Is it an EE, an Ameraucana or an Araucana?

[Minniechickmama]

I have thought about this a lot since I have seen several backyard chicken owners who know the minimums about raising chickens or complete newbies asking the question "Is this an Araucana/Ameraucana?"

Let's face it folks, it is because the hatcheries are selling these mutt chickens as such! There is nothing wrong with them other than they are not a standard breed, so my labeling them 'mutts' is not an insult. After all, how many people would never own a purebred dog because they just love their mutts? No different with chickens, right?

So, instead of those who seem to know quite a bit more about chicken breeds than those newbies, getting in their faces and treating them like they are so ignorant, how about we get the hatcheries to be a bit more honest and informative about their stock? I won't name names of hatcheries because they almost all sell their EEs as Ameraucanas or Araucanas. Not the fault of the buyers.

Yes, I think that if you are going to own any kind of livestock or pet, you should find out as much as you can about them before bringing them home, but not everyone does. And correct me if I am wrong, but is this sight not for ALL levels of chicken owners??

And that is all I got to say about that.

 

[speckledhen]

You won't get far. We tried to talk to Welp and it was like talking to a rock. They are clueless and determined to keep doing business as usual. They just don't care, in my experience. Privett sells their EEs as "Araucanas".

Typical, really. It's up to the consumer to try to educate themselves so they don't get duped if what they really want is a true Ameraucana or true Araucana.


Until someone changes the status quo, you must assume that all of these hatchery birds are Easter Eggers...and they are.

 

[Dora'smom]

I was raised with chickens (mostly RIRs) when I was very young and have fantasized and read about chickens and how to care for them for a long time prior to acquiring our flock last spring. Even so, it really didn't occur to me that local stores (who get their stock from hatcheries) would label chicks as other than what they really were. I bought two Ameraucanas (or so I thought) but they are definitely easter eggers. I love them, and want more in my flock, but that's really not the point. I might have purchased differently, had I known they were representing chicks inaccurately. Since I now am armed with more information, I will purchase chicks this spring from a small local store who have said they will have a contract starting this year, with local breeders, so that they can get chicks from this area. I think this might make a difference. I'm hoping so. I love my EE's---particularly Dora---who got scared when I was spreading DE today, and flew up to sit on my head. Bless her tiny little chickeny heart!

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
I agree and McM, Ideal and all the other hatcheries will not change their "sales tactics" if it brings in more money. Why give that up when they are rolling in dough with uninformed chicken buyers? Exactly!

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
Wait a minute did you just call my chickens MUTTS???

Oh the humanity

 

[Minniechickmama]

Yes, the Heinz 57 of the poultry community

I have a beautiful EE roo mutt in my flock and he was the cutest little fuzzy butt of all of our chicks.

I learn more stuff every time I got on here, and if I see something I like, I go digging until I find out what the breed is. I have a LONG way to go before I know everything (even though my DH knows I pretend to anyway

) But we all had to start somewhere. I just don't like to see those with knowledge slamming those who are just learning about this topic in particular. It is false advertising to do what hatcheries are doing. Perhaps if someone with the $$ to do so, or a class action is brought against them, they would change their tactics. Truly, what can be done with EEs other than admire and collect their lovely eggs? They aren't anything you could show unless there is a mutt class I am unaware of

?

Contracting local breeders is a great idea, but you have to watch so you are just generating the same or bad bloodlines. Not every breeder is as honest as they should be either. I read a thread where there is a guy in Oregon that is selling his chicks as SQ and they are DQ, and I don't mean the place with the yummy ice cream treats.

 

[speckledhen]

Hey, I own mutts and I love them, but if someone wants to start breeding Ameraucanas, they want to buy Ameraucanas, not EEs.

 

[Orphy]

I bought some "Ameraucanas" from Ideal and got curious after reading this thread. I bought one last spring that turned out to be (what I believe) a true blue wheaten ameraucana. Though the batch I got this Dec seems to be more mutty. I went to the website to see exactly what they describe them as:


Ameraucanas, known as the "Easter Egg Breed", are a multicolored breed. They have beards, muffs and a normal tail with a tail head. They are often incorrectly called Araucanas, which have ear tuffs, are rumpless, and do not have a tail head which gives them a bunny tail appearance. Most of the chicks sold as Araucanas are really Ameraucanas, which are excellent, efficient producers of large eggs of many colors and shades including blue and green.


They cover their rears by adding easter egger and not even a guarantee as to the egg color. In my excitement in ordering I didn't pay attention to the fine print, which I am sure most don't.

Though I still love my chickies anyway, they are just a backyard flock and not for breeding. I would think those who are serious about breeding would research more and should buy from a good breeder instead of a hatchery anyway. I would want to be able to see the possible parents to see the quality I would be breeding.
I am new to all of this too, and I am sure once I get some experience under my belt I will be looking into breeders to make my own babies. but for now my mutties make me happy.

I do agree that we should be nice to those with lack of experience/knowledge. I came here to get answers to my (sometimes very stupid) questions because I had no where else to turn. There is only so much you can get from reading books, I tried asking them the questions but they wouldn't talk back to me... LOL

 

[Dustin Biery]

Quote:
I understand, and agree to a point. Some have a refusal to listen or learn. There is a recent post here (and there are several others like it) where if a bird doesn't conform to any one particular standard it is automatically assumed that it is an EE. Just because a bird is a cross doesn't automatically make it an EE. There have been numerous attempts to correct some peoples way of thinking, but with some it never sinks in. As for what was said about people doing research, if those who are ordering from said hatcheries did their research, the would find that what is being sold as Ameraucana or Araucana are nothing more than EE. Im sorry, if you order these birds from the hatchery expect the real deal (as with so many other birds) you haven't looked into it. BYC threads show up when I google search, so I know that the information can easily be found. But you will notice as you look more into it on this forum, there are some with very little poultry knowledge and experience who are giving advice like its the gospel. I understand they are only trying to help, but end results can be disasterous. I have raised poultry for over 10 years, but I will not go into the Emergency section and give advice. Do I know some of the answers, yes, but on the possibility that I could be wrong and tell the person the wrong thing to do, not going to happen. I know this turned into a bit of a rant, but language and demeanor is not easily conveyed through forum posting. I have ruffled many feathers along the way, and probably will again at some point, but its a learning experience all the way around. Some times it just takes reading through someones posts to see if they are just being a jerk, or if they are just brutally honest.

 

[Orphy]

Quote:
I understand, and agree to a point. Some have a refusal to listen or learn. There is a recent post here (and there are several others like it) where if a bird doesn't conform to any one particular standard it is automatically assumed that it is an EE. Just because a bird is a cross doesn't automatically make it an EE.

I agee, I have been told that before just based on leg color, when there are many breeds that have colored legs.