The EE braggers thread!!!

[Summer98]

I wondered the same thing about hatcheries. I would guess that they have a purebred ameraucana and mix that with whatever, but I have no idea. I have two chicks that are all white, some red, some orange, some tan. Puffy cheeks and tails. It makes me wonder what they were crossed with to get such variety.

 

[Tikkijane]

So, here's a new question I have: what is the most common type of cross that hatcheries use to produce EE's? Do they have Ameraucanas that they put under random roos, or do they just have a big ol' pen of third and fourth generation EEs?
I've been hunting down threads with pics of various EEs, and I've noticed that the most common coloration patters I see resemble common Ameruacana coloration, which indicates to me that it's common to have one parent be full Ameruacana.

Hatcheries will sell them as Ameraucanas, fwiw. This tells me they are breeding Easter Egger roos and hens, since we know that Ameraucanas only come from breeders that adhere to the breed standard, whereas hatcheries continue breeding everyone. For example, all of my EEs came from the same hatchery (sold as Ameraucanas). Out of the 6 I have, one of them does not have a muff or beard; she's my olive egger. One of them has the muff, but lays brown eggs. They are not true to the breed, even though being sold as such, which really, is fine by me- I'm getting more to balance out my brown to blue/green ratio.

My friend had a beautiful EE cockerel that she had to rehome, but he was gorgeous!

 

[CSWolffe]

I am aware EEs do not conform to breed standards, and I know most feed stores mistakenly label their EEs as 'Ameraucanas'. From what I have seen most hatcheries label their EEs as Ameraucana/Easter Eggers, indicating they know they are mutts, but are of recent Ameruacana stock.
Personally, I am more than happy with my EE's mutt status. I like that they benefit from hybrid-vigor, and I am having fun watching them grow, trying to guess at what coloration they will have.

 

[runsw/scissors]

I just found this thread!

I bought 18 EE chicks from, you guessed it!, a hatchery and gave away 7 chicks and have fallen head over heels with the remaining chicks.

They are beautiful little critters. I am very surprised that one hen (!!) is rumpless, I never knew that was a possibility. Basically I am just thrilled with these little guys.

 

[Tikkijane]

I just found this thread!

I bought 18 EE chicks from, you guessed it!, a hatchery and gave away 7 chicks and have fallen head over heels with the remaining chicks.

They are beautiful little critters. I am very surprised that one hen (!!) is rumpless, I never knew that was a possibility. Basically I am just thrilled with these little guys.

Araucanas are rumpless. This is one of the reason hatchery ameraucanas are not true to breed, in addition to some not laying blue/green eggs.

Breed standards here: http://ameraucana.org/faq.html

 

[Tikkijane]

I am aware EEs do not conform to breed standards, and I know most feed stores mistakenly label their EEs as 'Ameraucanas'. From what I have seen most hatcheries label their EEs as Ameraucana/Easter Eggers, indicating they know they are mutts, but are of recent Ameruacana stock.
Personally, I am more than happy with my EE's mutt status. I like that they benefit from hybrid-vigor, and I am having fun watching them grow, trying to guess at what coloration they will have.

If we're talking TSC, they will only label what they get shipped to them from the hatchery. (which is usually why, imo, they don't really know what they are selling, but will tell you what's on the packing slip). Our one feed store orders from the same hatchery, and they, too, are sold as Ameraucanas, but are EEs.

Some people are very, um, particular

about their breeds and what makes what. I guess if you are a breeder and shower, that would matter. I just like me some eggs and

my girlies, so I don't fall into that camp.

Asfik, you can get olive eggers by breeding things like cucko marans to EEs to get the olive egg. But EEs are bred in hatcheries by EE parents, which is why they end up as EEs and not meeting either the Ameraucana or Araucana breed standards. One of my EEs is an olive egg layer, and she has no beard or muffs.
I, personally, don't care what they actually are, because I just

the pretty eggs!

And, while I like the surprise of what colored eggs I'm going to get, I'll admit to being disappointed when one of my EEs laid a brown egg. In the end, it feeds my chicken math addiction, because now I'm going to get more EEs!

 

[Kassaundra]

I just found this thread!

I bought 18 EE chicks from, you guessed it!, a hatchery and gave away 7 chicks and have fallen head over heels with the remaining chicks.

They are beautiful little critters. I am very surprised that one hen (!!) is rumpless, I never knew that was a possibility. Basically I am just thrilled with these little guys.

Arucana's are rumpless in this country, but I don't know that there are any hatcheries selling arucana's (rumpless and tufted) There maybe a very few out there but it wouldn't be a common thing and they wouldn't be selling them as EE or Ameracana. I would bet money on your little one being a boy instead. My first batch of chickens ever were EE's (also sold as ameracana's but I knew when I ordered them what I was getting) I had one that I thought might be an arucana also b/c to me he looked like he might be rumpless (not having any experience w/ it at all) anyway it just turned out that he was almost 2 weeks behind the girls in feather developement, especially tail feathers.

 

[flower]

Ideal Hatchery in Texas is the largest hatchery and ships more chicks than any other hatchery including MM. They buy their birds and maybe hatch eggs from smaller hatcheries and local farmers. I do not know if they breed or raise any of their birds but I guess that I should since I am posting here. When I was interested in Brabanters and frequented that thread I learned that their source of this breed was a smaller farm/hatchery nearby their business. As Tikejane mentioned TSC and other hardware stores label their chicks as they arrive from the source. The two Ace hardware stores around here order from New Mexico. I have considered ordering specific chicks from the NM hatchery via the hardware store since I can order a limited number without paying extra. My goal is to have a EE/NN/showgirl/polish mix of LF and bantams. What fun ! Right now I am collecting "pure breeds" of nice quality in the colors that I want, all with blue in their background. Blue, black splash birdies as above ! What fun.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

My two EE's, Eliza and Olivia 2/9/12 (2 days old)


Eliza has the beard and muffs


Olivia does not (she looks like a furby here)


Here they are at 6.5 weeks old.. Eliza still has the beard and muffs and Olivia does not


This is Josephine my 19 month old EE

 

[Peach2u]

Well it looks like my Brood is done. Out of 45 eggs in the incubator 33 have hatched. I don't think anymore will hatch but, I could be wrong. I put a splash maran over my Ameraucans and EE's. Looks like they are all a shade of grey! Except two cream colored one.