Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[2boys1homestead]

First off... there is absolutely nothing stupid about being excited about blue eggs! They are awesome, and you're so right to be excited about them! I have a gorgeous black Ameraucana roo with some lavender, splash and blue girls. I named him Clarke Gable. He's such a nice rooster. EE's also are great birds, and give you an array of blue to green eggs.

They are beautiful! If they are as nice as you say, I'm sure they will be a great first choice! I knew I didn't want run-of-the-mill white/brown chickens. I'm an artist, so I always need it to be a bit more exciting than that! I can't wait to have a small flock of my own!
Did you buy chicks, get them from a breeder, or buy eggs and incubate them?

 

[trsturself]

They are beautiful! If they are as nice as you say, I'm sure they will be a great first choice! I knew I didn't want run-of-the-mill white/brown chickens. I'm an artist, so I always need it to be a bit more exciting than that! I can't wait to have a small flock of my own!
Did you buy chicks, get them from a breeder, or buy eggs and incubate them?

Be careful calling Easter Eggers (EE) an Americauna. True Americaunas are hard to find. Some people on here will correct you not so nicely. just an FYI to save you some trouble.

Outside of that I love EEs. I love watching the colors they grow into and what color egg they'll lay, you never know what you're going to get. They are usually friendly too. They are one of the few breeds I have multiples of. I like a diverse flock.

If you like variety I recommend a cochin, a polish, and a mille fleur D'Uccle, they are all some of my favorite breeds.

 

[2boys1homestead]

Be careful calling Easter Eggers (EE) an Americauna. True Americaunas are hard to find. Some people on here will correct you not so nicely. just an FYI to save you some trouble.

Outside of that I love EEs. I love watching the colors they grow into and what color egg they'll lay, you never know what you're going to get. They are usually friendly too. They are one of the few breeds I have multiples of. I like a diverse flock.

If you like variety I recommend a cochin, a polish, and a mille fleur D'Uccle, they are all some of my favorite breeds.

I'll be careful! I've noticed on many hatchery websites they sell Araucana and have a separate place for Easter Eggers. I don't really understand why they are separate, but it seems the EE's lay more of the olive colored eggs, while Araucanas lay blue ones. But then again, some hatcheries include them in the same group.

I will look up the other breeds you mentioned. I have some friends in the fly-tying industry, so if I happen to keep some extras for meat, then I can sell the hackle off and they love variety.

 

[Melabella]

They are beautiful! If they are as nice as you say, I'm sure they will be a great first choice! I knew I didn't want run-of-the-mill white/brown chickens. I'm an artist, so I always need it to be a bit more exciting than that! I can't wait to have a small flock of my own!
Did you buy chicks, get them from a breeder, or buy eggs and incubate them?I

My rooster is a breeders cull because of his squirrel tail, which is set far higher like a squirrel than the breed standard calls for. He was from wonderful show quality stock, but the woman gave him to me as she knew I wouldn't be breeding him past my own personal flock. He hatched out of the bluest egg you can imagine. This year, I bought an incubator and hatched some pure Ameraucana with my Ameraucana girls, and also crossed him with my regular layers to make Easter Eggers, (EE). EE are produced crossing a pure Blue egg gene carrier with any other breed. Even breeding two Ameraucana that are pure but the offspring don't fall into the Standard of Perfection of breed guidelines is called an Easter Egger. None of this is really of any consequence unless you are selling hatching eggs, day old chicks, or planning to show the birds. The important thing is.. is to have fun, enjoy your birds, and all they bring in owning them, take good care of them, there is a lot to learn to keep them healthy. Good Luck, and visit the learning center in the BYC section. I learned SO MUCH from asking people here. Everyone for the most part are so amazing and so helpful. Let us know how it goes!

Be careful calling Easter Eggers (EE) an Americauna. True Americaunas are hard to find. Some people on here will correct you not so nicely. just an FYI to save you some trouble.

Outside of that I love EEs. I love watching the colors they grow into and what color egg they'll lay, you never know what you're going to get. They are usually friendly too. They are one of the few breeds I have multiples of. I like a diverse flock.

