If I don't want to show birds...

[Knittycat]

I'm planning on getting a flock of ameriucanas because I love their blue eggs. I want to have the prettiest bluest eggs I can get, and I want them to be fairly free of blood spots and meat spots, so I don't want hatchery birds, as it is my understanding that hatchery birds tend to have those issues more than pure breeds do.
But I'm not interested in showing. I really just want them for egg production.
All of the listings I see in the BST section emphasize the bird's show potential, but none really talk about egg production. If I go with a pure breed anything, am I going to be sacrificing egg production for pretty birds? I'm willing for a reduction in production to emphasize pretty eggs, but not pretty birds. As long as they're healthy, I don't really care if they conform to show standards and have correct tail angles.

What would be the best way to go about getting the kind of birds I want?

 

[FireTigeris]

I got four ameriucanas (EE's) from Ideal and they are all blue layers and have no meat spot issues:



The green ones are duck eggs.

 

[Knittycat]

All my current birds are from ideal, and most of them have blood or meat spot issues. 50% of the eggs I get have one or the other.

I know they're fine, but I've got to hide the spots when I crack the eggs from my husband and daughter, because no amount of explaining would un gross them out.

 

[FireTigeris]

Strange I have no problems- I wonder if it's something else?

What food?

Mine get scraps and scratch mixed with layer pellets and free choice oyster shell and pigeon minerals.

They are outdoors in a large pen getting FL sunlight, no extra light at all.

There is dirt and gravel in the pen as well as a huge kiddy pool of well water.

 

[Knittycat]

Mine get layer pellets and forage on a regular basis. They have free choice oyster shell (I had an egg eating problem. Free range and oyster shell seem to have resolved it.) and I tempt them back to the coop when we have to go somewhere with scraps or scratch. South Texas sunlight, plenty of water, they love the moquito larvae, termites, wood roaches and ciccadas they dig up. They're happy chooks. They just can't seem to give me a clean egg on a regular basis.
Plus, I really want the true amerucana blue you can't get from hatchery birds but by accident.

 

[FireTigeris]

Well in the auction section there are really nice blue eggs up that ship anywhere.

I was hoping you were having a light or diet issue that you could fix.

 

[Illia]

A lot of people tell you about show potential just to get the extra dollar, honestly. Most birds out there, Ameraucanas and Araucanas alike (purebred not EE's) are actually pretty good layers, and I've yet to ever run across ones who lay bloodspots or meatspotted eggs. I've only had that with hatchery brown layers and a few lines of BC Marans.

If you're curious the brighest blue in my avatar comes from Wheaten and Blue Wheaten Marans, whom it is best go get as hatching eggs from breeders here, online at BYC. That's where I got mine. I don't show my birds either.

The next blue ones, the more sky-blue type color, are from my Araucana and remaining Ameraucana colors. Again bought as hatching eggs from out of state breeders, although the Araucanas mostly were from a guy who ships purebred chicks from the Carolinas. I was lucky to find him. Which, you can do that too, get chicks. chickhatchery.com although the name sounds questionable for a purebred Ameraucana source, is actually a purebred Ameraucana source and does ship chicks of whatever color(s) you choose.

 

[Knittycat]

Good to know! I did research and find that the wheatens were the most likely to get me the bright blue. It bummed me a bit, because I liked the look of the lavenders better, but since I'm more interested in eggs than chickens, I'll be getting the wheatens. I'll likely be in the market to buy eggs next spring, early. But I wanted to get my information straight before I started making plans.
Thank you again!