New Chicks - Ameraucanas, Noir Maran & Buff Orphingtons

[rod5591]

My first 15 hens are 2 years old going on 3, so today I bought 14 new chicks to keep the egg production high, even when my older girls egg laying start to decline. I got 4 Noir maran, 4 Buff Orphington and 6 Ameraucanas. I've never raise any on these breeds before, but they are what the local feed store had on hand.

Attached is a photo of the Ameraucanas. 5 are dark and one is light. Wondering why there is this color variation.

Anyone else have Ameraucanas, Noir marans or Buff Orphington? Any tips?View attachment 2053499

Here are photos of the chicks sold as Noir Marans. They are black with a white streak on their breast. From what I gather, they will lay dark chocolate colored eggs.

 

[rod5591]

My first 15 hens are 2 years old going on 3, so today I bought 14 new chicks to keep the egg production high, even when my older girls egg laying start to decline. I got 4 Noir maran, 4 Buff Orphington and 6 Ameraucanas. I've never raise any on these breeds before, but they are what the local feed store had on hand.

Attached is a photo of the Ameraucanas. 5 are dark and one is light. Wondering why there is this color variation.

Anyone else have Ameraucanas, Noir marans or Buff Orphington? Any tips?View attachment 2053499

Here are more photos of the Easter Eggers. They are colored like little chipmunks!
All the chicks seem so fearful. When I come to change their water or replenish their food, they frantically run from one side of the tub to the other, peeping in alarm. Anyone, is there a way to calm them down?

 

[Pyxis]

Here are more photos of the Easter Eggers. They are colored like little chipmunks!
All the chicks seem so fearful. When I come to change their water or replenish their food, they frantically run from one side of the tub to the other, peeping in alarm. Anyone, is there a way to calm them down?

Bribe them I use scrambled egg. They always love it. The trick is to get them to take it the first time. After that, they know what it is and they'll come running for it.

 

[aart]

Anyone, is there a way to calm them down?

Move slowly and frequently.
Pick them up and hold them until they calm, again frequently.
They'll get used to your presence....but it takes time and effort.
If your brooder is only open from the top it may take longer....cause you're like a big hawk coming down at them and instinct tells them to beware.

 

[roheryn]

Not asking me, but.... yes, it's a deception.
Ameraucana are guaranteed to lay blue eggs and pass 2 blue shell genes with breeding.
EE may lay blue but may only carry one blue shell gene.
Ameraucana are pure breeds, EE are crosses.

Yup, most feed stores call them Americaunas but they aren't and "Easter Egger" doesn't sound like a real breed, even though if you know chickens at all you know what you are getting. That's great genetics info, Aart, my first pair of EEs laid light brown, almost pink eggs, and very pale blue almost white. I was a bit disappointed. But they both had muffs and beards. My current pair both lay lovely blue/green eggs, and have muffs, but no beards. I don't think they are trying to be misleading, but its a breed people expect to see, or recognize that that breed lays blue eggs. Most people coming in are looking for blue egg layers, and look for that name.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I thought about what you said, and it bothered me. Is selling a easter egger as an ameraucana an honest mistake, or is it deception, in your opinion? If deception--why?

I agree that it is the Hatchery that mis-labels and sells EE's as Ameraucanas. On purpose! I too, do not understand why. I bought what was labeled and called Ameraucanas from Murray McMurray hatchery. They were easter eggers! No muffs, no beards, but they do lay very nice blue and green eggs for me. I just bought 5 chicks from my feed store and they were labeled as "Americaunas", which tells me they are EE's as well. It's ok with me. If I get some more blue eggs, I'll be happy.

 

[rod5591]

I agree, they're Easter Eggers, not ameraucanas. Looks like you got them at a feed store, so they must have come from a hatchery that sells their easter eggers under the name 'americana' or ameraucana when really they're not.

Noir marans appear to be a sex-linked hybrid that Mt. Healthy hatchery is selling. They're not actually marans, unless the hatchery is crossing, say, cuckoo marans and black copper marans to get the sex linking. Looks like in the past they were also calling them 'midnight majesty' marans.

I also wanted to let you know that the buff orpingtons are spelling and pronounced orpington, just the p, no h

I looked at the Mt, Healthy Hatchery catalog. Looks like the Noir Marans are a sex link of the Cuckoo Maran rooster and Black Maran hen, if I interpreted their catalog correctly.

 

[Pyxis]

I looked at the Mt, Healthy Hatchery catalog. Looks like the Noir Marans are a sex link of the Cuckoo Maran rooster and Black Maran hen, if I interpreted their catalog correctly.

Most likely the other way around, these being a sex-linked 'hybrid'. Good to know though. That would make them marans, just mixed color marans.

 

[chickenlittle21]

To clear up the EE, Ameraucana, Americana thing... EE and Americanas are the same thing, a mix breed. An Ameraucana is different, a pure breed. An Ameraucana lays blue eggs, the EE/Americana has a chance of laying either a blue, green, brown, or pink egg.

 

[Joev1973]

Your gonna LOVE buff orphingtons. Quietest most docile birds ever & 100% my favorite. They are very reliable egg layers & love to sit & hatch. I jusy got done posting a thread one of my buff O's has hatched guinea eggs. I bet they quickly become your favorites.