If you like variety I recommend a cochin, a polish, and a mille fleur D'Uccle, they are all some of my favorite breeds.

thanks for looking out for me, I didn't word that very well and I can see how he might have thought I was suggesting they are one in the same.

Another breed I love if you want eye candy, wonderful personality, and also owning a breed where no two birds are ever the same are Swedish Flower Hens. I have recently started owning some,, and I love the never know what you are going to get surprise every time I hatch some. here is my 15 week old cockerel named Nero, growing into a handsome young teenager indeed.

 

[trsturself]

I'll be careful! I've noticed on many hatchery websites they sell Araucana and have a separate place for Easter Eggers. I don't really understand why they are separate, but it seems the EE's lay more of the olive colored eggs, while Araucanas lay blue ones. But then again, some hatcheries include them in the same group.

I will look up the other breeds you mentioned. I have some friends in the fly-tying industry, so if I happen to keep some extras for meat, then I can sell the hackle off and they love variety.

Araucana is an even more rare breed and are very distinctive looking. Americaunas are a breed that has been mixed and bred down from Araucana. EE's are a mutt that has the blue egg gene. The EE is not a recognized breed so there are no specifications. Americaunas have certain colors, etc.
Hope that helped a little.

Here's my girls of the breeds I mentioned.

The D'Uccle




A silkie is a good choice too.


Polish (Silver laced)


Cochin

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Araucanas won't be found in a hatchery. If you're seeing Araucanas on a hatchery website, they are actually selling Easter-eggers.

Araucanas are particularly rare for a number of reasons, but mainly because the are very, very difficult to breed. One gene that they carry is lethal, and another causes fertility issues. This means, of the eggs that do get fertilized, any chicks that inherit a double dose of that lethal gene won't survive to hatch anyway. So you can probably guess, these guys would not be easy to produce on a large, hatchery scale and would not be enough of a moneymaker for a hatchery to try and work with.



P.S. if you're going for friendly chickens, may I recommend Dorkings? They are the cuddliest, sweetest birds I have ever owned, with the possible exception of my Bielefelder.

Elda and Kit-kit the Silver Gray Dorkings:

And lovely Violet, my Bielefelder (who is not from Meyer) :

 

[2boys1homestead]

My rooster is a breeders cull because of his squirrel tail, which is set far higher like a squirrel than the breed standard calls for. He was from wonderful show quality stock, but the woman gave him to me as she knew I wouldn't be breeding him past my own personal flock. He hatched out of the bluest egg you can imagine. This year, I bought an incubator and hatched some pure Ameraucana with my Ameraucana girls, and also crossed him with my regular layers to make Easter Eggers, (EE). EE are produced crossing a pure Blue egg gene carrier with any other breed. Even breeding two Ameraucana that are pure but the offspring don't fall into the Standard of Perfection of breed guidelines is called an Easter Egger. None of this is really of any consequence unless you are selling hatching eggs, day old chicks, or planning to show the birds. The important thing is.. is to have fun, enjoy your birds, and all they bring in owning them, take good care of them, there is a lot to learn to keep them healthy. Good Luck, and visit the learning center in the BYC section. I learned SO MUCH from asking people here. Everyone for the most part are so amazing and so helpful. Let us know how it goes!
thanks for looking out for me, I didn't word that very well and I can see how he might have thought I was suggesting they are one in the same.

Another breed I love if you want eye candy, wonderful personality, and also owning a breed where no two birds are ever the same are Swedish Flower Hens. I have recently started owning some,, and I love the never know what you are going to get surprise every time I hatch some. here is my 15 week old cockerel named Nero, growing into a handsome young teenager indeed.

I am still amazed by how gorgeous some of these birds can be. After seeing only white and brown chickens my whole life, I'm very surprised and delighted!

 

[2boys1homestead]

The polish laced chicken is hysterical. It's beautiful, but that head tuft is hilarious. I love it.

 

[autumnhearth]

Be careful calling Easter Eggers (EE) an Americauna. True Americaunas are hard to find. Some people on here will correct you not so nicely. just an FYI to save you some trouble.

