The EE braggers thread!!!

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote:

Bruce

...I just posted their pictures because someone had asked if anyone was hatching

...and I think they're cute...

I know they will look like these chickens, but more "blended"



And about half will be boys and half girls

But if I had to guess...

Girl
Boy
Boy
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
Girl
Boy
Boy
Boy

Meanie

Willow
Willow, your chicks are darling, and I'm glad you posted. Bragging about our EEs is what this thread is all about. Please don't be mad at Bruce. I think he was trying to make a joke and teasing a little because everyone seems anxious to see what their EEs will look like and what sex they will be. I think that is really part of the fun of having them! Hope you show us some more pics as they grow.

 

[bruceha2000]

If you breed a Ameraucana to an Ameraucana you have to get an Ameraucana! Genetically, there is no possible way to get an entirely different breed on chicken! Technically, you can only get a non-standard bird. Is there any other breed of chicken that calls non-standard birds an entirely different breed?

I can see both sides of the argument.
Yes, if you breed a 100% guaranteed purebred Ameraucana to another, the offspring must be purebred Ameraucana. But the breed standard says they only have to breed true 50% of the time - which goes back to Gifa's comment about some bad blood in the line somewhere if you ask me. I can see the occasional "sport" but if you can't get a lot closer to 100%, there is probably too much "if I add this other breed into the line just this one time to improve such and such a feature" going on in the Ameraucana lineage. I've seen it in other breed threads. Want to get the weight up, add some of this "other breed" - never mind that the "other breed" was NEVER used in the development of the breed they are working on. But they still want to say the offspring are the "original" breed they started with. Mix and match all you like, but come up with a new name if you ask me.

This is from the Ameraucana Breeders Club web page:
"Further, even if a bird meets an Ameraucana standard breed description, but doesn’t meet a variety description or breed true at least 50% of the time it is considered an Easter Egg chicken."

So it seems they agree that an Ameraucana can be an Easter Egger

I imagine they are hoping to up that 50% by removing the "non-standards" from the breeding pool. The easiest way to do that is to call them something OTHER than Ameraucana. There can't be an APA Easter Egger breed until there is a repeatable process to breed them and know that you will get what you EXPECT to get (not withstanding that 50% Ameraucana thing). But EEs can be any breed crossed with any other breed as long as there is some Araucana or Ameraucana showing up in some fashion - beard, muff, blue or green eggs.

But I'm not posting this over in the Ameraucana thread

Bruce

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I'm sorry. It's so frustrating when our favorites turn out to be boys. I personally have not had a 6 week old pullet with a reddish comb. Can you post a pic? Are it's feathers coming in differently than the others?

They came in at the same rate of growth but "he" is starting to get the dark red in the shoulder area so I think we will just have an EE roo instead of a Brahma or maybe just get more hens and keep them both. Chicken math strikes again lol

 

[Kassaundra]

To all the EE Braggers on here, I know a lot of us frequent the Ameraucana thread as well. I also know a number of us have not been well received when asking questions about the SOP of the breed and questioning the issue of EE vs. Ameraucana. I don't want to offend anyone but in my opinion you can't breed two birds of the same breed together and get offspring that would be considered an entirely different breed. As a fan of both Ameraucanas and EE's, I decided that it might be time to open a thread where anyone can discuss anything they want about Ameraucanas (APA, Non-Standard, and Project birds). We all need a friendly environment to discuss Ameraucanas and explain to people who are new to the breed what category their birds should be listed as. I know a number of people on here have purchased said "Ameraucanas" only to be told that based on their coloring they are EE's. This thread is wonderful and I really enjoy the friendly environment. This is the type of atmosphere I would like to bring over to the new Ameraucana thread I created. A place where people can feel comfortable discussing anything about the breed. Hopefully, some of the old-time breeders will rejoin to discuss and share the valuable information they have regarding the breed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-discussed-apa-non-standard-and-project-birds

Well good luck w/ that, I have yet to see anything friendly and ameraucana in the same sentence, but my fingers are crossed for your success.

