Please help me Identify my Ameraucana rooster and 'random rare chick'

[Olivekat07]

On Bird #2 - those are some very peculiar looking feet...

As far as gender and breed, those who posted above me have far more experience than I do.

Those type of feet are normal, the toes being crooked? Yes that’s normal.

 

[GrnThumb]

I noticed the crooked toes on bird #2 this morning and was concerned they might be broken. The middle toe on each foot bends almost 90 degrees inward each time the bird takes a step. The toe seems to bend as the bird contracts it's leg muslces to lift it's foot forward, so the bending only happens to one foot at a time (because the toe straightens out as the bird finishes each step). Bird #2 is the only bird in the entire flock to display crooked/bending toes but it doesn't seem to hurt or effect his(?) ability to walk or run/flutter around and he is drinking and eating normally. Is this typical for "easter egger" breed?

 

[Olivekat07]

I noticed the crooked toes on bird #2 this morning and was concerned they might be broken. The middle toe on each foot bends almost 90 degrees inward each time the bird takes a step. The toe seems to bend as the bird contracts it's leg muslces to lift it's foot forward, so the bending only happens to one foot at a time (because the toe straightens out as the bird finishes each step). Bird #2 is the only bird in the entire flock to display crooked/bending toes but it doesn't seem to hurt or effect his(?) ability to walk or run/flutter around and he is drinking and eating normally. Is this typical for "easter egger" breed?

The crooked toes are COMPLETELY normal, nothing to worry about. It is normal for every breed to have crooked toes, I had a speckled Sussex that had crooked toes. It is 1 out of every 10 chickens that has it. It won’t effect anything.

 

[GrnThumb]

Easter Eggers.

Your "Ameraucana" is going to be a EE as well. Hatcheries mislabel them all the time. The general rule is:
Unless a bird is labeled as Ameraucana (note the spelling) and labeled as a specific color, it is a Easter Egger.

I ordered from murry McMurray and selected one male Ameraucana but no color option was available. Can you explain the difference between EE and Ameraucana breed? Are they seperats breeds? Thanks for the help .

 

[GrnThumb]

The crooked toes are COMPLETELY normal, nothing to worry about. It is normal for every breed to have crooked toes, I had a speckled Sussex that had crooked toes. It is 1 out of every 10 chickens that has it. It won’t effect anything.

Thanks for sharing, that's an interesting fact!

 

[Zinjifrah]

I noticed the crooked toes on bird #2 this morning and was concerned they might be broken. The middle toe on each foot bends almost 90 degrees inward each time the bird takes a step. The toe seems to bend as the bird contracts it's leg muslces to lift it's foot forward, so the bending only happens to one foot at a time (because the toe straightens out as the bird finishes each step). Bird #2 is the only bird in the entire flock to display crooked/bending toes but it doesn't seem to hurt or effect his(?) ability to walk or run/flutter around and he is drinking and eating normally. Is this typical for "easter egger" breed?

In all honesty... perhaps it is normal, but if I ordered chicks from a hatchery, and received one with feet like that, I'd be having words for the hatchery.

Ameraucana is a recognized breed of chicken with specific recognized colorations, and several colorations that are being worked on but are not currently recognized (Such as lavender and chocolate) which produce only blue eggs and, if the same color is bred together, will reliably produce that coloration, whereas E.E., aka Easter Egger, is a crossbreed that produces colored eggs - blue, green, and even pink apparently, and may not breed true to color. That's my understanding of the difference, but I offer no guarantee that I'm not mistaken in some fashion! I'm pretty new to chickens.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I ordered from murry McMurray and selected one male Ameraucana but no color option was available. Can you explain the difference between EE and Ameraucana breed? Are they seperats breeds? Thanks for the help .

Murray McMurray does not sell the real thing. They are one of the hatcheries that mislabeled them. Even calls them the real thing!

Okay. Ameraucanas are a chicken breed that has approx. 10 different color varieties. They always lay blue eggs, have a beard and muffs, and have dark/slate legs.

Araucanas are a rumpless breed, and have ear tufts. They lay blue or green eggs, and also have several color varieties.

Easter Eggers are mixed breeds, created using Ameraucans, and other breeds, usually not known. They can be any color, usually have pea combs, but sometimes single, due to the cross breeding, they usually have green legs/feet, but they can be yellow. Again, usually have beard/muffs, but not always. They lay green, blue, pink, and sometimes just white or brown, eggs. they are a fun breed, because you don't know what color they will turn out to be, or what color egg they will lay. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them, there just needs to be clarification between what is, and want isn't, true breeds. You can't show them.

 

[GrnThumb]

Very informative. Does each EE bird lay only one color, and different individuals in the same flock lay different colors? Or is a single bird capable of laying multiple different colors?

 

[Olivekat07]

Very informative. Does each EE bird lay only one color, and different individuals in the same flock lay different colors? Or is a single bird capable of laying multiple different colors?

A single bird is responsible for laying one color egg. All though they can have speckles from time to time, they still will lay one color

 

[GrnThumb]

If I breed the two EE (assuming one is a female) can they produce chicks that may lay green, blue or pink eggs? Or would the female offspring eventually lay the same color as the mother?