Outside of that I love EEs. I love watching the colors they grow into and what color egg they'll lay, you never know what you're going to get. They are usually friendly too. They are one of the few breeds I have multiples of. I like a diverse flock.

If you like variety I recommend a cochin, a polish, and a mille fleur D'Uccle, they are all some of my favorite breeds.

Pssst trsturself this is me very nicely telling you there is no "i" in Ameraucana lol!

Meyer does have Blue Ameraucanas (really blue, black and splash). I just noticed they no longer are carrying Wheatens. I think they were sold out or maybe not even in stock this year,. That's okay I though, I would prefer Splash Wheatens from a breeder down the line.

I wasn't going to weigh in on this as I have no personal experience with Ameraucanas. We debated between them, Cream Legbars and Easter Eggers for my son's colorful egg layer and ultimately went with the EE for price, $3.25 vs $20 or $49 for a not really guaranteed blue egg. I love our EE she lays a beautiful bluish green egg and looks like a hawk, I definitely want more. Don't get me wrong, one day I would love to have Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars as well.

My advice would be to try out a few breeds, maybe get two or three Ameraucanas, then a tinted, light brown or cream colored layer for the blue/green to play against. Good choices for a pretty pastel egg baskets would be Speckled Sussex or Salmon Faverolles, Wyandottes or Orpingtons, Dorkings or Polish and Easter Eggers. If you want more contrast for your blue eggs you might want to consider Black Copper Marans, Welsummers or Barnvelders though they are not guaranteed to be dark, often they are only as brown as regular brown egg layers like Rhode Island Reds or Golden Buffs. I would also recommend you consider getting at least one good layer such as a Golden Buff (I love mine), Black Australorp, Austra White, Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock or a Leghorn (Meyer has three different colors to chose from). I'm sure everyone here will tell you their favorite breeds, only two out of five of mine have started laying so I can't give full reviews but I do love each of our chickens, some for looks, some for personality, some for eggs. Good luck choosing your perfect flock. I'm an artist too so I know what's its like to try balancing a beautiful egg basket with feather color balance.

 

[2boys1homestead]

Pssst trsturself this is me very nicely telling you there is no "i" in Ameraucana lol!

Meyer does have Blue Ameraucanas (really blue, black and splash). I just noticed they no longer are carrying Wheatens. I think they were sold out or maybe not even in stock this year,. That's okay I though, I would prefer Splash Wheatens from a breeder down the line.

I wasn't going to weigh in on this as I have no personal experience with Ameraucanas. We debated between them, Cream Legbars and Easter Eggers for my son's colorful egg layer and ultimately went with the EE for price, $3.25 vs $20 or $49 for a not really guaranteed blue egg. I love our EE she lays a beautiful bluish green egg and looks like a hawk, I definitely want more. Don't get me wrong, one day I would love to have Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars as well.

My advice would be to try out a few breeds, maybe get two or three Ameraucanas, then a tinted, light brown or cream colored layer for the blue/green to play against. Good choices for a pretty pastel egg baskets would be Speckled Sussex or Salmon Faverolles, Wyandottes or Orpingtons, Dorkings or Polish and Easter Eggers. If you want more contrast for your blue eggs you might want to consider Black Copper Marans, Welsummers or Barnvelders though they are not guaranteed to be dark, often they are only as brown as regular brown egg layers like Rhode Island Reds or Golden Buffs. I would also recommend you consider getting at least one good layer such as a Golden Buff (I love mine), Black Australorp, Austra White, Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock or a Leghorn (Meyer has three different colors to chose from). I'm sure everyone here will tell you their favorite breeds, only two out of five of mine have started laying so I can't give full reviews but I do love each of our chickens, some for looks, some for personality, some for eggs. Good luck choosing your perfect flock. I'm an artist too so I know what's its like to try balancing a beautiful egg basket with feather color balance.

Thanks! I will definitely be looking around. I have a year or so until I can actually have chickens (I live in an apartment right now), so I have plenty of time to look at breeds and haggle with myself over which ones to get. I will check them all out!