 

[Outrun Acres]

I can see both sides of the argument.
Yes, if you breed a 100% guaranteed purebred Ameraucana to another, the offspring must be purebred Ameraucana. But the breed standard says they only have to breed true 50% of the time - which goes back to Gifa's comment about some bad blood in the line somewhere if you ask me. I can see the occasional "sport" but if you can't get a lot closer to 100%, there is probably too much "if I add this other breed into the line just this one time to improve such and such a feature" going on in the Ameraucana lineage. I've seen it in other breed threads. Want to get the weight up, add some of this "other breed" - never mind that the "other breed" was NEVER used in the development of the breed they are working on. But they still want to say the offspring are the "original" breed they started with. Mix and match all you like, but come up with a new name if you ask me.

This is from the Ameraucana Breeders Club web page:
"Further, even if a bird meets an Ameraucana standard breed description, but doesn’t meet a variety description or breed true at least 50% of the time it is considered an Easter Egg chicken."

So it seems they agree that an Ameraucana can be an Easter Egger

I imagine they are hoping to up that 50% by removing the "non-standards" from the breeding pool. The easiest way to do that is to call them something OTHER than Ameraucana. There can't be an APA Easter Egger breed until there is a repeatable process to breed them and know that you will get what you EXPECT to get (not withstanding that 50% Ameraucana thing). But EEs can be any breed crossed with any other breed as long as there is some Araucana or Ameraucana showing up in some fashion - beard, muff, blue or green eggs.

But I'm not posting this over in the Ameraucana thread

Bruce

The 50% makes a lot more sense. Someone on the Ameraucana thread was trying to tell me that they have to breed true 100% of the time. I'm sure even breeders of quality birds can admit that even the best lines aren't going to breed true 100% of the time in any breed. Maybe being as low as 50% is the problem? You are always going to have some culls or substandard birds. In my opinion if they do there is far too much line-breeding going on and you probably have a bunch of inbred birds. I really like what you said about out-crossing to a different breed than what used in the development of the breed that you are trying to improve. An outcross back to one of the original breeds does seem like a good idea to improve specific traits in your birds.

I especially like the last thought in your post. Haha, I wouldn't risk posting it over there either! I just think it is wrong that we should feel like we can't post our own opinions on this subject over there. Thats why I started another Ameraucana thread. It probably won't take off, but I wanted to start a thread where newbies would feel comfortable discussing these types of things. Thanks for the info Bruce!

 

[Outrun Acres]

Well good luck w/ that, I have yet to see anything friendly and ameraucana in the same sentence, but my fingers are crossed for your success.

Haha, me neither! Thats why I wanted to start the thead. I couldn't believe how unwelcoming some of the subscribers on that thread were. I felt like I had walked into an ambush over there! I like it much better over here!

 

[TW1Kell]

What gets me about the whole Amie vs EE thing is that there is no such thing as a chicken that is ONLY Amie. It is a mixed breeding of genetic characteristics to obtain a particular and desired breed or type of chicken.

The creator of the breed discussed the various breeds that he used in an article that I cannot find, again. He stated that he did not use the Auracauna of South America due to it's associate fatal alleles, as well as other considerations.

Who is to say that a trait from x-number of generations past don't pop-up in a particular bird? THAT bird would still be pure-blooded Amie, but wouldn't show pure traits. Does it mean the bird is now a Rock Cornish Game? No. It is still an Amie, it just isn't "perfect".

I am a tall, slender, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian. Am I Brad Pitt? Nope! But I am pure-blooded Human. I have no dog or billy goat genes, so I am still pure. Am I any better than anyone else, based solely upon my pedigree? Nope. Anybody getting all bent about this Amie vs EE thing is wasting their time and energy, and I won't let them waste much of mine.

I like the Amie, and the EE is a derivative from my not keeping my Amies locked and segregated from the rest of my flock. I desire olive green eggs, so I intentionally add in brown egg-layers to arrive at that end. The resulting product is a full-bodied, robust, meaty chicken with vrey good egg-laying capabilities. WIN-WIN! How can I leave out the fact that they are very attractive birds? WIN-WIN-WIN! hehe I'm going to keep on experimenting until I die or can't keep my chickens, anymore.

