Color of eggs of Americaunas??

[bow-chicka-bow-bow]

So, I have 3 Americaunas. At least that is what I asked for and was told they were. I got them when they were 3 or 4 days old from a breeder here. They are now around 24 weeks or so and have just started laying eggs!

However, I didn't know if a true Americauna would lay an egg that was any color besides blue? From my 3 ladies, I have gotten a very light blue, a pale pink to white color and then a dark olive green color. That one was a bit odd looking to me. So, I am wonder if I really have Americaunas or if they are Easter Eggers?

I didn't know if egg color would determine an Americauna from an EE. Either way, it doesn't matter since I love the different colored eggs, but at least would like to make sure I know what I have. Here are a couple pictures of my eggs mixed with some of BSSL eggs so you can see the colors. It makes for a pretty bowl of eggs in my opinion.

Thanks for any input.

 

[AccentOnHakes]

"Americauna" isn't even a breed. It's a fancy-pants name for Easter Eggers.

 

[AZBootsie]

Sounds like they are Easter Eggers. Ameraucanas eggs range from blue to blue/green usually. If you post a pic, lots of Ameraucana experts here can tell you for sure. Either way your eggs basket is beautiful!!!! I have been using the clear plastic eggs cartons and giving my eggs as gifts. They look so pretty people hate to eat them!!

I love the Olive egg. Maybe I will have an olive egger soon, my broody is sitting on some Marans/EE mix eggs now.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I was told you can determine ee vs Ameraucanas by leg color. Yellow or green legs are ee. Also, Ameraucana eggs are supposed to be blue, but some lay blue-green eggs as well.

 

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
Actually you have it backwards, Americauna is just a misspelling of Ameracuana, which is an actual breed. EE isn't a breed at all, only a cross breed chicken that can lay a tinted/colored egg.

 

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
Ameraucanas lay a blue egg, not green. An EE can lay a light green egg, because of the blue egg shell color with a light brown coating giving it a greenish color because it was cross bred with a brown egg layer. And can also be bred to be an "Olive Egger" an lay a darker green egg.

 

[Happy Chooks]

To the OP, you have EE's. True Ameraucana's (notice, no I) you have to get from a breeder and they should only lay blue eggs. There's nothing wrong with EE's, just that a lot of people are confused on the differences between them.

Pretty eggs!

 

[bow-chicka-bow-bow]

Well, their legs are a greyish color, not that I typically look at their legs. In fact, I had to go out to check because I didn't know. They are the same color as my BSSL. I also went back to the website of the breeder I got them from and he lists them as "Standard Ameraucana/Easter Eggers". DUH! So I should have looked closer at the EE part and would have realized that they are EE's. Either way, I still like the different colored eggs and am not hung up on the breed. I'm just wondering how difficult it is to get a true Ameraucana? They seem somewhat rare and that most are actually EE's. How could you be certain if you got an Ameraucana? It is almost ast if they are using both names interchangeably. Maybe they should just stick with one name and not confuse people.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Here's the Ameraucana Breeders page:
http://www.ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html

There are several people here that breed pure Ameraucana's. You can look in the hatching eggs section - they are there pretty often. Or you can contact one of the breeders on the Ameraucana Breeders website.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yeah, there is a lot of confusion on Ameraucanas and EE's. Ameraucanas are a standard breed with very specific characteristics including recognized colors and patterns, leg color, comb shape, body configuration, and many other things. Ideally they should lay blue eggs, not green, brown, or white. Many Ameraucana breeders do breed for the blue eggs as well as all the other traits, but some that are breeding for show and not to the complete breed description don't really worry about egg color. Egg color is not judged. That makes it a little hard to be sure you are getting a pure Ameraucana. Your best bet is to talk with the specific breeder you get them from. They should be glad to answer your questions.

Ameraucanas were developed from EE's. The chickens with the blue egg gene originally came from Chile. Somebody took them and developed specific breeds, Ameraucana and Araucana in the United States, and got them officially recognized. I have yet to see an official Standard of Perfection describing EE's. Until somebody can direct me to one, I'm going to say that is because they have not beed officially recognized as a breed. There is no official leg color, comb type, body size or configuration, color or patterns, anything that makes them an EE other than the blue egg gene. And to confuse that even further, unless the EE is pure for the blue egg gene, their offspring can lay different colored eggs. Many EE's are not pure for the blue egg gene.

I don't know of any hatchery that sells true Ameraucanas. I very strongly doubt any of them do. But many hatcheries sell EE's and call them Ameraucanas, which absolutely adds to the confusion. As you noticed, some breeders do that too. Anybody that thinks all breeders are the same obviously does not understand human nature. But there is no chicken police running around fining or jailing people for calling chickens by the wrong name.