identifying an EE

[Amastacia]

this is more a general question than a specific identification thread. since EEs can come in pretty much any color (are there any they don't come in?), how can you tell if a chicken is an EE (other than egg color, of course)? are there other traits that indicate they are EEs?

thanks

 

[Happy Chooks]

You have to get pure Ameraucana's from a breeder. So, if it came from a feed store, TSC or a hatchery, it's an EE. Some people don't even know what they have and will sell chicks as Ameraucana's, so you really need to see pictures of the parent stock to know what you are getting. If it's labeled Americana (notice the difference in spelling), it's an EE.

With a few exceptions for those breeders working on new color varieties (such as lavender) if the bird is not this coloring or the leg color is not the same leg coloring as in this link, it's an EE. If you want to know that you have pure Ameraucana's, I'd suggest selecting a breeder off the breed club website.
http://www.ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

If you have an unidentified chicken and have no idea what it is, but think it might be an EE:

Look at the comb, the feathers on the face, and the legs.
EEs will generally have pea combs. There are exceptions, because they are mixes.
EEs will generally have beards and muffs. There are exceptions, because they are mixes.
EEs will often have willow or slate legs. There are exceptions, because they are mixes.

Here's a young EE cockerel showing the beard and muffs. But his comb is a modified pea comb, not a true pea comb (see, I told you there were lots of exceptions to the rules with EEs):




Finally, many, many EE hens have a color pattern that looks like this (there's a name for it, but it escapes me at the moment--Partridge?):


Here; play spot the EE in a crowd:

Hope that's helpful! (the two hens with the black feathers on their necks in the middle of the group and the buff hen sticking her head in from the right side of the shot--above the rooster--are EEs, btw)

 

[Amastacia]

and willow or slate legs= bluish or greenish legs?

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

slate is like a blue grey color