Hatchery "recipe" for EE ?

Hatcheries sold these birds as araucanas for decades and decades. I had some in early 1960s. The araucana breed gained a breed recognition for their standard in the 1970's I think. Araucana breeders were soon unhappy with hatcheries continuing to use their breed name. The Ameraucana breed was developed in the 1970s and gained acceptance in 1984. In the past decade or so some hatcheries have started calling their stock Ameraucanas mostly because of pressure from Araucana breeders. Ameraucana breeders are now unhappy.

Using either breed name causes confusion for many people. The birds the hatcheries are selling that we call Easter Eggers are decendants of South American imports in the early 1900s. At that time all were called Araucanas regardless of physical characterists. They came in a wide range of colors, types and egg laying color capabilities. This is still what hatcheries are selling. I knew a lady who had once raized these birds to provide hatching eggs for a hatchery in the 1940s or early 1950s. They aren't cross-bred Araucanas or cross-bred Ameraucanas. They are what they have always been, colorful, healthy, fertile, usually muffed.bearded, usually tailed. often carrying the blue egg gene.

It would stop much confusion if they came up with a new name. There would be many people that would still be confused. I have been a member of the Araucana Club of America for the last decade and I am aware of how unhappy many members get when EEs are called Araucana. Obviously the Ameraucana folks are just as upset now. The hatchery birds were around first, before either recognized breed had a standard. The Ameraucana wasn't even a concept when some of us had EEs.

 

They are purebred, just really crummy examples of the breed.

 

OOOh boy, here we go again....they are a purebred WHAT BREED?

 

Fiftyfifty, If you are familiar with hatchery EEs then take a look at the South American Quechua hen's head picture on this link. Scroll down the page and you will see it. You will notice she is identical to large numbers of hatchery EEs and similar to most.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Rapa/BRKRapanui.html

 

Good post Rando...I couldn't have said it better myself.

The problem is with the APA standards, not with the hatchery stock

 

Quote:If you read it you will see it says that in the US these birds are heirloom breeds known as Araucana and Ameraucana. It also describes that they come tufted, bearded, and rumpless as well as with tailfeathers.

 

The head of a Quechua hen

This is pretty much what my EE looks like. I think she was sold as Araucana.. But after being on this site, I discovered she is EE. Good, hardy hen, and I love her green eggs. Would like to have blue eggs too, though!
Mine is nearly 7 years old and still laying, not as much as when she was younger, but probably 3-4 eggs week I'd guess, I don't really keep track.

 

GREAT info Rando! Thanks, I often wondered too.

 

Awesome thread! Love learning new things... I do have to disagree that they are crummy examples though, technically the only standards for EEs are fluffy and lays eggs and they excel at those two things