Obsessing and Need Answers: Local Feed Store Says They're Ameraucana/Araucanas, What's The Deal?

[mizjones]

Hi All,

I know this has been posted before but I couldn't find any pictures of what I'm dealing with so here are my chicks and here's my question. Local feed store here sells chicks from a hatchery in Ohio whose name I'm not using (are we allowed to name the hatchery?). The feed store says these are "Ameraucana's/Araucana's". When I asked them how they can be either/or and how they can be so cheap I get this deer-in-the-headlights look like, what? They have no clue and said as much.

So, I went online to the hatchery that sells these to our feed store and sure enough, they're listed as A-A's with no specific information. I'm just needing some clarity. Please understand that I was not trying to acquire special, pure bred Araucana chicks per se, but it bugs me that some places pass these off as such. I do value Ameraucanas though, but same thing: how can a feed store sell these for $2.60 per chick? Really?

Your input is appreciated. Even the sites online have me a bit confused. Here are two of the the so-called Ameraucana/Araucana chicks we purchased.


They each have slate colored legs and all six have beautiful eye-liner.

 

[Pyxis]

You can say the hatchery. They're Easter Eggers. No hatchery carries purebred Ameraucanas aside from Meyer. No hatchery at all has araucanas.

 

[Folly's place]

They are very cute chicks! In my experience, EEs will be much better egg producers than show type Ameraucanas, and as Pyxis mentioned, nobody sells Araucanas, which are all tailless. I prefer EEs myself, for those reasons. Mary

 

[BantyChooks]

You can say the hatchery. They're Easter Eggers. No hatchery carries purebred Ameraucanas aside from Meyer. No hatchery at all has araucanas.

X2. It is annoying that they say EEs are Ameraucanas or Araucanas, but hey, just gotta grin and bear it as they ain't changing.

 

[nikkers390]

You can buy pure Ameraucanas from Cackle and Myers. They are pricey chicks. Feed stores sell EE, not Ameraucanas. Both lay blue/green eggs. EE are prettier and healthier than the pure breds. I love my EE. Such a variety and great egg layers. You will love them

 

[BYC910]

They are in fact Easter Eggers . But Easter Eggers are the beginings of the Ameraucnas foundation stock if you will . Over the many years of breeding and weeding out the traits that founders of the Ameraucana breeders Association found undesirable in the breed they were developing. They were cast aside . It doesn't bother me at all that the hatcheries market them as Ameraucanas . Because the early breeders marketed them as Ameraucanas . Easter eggers are more hardy. They are a better egg laying breed of chickens than Ameraucanas I think . If I had to make a choice between the two from egg production and marketability in a normal market my EEs will win every time . Araucanas are different breed . @ Ravynfallen is working with those .

 

[mizjones]

Ok, then the name of the hatchery in question is Mount Healthy and our local feeds store in Orangeburg, SC buys from them.

And thankyou, thankyou for your responses. This clears everything up for me. I'm very tempted though to contact this hatchery and demand they practice "truth in advertising" or something.

I'm disappointed only because I had started to believe that just maybe we were getting some high end birds for cheap (cheep!). Plus I like the blue/green egg idea. But these little girls sure are cute and I'll enjoy fresh eggs regardless.