The True Truth: How to tell an Easter Egger from an Ameraucana. Even if you think you have an Ameraucana, do check!

[Klobers]

Here’s my 15 week old Easter egger. Still holding out hope he’s a she, but feeling like I have a cockerel on my hands...

 

[Tom Kathleen]

Interesting post! I always chuckle when people are posting "pure Ameraucana" for sale. It's a cross. You are taking a chance buying them, no matter what the price. I bought some Prairie Bluebells and was doubting their lineage. Someone on here said "consider the odds if the hatchery has purebred Araucanas or not." Big light bulb. If a hatchery has successful breeding of Araucanas (which have low fertility rates and, even if fertile, low hatch rates) they would probably be selling Araucana eggs or chicks at high prices and not mixed breed chicks you can buy in quantities of 20.

 

[Reinventme127]

Well, feed store was in there.

That is where i got my knockoff. The roo is pretty that i got though. Several that i got from rural king were not the breed they were supposed to be. Is there a preferred supplier

 

[Poultrybonkers]

In 2012 I bought hatching eggs from mpc and hatched two Ameraucanas well I think they were as they were colors that am come in, a black and splash heres pics of those

Ive also has allot of ee over the years now I have true ameraucanas but breeder they came from have a bunch of defects i have a scissor beaked one and a blind one heres a pic of the blind one a friend who got birds from same breeder has a ton that are blind aswell

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I was told by feed store she’s lay blue or yellow. What do you think? And what breed? These pics are 2 months old. I’ll get recent tomorrow too. Thank you.

Chickens don't lay yellow eggs, lol. Blue/green sounds right. She's a crested Cream Lagbar mix, so technically still an EE, but not the normal type.

 

[Vickischics]

Ok. I have seen too many posts with people saying "Here's my pure Americana (note the spelling) what color is it?" The pic is always of a beautiful EE.

So here goes: THESE TRAITS are what determine whether yours is the rare pure Ameraucana...or the very common EE!
(EEs are mixes that lay Blue/green and often resemble the pure breed Ameraucana, and are sold as such A LOT.)

THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT!

#1: Colorations
Here I will show some pics of EE colors vs Ameraucana colors.
Ameraucanas come in solid colors; black, blue, silver, wheaten, and a few more. Don't be fooled by your brain going "hey, mine looks wheaten!"
Here's an EE pattern similar to wheaten vs the real color:
EE:
View attachment 2367240
Ameraucana:
View attachment 2367241
See the difference?
Here are some common EE colors. THESE ARE NOT COLORS YOU FIND IN AMERAUCANAS!

View attachment 2367243View attachment 2367851View attachment 2367853


View attachment 2367242
View attachment 2367244View attachment 2367245
NEXT: LEGS.
I'll give it to you straight: Ameraucanas never have green legs. Or yellow. Or whatever. They only have slate, with pink skin underneath. So if your "ameraucana" has purdy lil' green feet, rethink what you're calling her.

NEXT: COMB. Ameraucanas always have pea combs. None of those weird lopsided modified peas, or a single, or anything. Only a normal pea comb.
Modified pea:View attachment 2367246
NEXT: Eggs.
Ameraucanas lay blue. EEs lay blue/aqua/green/sometimes pink.
If you're getting brown green or aqua, you've got yourself an EE.
Blue, likely still an EE.

NEXT: Source. Did you buy from a feed store or hacthery? Was it under 20$ per chick? If so, EE.

Hope this helps, y'all. My two EEs are some of the best things that ever happened to me, and I hope it's the same for you.
If you read through this and still aren't sure, I can tell you if you post a pic.
Good luck!

That was a very nice explanation. Thank you!
I have three EE's. I get two blue eggs and one green. The Golden one just went Broody!!!! Ugh!

 

[Subaru07]

Thank you for your help. I love my EE's. 1st is my EE rooster and the rest are EE hens. I absolutly love their color patterns. Even my odd white with buff color on her chest named Snow White. Last pic. is my EE's & LB. Love them all.

 

[Johnny17]

Here is my easter egger pullets and cockerel. I think that they are lovely

 

[Honeybear77]

One of my EEs laid her first egg today! A Christmas egg!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Here’s my 15 week old Easter egger. Still holding out hope he’s a she, but feeling like I have a cockerel on my hands...

Gorgeous! I’m unfortunately guessing boy. The saddles?
Where did you get him? He looks solid blue, has a straight pea, slate/black legs, and the right amount of muffage.
Still likely an EE though.