Don't "kill" the messenger

[fancyfowl4ever]

My ex-bf told me in germany they call their araucanaXbrown egg layer crosses "Green eggers".

There Araucanas are quite common(they don't seem to have as much breeding troubles as we in north america?) so they cross them with whatever kind of brown egg layers they got on hand and make some nice green egg layers.

They don't have Ameraucanas though, my ex never even heard of this breed until he came to visit me and saw my flock. He thought they look way less weird then the araucanas.

 

[EweSheep]

Hey Pips, goreous color of eggs!

Mix them with those eggs with Welsummers or Marans eggs, they look so beautiful in the egg carton! I love mine!

 

[geareduplyn]

I beat my way through the entire 5 pages of this thread, and nowhere did I see mentioned the work, the time, the effort, and the dedication of individual breeders working together to get a breed standardized and breeding true, for both the Ameraucana and Araucana breeds. All of the people who have just chickens for eggs or meat would not have the good egg production or the nice big breasted meat bird were it not for the purebred breeders and their dedication to create a bird that will consistantly breed true for the desired qualities they are seeking in a breed. Jean and I both raise and sell our purebred stock and when someone passes off something they got at the Feed Store for 50 cents a chick, as an Araucana or Ameraucana, when they are not even close to either, you bet, I get upset. I've been telling people what an Araucana is susposed to look like, and the color of egg it should lay since 1965. I have written hundreds of irate letters to commercial hatcheries about their misrepresentation of the breed for years, but as long as there are gullible people to buy the product they will keep selling it. In fact right now on Eggbid there is an auction for Araucana Hens, which the seller got or is going to get from Cackle Hatchery and is selling some she doesn't want. I looked them up and they are just the typical milticolored muffed hatchery mutts. I am like Jean except that probably I've been doing it longer and am probably not as nice about it anymore, If you have something that you're calling an Araucana it had better adhere to the standard at least a little bit or I will tell you about it in no uncertain terms.

 

[speckledhen]

Lyn, we've had a rather huffy answer when we tried to enlighten a hatchery selling that lovely breed they call "Ameraucana/Araucana". I hate that! Drives me nuts. My DH asked which one they sold, that they are two different breeds. They told him Ameraucana. When he mentioned that there are standards and their birds didn't meet them to be called "Ameraucana", they told him if he was looking for show quality Ameraucanas to find a breeder.

I understand your frustration! I also appreciate the efforts of people like you and Jean. I just dont understand what is so difficult about seeing the differences in the breeds. What's so hard? All one has to do is read a description and forget what the hatcheries are telling them. I was breeding Ameraucanas for a brief time and was continually explaining this stuff, over and over.

 

[pips&peeps]

Lyn,

I tried to explain the expense also of breeding correctly. We just can't throw any ol rooster in with all the hens.

All mating pens have to be set up correctly and it takes space. I have seven mating pens set up right now.

black X blue (2)
blue X blue - because everyone wants splash chickens now
white
buff
silver
wheaten X blue wheaten

Next year I will only have one black X blue pen. The blue X blue will be a splash only pen and I have purchased brown red and lavender chicks.

Also, to increase hatchability with my eggs and to keep customers happy, I don't just have 3-4 hens of each color. I am trying to maintain at least 10 per rooster and have an extra rooster of each color just in case the unthinkable happens. I try my best not to ship eggs that are over 4 days old.

All of this takes time, space, and more time. Then there is the paperwork for the State, NPIP and breeding notes and family lines, etc.

I am trying to breed for correct body type, color and egg color, the all around bird.

 

[Chickndaddy]

I just have to say how much I love your dedication to the breed Jean. If I am ever somewhere I can have them, believe me, you will be getting a pm about hatching eggs or chicks...

 

[Promiselandfarm]

So I am guessing she is sliver? http://www.ameraucana.org/scrapbook_files/lfsilverf.jpg

and my roo a splash?

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

I say all of BYC emails a hatchery (we'll pick one then move to the next one) to change ameracauna to EE. If all 12,000 of us spoke out I think that we would do something. There's power in numbers.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Quote:
great idea.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I'm glad you tell people what they have. I want some Araucanas but right now I was lied to when I bought Araucanas hatching eggs and ended up with feather-footed mutts. They cam out of blue eggs so I know they will grow up to lay colored eggs but I call the EE's. So my question is is it wrong to call mine EE's or should I just call them mutts?