Wait until the eggs hatch from my Hippy Hair Polish, and white-bearded Amie Hen pairing. I am so excited to see if I get hippy hair and fluffy beards. I bet THAT is going to be a cool chicken! I also bet that it'd get boos from "Purists", and I really don't care. hahaha!

Oh! I guess that I should point out that more than 75% of my birds are identical to the pics on the Amie Breeders Club site, for their respective color. They mostly meet the SoP, so....I don't feel superior, at all. I have more fun in this EE thread than in any other, tho the Sebright folks are pretty friendly, too. I have a scruffy-ish Golden Roo, and posted his pic, just because I'm proud of him. They posted that he was actually a "pretty good bird". I was very happily surprised. I would think (with what Lord Sebright did for evolution) Sebright breeders would have more rights to snobbishness than anyone else, and rightfully so. BUT, they didn't act that way. Maybe Amie breeders are picked on, at shows? Maybe they are tired of that, and they respond angrily, because of it. If they come in here, let's just show them how much fun we have with chickens!

 

[Outrun Acres]

What gets me about the whole Amie vs EE thing is that there is no such thing as a chicken that is ONLY Amie. It is a mixed breeding of genetic characteristics to obtain a particular and desired breed or type of chicken.

The creator of the breed discussed the various breeds that he used in an article that I cannot find, again. He stated that he did not use the Auracauna of South America due to it's associate fatal alleles, as well as other considerations.

Who is to say that a trait from x-number of generations past don't pop-up in a particular bird? THAT bird would still be pure-blooded Amie, but wouldn't show pure traits. Does it mean the bird is now a Rock Cornish Game? No. It is still an Amie, it just isn't "perfect".

I am a tall, slender, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian. Am I Brad Pitt? Nope! But I am pure-blooded Human. I have no dog or billy goat genes, so I am still pure. Am I any better than anyone else, based solely upon my pedigree? Nope. Anybody getting all bent about this Amie vs EE thing is wasting their time and energy, and I won't let them waste much of mine.

I like the Amie, and the EE is a derivative from my not keeping my Amies locked and segregated from the rest of my flock. I desire olive green eggs, so I intentionally add in brown egg-layers to arrive at that end. The resulting product is a full-bodied, robust, meaty chicken with vrey good egg-laying capabilities. WIN-WIN! How can I leave out the fact that they are very attractive birds? WIN-WIN-WIN! hehe I'm going to keep on experimenting until I die or can't keep my chickens, anymore.

Wait until the eggs hatch from my Hippy Hair Polish, and white-bearded Amie Hen pairing. I am so excited to see if I get hippy hair and fluffy beards. I bet THAT is going to be a cool chicken! I also bet that it'd get boos from "Purists", and I really don't care. hahaha!

Love, love, love everything you just said! All pure breeds are descendants of carefully bred mutts. By the way, thank you for posting on my new thread earlier. I would love to have more people join and get some good discussions going!

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

I've been reading these posts on all 3 threads today, and agree with a lot of what I'm reading here. I raise both EEs and BBS Ameraucanas. I feel fortunate that the first chicks I ever hatched were properly labeled Easter Eggers, and I knew the difference between the two from the start. I never had the incur the wrath on the other thread while being informed I was wrong about my chickens, as I seen so many others suffer.

The feed store in my town sells EE chicks every year labeled as Araucanas. Because of this, there is a rampant misunderstanding of EEs, Ameraucanas, and Araucanas in this area. The feed store doesn't know any better. They label them as the hatchery tells them to. What I don't understand is why more hatcheries don't adopt the term EE? EEs are colorful, sweet birds with colorful eggs. What's not to love? I realize they're trying to make a buck, but I never have any trouble selling my EE chicks, especially when folks see the eggs. I breed for egg color. We're not all trying to breed for show, and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[TW1Kell]

I just finished a post, there. I would LOVE to see a few pullets in my yard with that Chocolate Cuckoo color, wouldn't you? Hmmm... next project shaping up? hahaha!