Having trouble Identifying a TRUE ameraucana and Easter Egger

[junebuggena]

They really are some of the most interesting birds you can buy. They really do deserve to be sold for what they are though, instead of hatcheries trying to pass them off as something else.

 

[Jenneh85]

They really are some of the most interesting birds you can buy. They really do deserve to be sold for what they are though, instead of hatcheries trying to pass them off as something else.

I totally agree with you, They have such a funky cute personality its adorable. I have one that really is very skittish which is Roo she wasnt when she was a chick, she was the one I took into the bed room and watched tv with, along with Egglington who got sick some how and I ended up spending 156$ on her to get her healthy again, I dont understand why they pass them off as something they arent, I got my hopes up thinking I had a true ameraucana and they both ended up easter eggers, which is fine by me. I'm not picky at all I love how one has a beard and the other doesnt.

I just hope Roo lays a different colored egg.


I think its kinda fun having easter eggers instead of something you know is going to just lay blue eggs, I kinda like the thought of a pink or cream colored egg.

 

[Ridgerunner]

June, you might want to read these articles (note where they come from) to correct a common misconception. Easter Eggers were not developed from Ameraucanas. Auracanas and Ameraucanas were developed from Easter Eggers.

The Araucana standard was accepted before any birds had been bred to it. Once the standard was set, breeders were able to meet it.

The Ameraucana really deserves the name. The club members set the standards democratically. The club members accepted the standards an even the name based on majority vote, democracy in action. Then they bred birds to that standard and got the breed accepted.

Ameraucana History #1
http://www.ameraucana.org/history.html

Ameraucana History #2
http://www.ameraucana.org/docs/abcbreedhistory.pdf

I certainly cannot vouch for each hatchery and how they developed their colored egg laying flock, but some hatcheries had colored egg laying flocks before the Ameraucana were even accepted as a standard. Read some of the gripes against hatcheries in the second article. How could they have been developed from a breed that did not even exist?

I agree it would be much better if the various hatcheries would stop calling their birds Araucana and Ameraucana when they don’t meet the standard. In my opinion, that’s false advertising. I’d really like to see them spend a lot more effort to eliminate the brown and white eggs from their flocks too. When people buy these birds they should be able to expect a blue or green egg from the pullets.

 

[junebuggena]

June, you might want to read these articles (note where they come from) to correct a common misconception. Easter Eggers were not developed from Ameraucanas. Auracanas and Ameraucanas were developed from Easter Eggers.

The Araucana standard was accepted before any birds had been bred to it. Once the standard was set, breeders were able to meet it.

The Ameraucana really deserves the name. The club members set the standards democratically. The club members accepted the standards an even the name based on majority vote, democracy in action. Then they bred birds to that standard and got the breed accepted.

Ameraucana History #1
http://www.ameraucana.org/history.html

Ameraucana History #2
http://www.ameraucana.org/docs/abcbreedhistory.pdf

I certainly cannot vouch for each hatchery and how they developed their colored egg laying flock, but some hatcheries had colored egg laying flocks before the Ameraucana were even accepted as a standard. Read some of the gripes against hatcheries in the second article. How could they have been developed from a breed that did not even exist?

I agree it would be much better if the various hatcheries would stop calling their birds Araucana and Ameraucana when they don’t meet the standard. In my opinion, that’s false advertising. I’d really like to see them spend a lot more effort to eliminate the brown and white eggs from their flocks too. When people buy these birds they should be able to expect a blue or green egg from the pullets.

You might want to read my comments more carefully. I said hatcheries started with Ameraucana type birds (as opposed to Araucana, which are much harder to come by), not the recognized breed that we know today.

 

[donrae]

You might want to read my comments more carefully. I said hatcheries started with Ameraucana type birds (as opposed to Araucana, which are much harder to come by), not the recognized breed that we know today.

I know we're getting into semantics here, but what exactly would the difference be between an "Ameraucana type" bird and an Easter egger?

 

[Blooie]

Well, regardless of where they came from I know this old lady's flock will never be without them! We can get ultra sounds done to see what sex the baby is we are expecting. We can look online and get a doggone good idea of what the weather will be next week when we have to travel. We can even buy a box of chocolates which say on the lid which candy is which. But Easter Eggers are one of the great mysteries of the chicken world, and I like it that way! Will she be white with gold penciled feathers when she grows up? Dark red body with black head and beard? Blue, pink, brown or green eggs? They just make me smile - and I like that too!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-easter-eggers-of-oleo-acres

 

[Jenneh85]

Well, regardless of where they came from I know this old lady's flock will never be without them!  We can get ultra sounds done to see what sex the baby is we are expecting.  We can look online and get a doggone good idea of what the weather will be next week when we have to travel.  We can even buy a box of chocolates which say on the lid which candy is which.  But Easter Eggers are one of the great mysteries of the chicken world, and I like it that way!  Will she be white with gold penciled feathers when she grows up?  Dark red body with black head and beard?  Blue, pink, brown or green eggs?  They just make me smile - and I like that too!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-easter-eggers-of-oleo-acres

this is why I wish I bought two more of those chipmunk looking tikes.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might want to read my comments more carefully. I said hatcheries started with Ameraucana type birds (as opposed to Araucana, which are much harder to come by), not the recognized breed that we know today.

You are correct, I misread your post. I see that myth that EE’s were created from Ameraucanas on here so much I assumed instead of reading your post carefully. Sorry.