Easter Eggers or Ameraucana?

[4BoyMama]

Hi there,
I have 2 "Easter Eggers" but have read that if they have the gray slate colored legs they are really Ameraucanas? Is that right? both are beautiful birds and it doesn't matter to me but would just like to know for sure. I got them from the local farm supply store.
Thanks!!

 

[BoomChickaPop]

All of my Ameraucana's have gray beautiful legs! I have never owned an easter egger before.
Could you post pics plz

BCP

 

[Gray Farms]

Need pictures, there are other qualifications for Americaunas other than slate legs.

 

[4BoyMama]

Yes! this is Henrietta, she is about 10 weeks old or so. Our other one is not cooperating with the camera today, but she is all white/cream with gray legs also. I would assume that whatever Henrietta is, our white is going to be the same breed, as they came out of the same brooder at the store.

And so more to the point, is there a difference between Easter eggers and Ameraucanas? Don't they both lay pretty green eggs? I hope so, I want some

Thanks!

 

[BoomChickaPop]

Yep Henrietta is a purebred Ameraucana hen. Try to get a pic of the white one please

-BCP

 

[MonicainAZ]

Yep Henrietta is a purebred Ameraucana hen. Try to get a pic of the white one please

-BCP

What makes you say that? Henrietta is not one of the approved Ameraucauna colors. This coloring is very typical of an easter egger.

4BoyMama, to answer your question, an Ameraucauna is a standard breed, which lays blue eggs. If you breed an ameraucauna hen to an ameraucana rooster, you will get chicks that resemble their parents and also lay blue eggs.

Easter eggers are a hybrid breed, typically produced by breeding a chicken with a blue egg gene (such as an ameraucana) to some other chicken. They lay blue or green eggs. If you breed easter eggers to each other, you will get a motley mix of mutts. Some of these may lay colored eggs and some may not.

If you are not breeding them and plan to only have them for your own egg production, there is not a whole lot of difference. EEs are probably a better choice as they have been selected specifically to be great layers.

edit to add: another clue is that you got them "from a brooder at a store." you will almost never find ameraucana chicks at a feed store, these are almost always EEs. A few hatcheries are starting to sell real ameraucanas, but these are usually more expensive, $10-30 per chick is what I've seen, compared with ~$2 for EE.

 

[BoomChickaPop]

What makes you say that? Henrietta is not one of the approved Ameraucauna colors. This coloring is very typical of an easter egger.

4BoyMama, to answer your question, an Ameraucauna is a standard breed, which lays blue eggs. If you breed an ameraucauna hen to an ameraucana rooster, you will get chicks that resemble their parents and also lay blue eggs.

Easter eggers are a hybrid breed, typically produced by breeding a chicken with a blue egg gene (such as an ameraucana) to some other chicken. They lay blue or green eggs. If you breed easter eggers to each other, you will get a motley mix of mutts. Some of these may lay colored eggs and some may not.

If you are not breeding them and plan to only have them for your own egg production, there is not a whole lot of difference. EEs are probably a better choice as they have been selected specifically to be great layers.

edit to add: another clue is that you got them "from a brooder at a store." you will almost never find ameraucana chicks at a feed store, these are almost always EEs. A few hatcheries are starting to sell real ameraucanas, but these are usually more expensive, $10-30 per chick is what I've seen, compared with ~$2 for EE.

I have 2 purebred ameraucana hens that look EXACTLY like Henrietta. They were purchased from McMurray Hatchery! And Henrietta is the most common color of Ameraucana that ppl have.
I don't want to cause an argument ok?


-BCP

 

[keesmom]

Henrietta is definitely an Easter Egger.

 

[junebuggena]

I have 2 purebred ameraucana hens that look EXACTLY like Henrietta. They were purchased from McMurray Hatchery! And Henrietta is the most common color of Ameraucana that ppl have.
I don't want to cause an argument ok?


-BCP

Murray McMurray does not have 'pure' Ameraucana.
Straight from their website breed description -
"Our chicks have some Araucana and some Ameraucana blood mixed and consequently are not for show but are beautiful chickens known for their ability to lay colored eggs of shades varying from turquoise to deep olive to shades of brown."

They have Easter Eggers. They are breeding birds that are descended from birds that predate the recognition of the Araucana and Ameraucana breeds. And they never bothered to update their marketing, once those breeds were standardized and gained recognition as 'true' breeds.

 

[drumstick diva]

x 2 Keesmom