Crow at 10 weeks?? Thought I had a hen LOL

[Friskybinx]

Happy Thursday! I have 4 birds still in question. My Splash Ameracauna and Olive Egger because their feathers are just confusing the heck out of me. I thought my SA was a hen, but this morning I was blessed with hearing 2 very pathetic crows from it. At 10 weeks?? Isn't that too early?? LOL

My Lavender Orpington is just like a giant fluffy down pillow, so I have no idea what I'm looking at here.

And my Pinta Pinta is still just a sweet shy little chicken. I look at their feathers every day to see if I can tell anything. How are you guys leaning now??

LO:


Pita Pinta:


Splash Ameracauna:


Olive Egger:

 

[nuthatched]

Your pita pinta is your cockerel by the very pronounced and red comb and waddles. Cockerels can crow as young as 3 weeks.

 

[Friskybinx]

What hatchery?

A local hatchery in North Carolina that breeds. I got all 4 of the birds listed here from her and she's great.

This brought up really great conversation though about the breed/colors! I appreciate everyone's input here. I love the chicken regardless and don't plan to show. When I purchased, it was Ameracauna and not Americana

 

[NatJ]

Also, "splash" isn't a recognized plumage variety for the ameraucana breed standard. He would be called an Americana (deceiving hatchery trick name) or a Easter egger not that it matters, but some folks may want to know if breeding

No, splash does not mean a chicken is an Easter Egger instead of an Ameraucana.

The Ameraucana breed comes in Blue.
Breed two blues together, and you get some black, some blue, and some splash.
Breed the black and splash together, and you get a bunch of blues again.
Or breed blue and splash together, and you get blues and splashes.

All of the blue chicken breeds work this way. The splashes are not a recognized color, but they are just as purebred as their parents, siblings, and offspring that are recognized colors.

So there is no reason for a breeder to avoid Splash. Just don't enter them in a show.


(I do not know whether this specific chick is an Easter Egger or an actual Ameraucana. But the feather color alone is not enough to settle the matter.)

 

[BastyPutt]

Well it starts an interesting conversation.

If it doesn't meet breed standards, is it then what it says it is? If so, why isn't it recognized?

The splash bantam variety is.

Found it. I am wrong! But it appears to be a contested topic.

http://ameraucana.org/Ameraucanca FAQ

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. By definition an Easter Egger is not a breed of chicken.
(Some have claimed that any variety that isn't recognized, by the APA/ABA, is an Easter Egger, but that is not true according to the definition above. For example, Splash and Splash Wheaten Ameraucanas breed true and are not Easter Eggers.)

 

[BastyPutt]

No, splash does not mean a chicken is an Easter Egger instead of an Ameraucana.

The Ameraucana breed comes in Blue.
Breed two blues together, and you get some black, some blue, and some splash.
Breed the black and splash together, and you get a bunch of blues again.
Or breed blue and splash together, and you get blues and splashes.

All of the blue chicken breeds work this way. The splashes are not a recognized color, but they are just as purebred as their parents, siblings, and offspring that are recognized colors.

So there is no reason for a breeder to avoid Splash. Just don't enter them in a show.


(I do not know whether this specific chick is an Easter Egger or an actual Ameraucana. But the feather color alone is not enough to settle the matter.)

https://amerpoultryassn.com/2021/10/large-fowl-splash-ameraucana-approval-process/

Some more info here. Looks like it will soon be recognized and this talks about what would be allowed in the variety.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

My crossbeaked EE roo started mating with my dog's toys between 8 and 10 weeks. Nothing surprises me anymore. LOL!

 

[Friskybinx]

The Olive and Easter eggers can really be tricky until they do in fact crow. The OE has some colored leakage on the neck, and some other cockerel type traits so keep an eye on that one.

Also, "splash" isn't a recognized plumage variety for the ameraucana breed standard. He would be called an Americana (deceiving hatchery trick name) or a Easter egger not that it matters, but some folks may want to know if breeding

Yeah I’m keeping an eye on the OE, too. That chicken has had BEEFY feet since it was little.

I looked up breed standards and: http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/gallery.html

So maybe I’m calling it something wrong, but I did get it from a local hatchery that breeds them . It would be real unfortunate if it wasn’t pure bred.

 

[BastyPutt]

Yeah I’m keeping an eye on the OE, too. That chicken has had BEEFY feet since it was little.

I looked up breed standards and: http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/gallery.html

So maybe I’m calling it something wrong, but I did get it from a local hatchery that breeds them . It would be real unfortunate if it wasn’t pure bred.

yes that link you have there will tell you all the recognized breeds.

 

[BastyPutt]

NPIP is a test for desiese and not the club/organization that recognizes chicken breeds. The club/organization is APA for large fowl and ABA for bantams.

It does get complicated on what's recognized because breeders maybe working towards getting a verity(color) of the breed recognized.

Yes thank you, confused the alphabet soup. It's been awhile since we have tried that again.