Texas

[Cockle-Dood]

Fairly Certain that she is referring to the SOP (Standard of perfection) that is put out by the APA (?) . True americauna have a slate colored legs and are only several certain colors. How am i doing so far guys?

There are more 'standards' that they my fit but unfortunately have exhausted my knowledge on this....im sure the others will have plenty more detail, im interested in reading as well!

 

[Cockle-Dood]

And WELCOME!! Where in East Tex are ya?

 

[Kilsharion]

Kilshrion I had no idea that when I got three so called Ameraucanas from them I'd actually get one that is darn near show quality. The other two are mutts to the nth degree gig.gif
New here. how do you tell the difference? Can you post pictures as examples?

Yeah, let me find the links again I have a little chart that will help you out.

True Ameraucanas have muffs and a beard (think chipmunk cheeks with a beard), reddish bay eyes (only), they have a nice tail, slate legs with white soles, their back is... "regal" is how I think of it...and they lay only blue tinted eggs.

I'll edit in a bit with the link to the nice APA guideline that has drawings and a table for helping with distinction.

Here's the link: http://apa-abayouthpoultryclub.org/Edu_Material/Easter Eggers vs.pdf
Here's a FAQ from the breeder's club: http://www.ameraucana.org/faq.html


Most that you get from a hatchery will be an Easter Egger - showing one or more disqualifiers (ie yellow legs, wrong colour eyes, etc). If they are a true Ameraucana, they will meet all the "must haves". Such as pea comb, slate leggs, muffs and beard, etc.

Technically, the only thing "wrong" with Roxanne (a red-brown Ameraucana from Ideal) is that she has no beard. That's not a fully disqualifier - but, it does detract from points. She has the muffs. She has not gotten to egg laying, yet, so I can't tell if she will lay blue. If she does, I will have a "real" Ameraucana on my hands (along with the wheatens that are in the incubator - and may or may not hatch).

Buffy is DQ'd due to colour and missing beard.

Honestly, though? I prefer Buffy's colouration and Miney (clean faced and wrong colour) is just flat out amazingly beautiful. There are no "golden" Ameraucanas, though - so I just get to enjoy them as my own. Which is much what I love about them - that and their personalities are just priceless.

I may get a Ameraucana roo to cross with these gals to see if I can't get show quality out of them at some point. But, really - these are my play girls, not my project girls. So, I doubt it will happen with any real focus on my end.

 

[kkidsmom]

Where in East Tex are ya?

Texarkana area.

Thanks for the welcome. Anyone else from the Texarkana area??

True Ameraucanas have muffs and a beard (think chipmunk cheeks with a beard), reddish bay eyes (only), they have a nice tail, slate legs with white soles, their back is... "regal" is how I think of it...and they lay only blue tinted eggs.

Thanks for the info.

 

[CatKai]

I'm in Kaufman, east of DFW. I have seven dogs - most are rescues. I have been crazy to be a chicken momma for quite some time. Finally convinced my husband and he was very instrumental in finishing out the ooop. He is now very supportive. The chicks are on the way!!!

I think you are about an hour or a bit more from me. Yea on the rescues

Most of mine have been rescue's, some my own from back when I was showing. I am down to 14 now with the oldest about 16 yrs 8 months now. My husband is not al that thrilled about chickens everywhere but he is supportive of whatever I want to do. More coop building this weekend! My chicks are about to outgrow their brooder pens...

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Yeah, let me find the links again I have a little chart that will help you out.

True Ameraucanas have muffs and a beard (think chipmunk cheeks with a beard), reddish bay eyes (only), they have a nice tail, slate legs with white soles, their back is... "regal" is how I think of it...and they lay only blue tinted eggs.

I'll edit in a bit with the link to the nice APA guideline that has drawings and a table for helping with distinction.

Here's the link: http://apa-abayouthpoultryclub.org/Edu_Material/Easter Eggers vs.pdf

Most that you get from a hatchery will be an Easter Egger - showing one or more disqualifiers (ie yellow legs, wrong colour eyes, etc). If they are a true Ameraucana, they will meet all the "must haves". Such as pea comb, slate leggs, muffs and beard, etc.

excellent info! thank kilsharion! just printed it out, cant wait to read it thoroughly

 

[CatKai]

I wish they laid only blue tinted eggs but lots lay blue greens and some heavy on the green and olive. Some of the worst colored Ameraucana eggs I have seen came from an Ameraucana breeder that is said to have some nice birds.

Where in East Tex are ya?

Texarkana area.

Thanks for the welcome. Anyone else from the Texarkana area??

True Ameraucanas have muffs and a beard (think chipmunk cheeks with a beard), reddish bay eyes (only), they have a nice tail, slate legs with white soles, their back is... "regal" is how I think of it...and they lay only blue tinted eggs.

Thanks for the info.

 

[kpchick]

Oh, and I guess I didn't introduce myself.  We live in NE Houston, almost to Dayton, and  I have a large family, well, I guess technically, just a lot of small people--6 kids.

We used to live in Mason (central Texas) about 10 years ago and had I think one of every Bantam there is, and a few "regular" chickens.  The bigger chickens were from older, down-home country friends at church, and when I asked them what kind of chickens they were, they looked at me like, "Duh! They're black! Can't you see that.  They're for eatin'!"  Lol. 

We also had some lovely Rhode Island Reds that were hand raised by my kids till they were eaten by the fox, some other chicks till they were eaten by the hawk (snatched from a few feet away in front of our very eyes!), and some larger chicks that were eaten by a determined raccoon that pulled their head through the chicken wire!  It's like everything in the world were after my babies!

When we moved from there we haven't had any chickens since, and just recently started back up.  A friend (an elderly man at church) gave us some fertile eggs to hatch when he found out we had chickens, and Oh, boy! it's like he's a drug dealer of fertile hatching eggs now.  Every time my daughter goes up to talk to him, she comes home with some new eggs.  First it was EE, then it was Leghorn crosses, then it was duck eggs, now he's talking goose eggs!  LOL!  Now I've got guinea eggs in the incubator  too, and I have no idea what I'm going to do with a flock of guineas! .

So, anyway, HOWDY to all you lovely Texans!! 

 

Welcome! New to this too, but we are about halfway between Dripping Springs and Austin. Just got 9 babies, all doing well. Still under the lamp... Low 50s today but I got them out in the grass a few days ago. I'm using Coyote Creek chick starter and they seem to love it...

 

[Little Wing]

Kilshrion I had no idea that when I got three so called Ameraucanas from them I'd actually get one that is darn near show quality. The other two are mutts to the nth degree gig.gif
New here. how do you tell the difference? Can you post pictures as examples?

True Ameraucanas come in Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten and White. Any other color is an EE according to the APA.

This is my Black roo. "Paulie"


This is one of my EE hens "Mert"


Even my Lavender roo "Harry" is considered an EE because he is not one of the accepted colors.

Hope this helps.

 

[Cockle-Dood]

@Little Wing

When mert was a baby did she look like the ones in my avatar? i think thats the coloring ima get outta mine from the feathers that are starting to show