Help! What are my chicks?

[junebuggena]

Thanks! The wyandotte is so beautiful, I was hoping for a pullet but either way I love him.

How can you tell the difference between an Easter egger and ameraucana? My local feed store had them labeled as ameraucana, but then again they told me some of my bantams were silkies and I’m pretty sure they aren’t lol.

The easiest way to tell if you are getting the real deal or misrepresented Easter Eggers is color/variety. If you pay attention, you'll notice that the Wyandotte was probably listed as Silver Laced and the Brahma was specified as a Light Brahma. Same goes for Ameraucana. Color/variety is always specified. Since Easter Eggers aren't really a breed, but more of a landrace, they don't have specific colors/varieties.
Another way is price. The few hatcheries that do have actual Ameraucana, charge a lot more for them than the average chicks.
There is nothing wrong with Easter Eggers, it just that they aren't Ameraucana. I like my Easter Eggers a lot more than my Ameraucana. I like the mystery of not knowing exactly what the chick will end up looking like. I like waiting to see what color egg I'm going to get from this pullet or that pullet. It's fun. With Ameraucana, you know exactly what you are getting, and I find that incredibly boring.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Thanks! The wyandotte is so beautiful, I was hoping for a pullet but either way I love him.

How can you tell the difference between an Easter egger and ameraucana? My local feed store had them labeled as ameraucana, but then again they told me some of my bantams were silkies and I’m pretty sure they aren’t lol.

Ameraucanas are a fairly expensive blue-egg laying breed recognised by the APA. They're almost never found in feed stores. (Never say never, but I've never heard of it happening.) They have slate legs, muffs and beards, and peacombs. They only come in a few colours.

Easter Eggers are descended from the same stock as the Ameraucana, but crossbred to other breeds to make for more efficient egg-layers. They have no breed standard, but their legs are often green, they should have peacombs, and they should possess the blue-egg laying gene (which, most often, is covered by brown to make a green egg.)They come in bearded and non-bearded varieties.


Personally, I'm a huge fan of the common EE.

EDT: I guess it's x2, junebuggena.

 

[junebuggena]

LOL. I've got 6 Ameraucana in the brooder right now, 4 Black, a Blue and a Lavender. I'm so bored with them. No interest in keeping them at all. My Easter Eggers are better. Bigger. Cuter. My all time favorite birds.

 

[Abbkayx]

The easiest way to tell if you are getting the real deal or misrepresented Easter Eggers is color/variety. If you pay attention, you'll notice that the Wyandotte was probably listed as Silver Laced and the Brahma was specified as a Light Brahma. Same goes for Ameraucana. Color/variety is always specified. Since Easter Eggers aren't really a breed, but more of a landrace, they don't have specific colors/varieties.
Another way is price. The few hatcheries that do have actual Ameraucana, charge a lot more for them than the average chicks.
There is nothing wrong with Easter Eggers, it just that they aren't Ameraucana. I like my Easter Eggers a lot more than my Ameraucana. I like the mystery of not knowing exactly what the chick will end up looking like. I like waiting to see what color egg I'm going to get from this pullet or that pullet. It's fun. With Ameraucana, you know exactly what you are getting, and I find that incredibly boring.

Awesome, thank you so much. I actually wanted Easter eggers over ameraucana but “ameraucana” was all my feed store had. I wouldn’t have minded either, but I’m glad to know how to identify now!

I honestly didn’t do a ton of research BEFORE buying my chicks, most of it was done after, I just tried to get the most docile breeds because of my two nephews (they LOVE the chickens lol).

 

[Abbkayx]

Ameraucanas are a fairly expensive blue-egg laying breed recognised by the APA. They're almost never found in feed stores. (Never say never, but I've never heard of it happening.) They have slate legs, muffs and beards, and peacombs. They only come in a few colours.

Easter Eggers are descended from the same stock as the Ameraucana, but crossbred to other breeds to make for more efficient egg-layers. They have no breed standard, but their legs are often green, they should have peacombs, and they should possess the blue-egg laying gene (which, most often, is covered by brown to make a green egg.)They come in bearded and non-bearded varieties.


Personally, I'm a huge fan of the common EE.

EDT: I guess it's x2, junebuggena.

Well darn my feed store lol. It didn’t matter either way, I got those two for eggs so sounds like I am set with the EE’s. They’re both beautiful. I will have to do some more research on Ameraucana’s as well. Thanks for all your help! I am glad I posted, now I know what I have haha.

 

[Abbkayx]

Also if anyone is good with breeds, I have a couple bantams that I have NO idea what they are.— the little one in the front.

 

[junebuggena]

Also if anyone is good with breeds, I have a couple bantams that I have NO idea what they are.— the little one in the front.

That's a Sebright.

 

[Abbkayx]

Also if anyone is good with breeds, I have a couple bantams that I have NO idea what they are.— the little one in the front.

And I just picked up these three today.

 

[junebuggena]

And I just picked up these three today.

Some sort of Cochins, probably Mille Fleur.

 

[Abbkayx]

That's a Sebright.

Ooooh sebrights are beautiful. Im excited to see this one fully grown! Thank you!

Some sort of Cochins, probably Mille Fleur.

That’s what I was thinking. Feed store told me they we’re silkies over the phone and I just knew they weren’t when I picked them up. Still so cute.