Percentage of blue or green eggs from Ameraucanas?

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi!
I have to wonder 'what and how' the hatcheries selling EE's / whatevers are breeding.
Every cross I've made with an Ameraucana or a 'proven' EE in the mix has given me a layer of green/blue eggs.
I don't think I've just been lucky with the hundreds of cross-bred girls I've hatched.

I haven't seen anyone else breeding Ameraucanas that feels the need to call them *true Ameraucanas*.
Did you pick that up from Jody and her 'true Araucanas'?
Now that's a breed that must require time and a great deal of selection in breeding, unlike our Ameraucanas.

Lisa

 

[speckledhen]

I dont remember where I got it and it doesn't really matter, now does it? I was just being specific about what I had that laid blue eggs, as I said, because Wynette's question seemed to call for it. You must not have been around for all the Ameraucana/Americana/EE discussions.

 

[imloulou]

Quote:
I have 2 EE's that are very close to being Ameraucanas. I ordered from Murray McMurray and thought I was getting Araucanas or Ameraucanas...I have EE's.

It took me a while to realize what the differences are. I appreciate when someone states "true Ameraucana" because then I know EXACTLY what they are talking about. They are referring to hens that meet the breed standard. When people buy chicks from the hatcheries that call them Araucana/Ameraucana they call them one or the other for the first few months...until they realize that they really are Easter Eggers (I am not putting anyone down here because I called our EE's Ameraucanas until I realized what "true Ameraucanas" are). Most of the new posts on here that refer to Ameraucanas and Araucanas are actually referring to Easter Eggers.

I dont think SpeckledHen was trying to "show anyone up" saying "true Americauna" ...she has been very helpful in all the Easter Egger/Ameraucana/Araucana posts and since there have been so many questions lately she was only making it clear that the hens that she has...and lays blue eggs... are really Ameraucana's and most definitely not Easter Eggers...

The original poster asked a question that SpeckledHen answered appropriately.

Nowwwww....my Easter Eggers have not laid a single dang-blasted egg yet ...they are 22 weeks...I am about to trade them in for any danged chicken that lays...I dont care what it is called....lol!!! (Just kidding I love my Easter Eggers...they are pretty and fun!)

 

[ole-crone]

I have an interesting hen. A friend gave me her two 'araucanas' in preparation for leaving the state. When she dropped them off, they just looked like two old chickens to me. One vaguely looks like an EE - she has a pea comb and a muff. The other has a single comb and both have a well-defined tail, nothing rumpless about them. I asked my friend about ages - she has no idea since she inherited them herself from a neighbor who moved away. I suspect that the one with the single comb is the daughter of the pea comb hen but here's the kicker. One of them lays a nice blue egg. Not blue/green like my other EE hens - sky blue. I suspect that it is the older one since it rarely shows up. I've also noticed that these eggs are almost impossible to candle.

 

[Rosalind]

I have five EEs that were sold as Ameraucanas, but all five have a full beard, muffs and pea combs. Their feather colors aren't perfect standard though, and I have one really green egg-layer, one pink/pale brown, two aqua/turquoise egg-layers and one that lays really blue eggs.

And I swear, the intensity of the color really seems to depend on how many treats they get, and what kind. If I give them plain rice and bread, not much color, but lots of veggies and dairy produces more intensely colorful eggs.

 

[Zenbirder]

My two EE's began laying in the last week, both matt green. I was begining to wonder if they would ever lay, they were a full 28 weeks old! My RIR began laying as early as 18 weeks, a full 10 weeks earlier! At least the eggs are full sized, no pullet eggs from them.

 

[speckledhen]

I love all the colors that these several breeds lay. It's true that Ameraucanas bred to standard are supposed to lay eggs in the blue color family, but all of them are so beautiful and varied, no matter whether they are EE, Ameraucanas or Araucanas. An egg is such a lovely, miracle package anyway and to be able to get them in a rainbow of color is awesome.

 

[megshenhut]

I have about 12 EEs. Half of them I got from McMurrey a couple years ago and they lay varied shades of green eggs. Last year I hatched some from my EE roo and australorpe hens. They all lay olive eggs. I also hatched 2 from my EE roo and brown leghorn hens. Those 2 lay blue/green eggs, very pretty eggs.

 

[KKluckers]

I have two hens that look like white standard cochins. One lays green and one lays pink. Guess the gene has to be back there somewhere. I have them in with my Barred Rock rooster and just hatched one of there eggs for a laugh to see what I get.

 

[speckledhen]

That's funny, Christina! Sometimes you get a chicken with a surprise ancestry somewhere. I've heard of several cases. Someone even said they had a flock of New Hampshires and got a green egg from one, LOL.