Cap Garland turns out. Already thinking about what I might order next time around, too!

 

[tdgill]

you might not need to "order" next time...lol

You might very well have a rooster there and a broody mama that hatches your own chicks!

 

[hdowden]

easter egger

What are the major differences between Ameraucana and Araucana chickens?
Both breeds lay eggs with shells colored various shades of blue, have pea combs, and should have red earlobes. Beyond that few similarities exist in specimens meeting the requirements of recognized poultry standards. Perhaps 99 percent of chickens sold as Araucanas (or Ameraucanas) by commercial hatcheries are actually mongrels (aka Easter Egg chickens), meeting the requirements of neither breed.
According to the American Poultry Association (APA), the Araucana breed must be rumpless (no tail) and have ear tufts. Ear tufts are clumps of feathers growing from small tabs of skin usually found at or near the region of the ear openings. This feature is unique in the U.S. to the Araucana breed. This trait is nearly always lethal to unhatched chicks when inherited from both parents. Tufted Araucanas, therefore, are always genetically impure, i.e., they don't breed true and will always produce a percentage of "clean-faced" offspring.
The Ameraucana breed, on the other hand, has a tail and sports muffs and beard in the facial area. These characteristics are true-breeding. Other requirements of both breeds may be found in the APA's Standard of Perfection and in the American Bantam Association's (ABA) Bantam Standard.

What are Easter Egg chickens?
The Ameraucana Breeders Club defines an Easter Egg chicken or Easter Egger as any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene, but doesn’t fully meet any breed descriptions as defined in the APA and/or ABA standards. Further, even if a bird meets an Ameraucana standard breed description, but doesn’t meet a variety description or breed true at least 50% of the time it is considered an Easter Egg chicken.

 

[gcbsmommy]

you might not need to "order" next time...lol

You might very well have a rooster there and a broody mama that hatches your own chicks!

That would be great!