Easter Eggers or Ameraucana?

[4BoyMama]

Ok guys here is Ellie, i finally got her to stand still for me, not great pics but you can at least see her coloring, she has the same color legs as Henrietta, but you cant see that in the pics. She is also about 10 weeks.

 

[junebuggena]

Ok guys here is Ellie, i finally got her to stand still for me, not great pics but you can at least see her coloring, she has the same color legs as Henrietta, but you cant see that in the pics. She is also about 10 weeks.

Also an Easter Egger.

 

[4BoyMama]

Lol, so what Im getting here is that the lines of Ameruacana and Easter eggers have been blurred. I appreciate everyone's input. Overall, we are not breeding, just some girls of our own for laying. Sounds like either way I'm going to get some pretty eggs, either blue or green!! Either way I'm happy.

junebuggena: would you say she is an Easter egger then? Or ameraucana since thats what they obviously sell them as? Im not so much concerned about the purebred part I'm just curious what to say when someone asks?

I would still love your opinions about Ellie if you have time, thanks again all!!!

 

[junebuggena]

Lol, so what Im getting here is that the lines of Ameruacana and Easter eggers have been blurred. I appreciate everyone's input. Overall, we are not breeding, just some girls of our own for laying. Sounds like either way I'm going to get some pretty eggs, either blue or green!! Either way I'm happy.

junebuggena: would you say she is an Easter egger then? Or ameraucana since thats what they obviously sell them as? Im not so much concerned about the purebred part I'm just curious what to say when someone asks?

I would still love your opinions about Ellie if you have time, thanks again all!!!

Easter Egger. And the lines between the two aren't really blurry at all. One is a proper breed, with a standard and consistency in all aspects. The other is an unrefined 'landrace' type, that has not been bred for any specific traits. And Ameraucana are always sold with a color/variety specified. If no color is specified, like Wheaten or Buff, it's probably an Easter Egger, no matter what they are being sold as.

With an Ameraucana, you know what you are getting in terms of plumage color, eggshell color, size, and temperament. With an Easter Egger, you can never be sure of anything, especially egg color. You girls may have the right genes for blue/green eggs, but they may also have genes for only laying white or brown eggs. That's the biggest difference, predictability.

 

[chickmomma03]

She's an EE. EE can have grey, black, green, yellow, or even whitish color legs. What makes her an EE is the fact that she doesn't meet breed standard for coloring. I have EE and I have an OE. I get beautiful eggs out of all of them. I get a light blue, a bluish green, a green with white speckles, and I get an olive egg. You can look on the ameraucana breeders club website for pictures of accepted colors, there aren't many. There is black, blue, self blue (aka lavender), blue wheaten, brown red, silver, and wheaten. If they were sold from a feed store they're EE, if you bought them from a private breeder who can't identify variety they're likely EE. There are reputable breeders, but they know the parents they came from, the variety they have, etc.

That being said, if you're just looking for "pretty" eggs, not show quality birds then EE and OE meet that need. If you're looking for show quality then you want to buy from a reputable breeder, and they won't be 3$ a chick. You'll pay more like 8-10$ per chick.

 

[chickmomma03]

Also, EE doesn't even necessarily mean it was bred with a pure ameraucana parent. It means one parent has a blue egg laying gene, sometimes both, but not necessarily pure ameraucana parents.

 

[chickmomma03]

Also, I forgot to mention. It can be a "crap shoot" with EE, You can end up with a blue, green, brown, white, pink, or other off color. It doesn't guarantee they'll lay a pretty blue, or even a pretty green like one of my girls does. Thankfully, all of mine lay beautiful eggs, but it's not always the case.

 

[junebuggena]

Also, EE doesn't even necessarily mean it was bred with a pure ameraucana parent. It means one parent has a blue egg laying gene, sometimes both, but not necessarily pure ameraucana parents.

Actually, most hatcheries are breeding from lines that predate the Ameraucana breed, as we know it. They don't have a bunch of true Ameraucana that are being crossbred. They are breeding the types of birds that the Ameraucana breed was derived from. It's the Ameraucana breed that has Easter Egger in the lines, not the other way around.

 

[4BoyMama]

Also, I forgot to mention. It can be a "crap shoot" with EE, You can end up with a blue, green, brown, white, pink, or other off color. It doesn't guarantee they'll lay a pretty blue, or even a pretty green like one of my girls does. Thankfully, all of mine lay beautiful eggs, but it's not always the case.

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Ok, well then fingers crossed I get some pretty eggs here in a couple of months! Thanks for all the info and your time!

 

[4BoyMama]

Easter Egger. And the lines between the two aren't really blurry at all. One is a proper breed, with a standard and consistency in all aspects. The other is an unrefined 'landrace' type, that has not been bred for any specific traits. And Ameraucana are always sold with a color/variety specified. If no color is specified, like Wheaten or Buff, it's probably an Easter Egger, no matter what they are being sold as.

With an Ameraucana, you know what you are getting in terms of plumage color, eggshell color, size, and temperament. With an Easter Egger, you can never be sure of anything, especially egg color. You girls may have the right genes for blue/green eggs, but they may also have genes for only laying white or brown eggs. That's the biggest difference, predictability.

Ok thanks for all the information! 2 Easter Eggers it is then. Here's hoping for some colorful eggs soon!