What am I?

[2dogs1cat]

Ok, I don't know who is who!

I have:
2 Buff Orphingtons
1 Speckled Sussex
1 Blue Andalusian
1 Barred Rock
2 Ameraucana

The Orphingtons are the big yellow ones, that I do know. The 2 babies are the Ameraucanas, I got them last night. It is the big grey one and the brown one that have me confused. I think the grey is Andalusian and the brown is Sussex. One died yesterday and it was more black than grey - is that the Barred Rock?

ACK! I'm so confused.

 

[CrazyMomOf2]

Sounds like you have them right.... I would assume the grey is the Andalusian too.

 

[Illia]

I don't see any Ameraucanas, but I do see Easter Eggers.

Hatcheries don't sell real Ameraucanas. As for the rest, sounds right.

 

[2dogs1cat]

Illia, please explain

 

[Illia]

Hatcheries sell what they claim as "Ameraucanas" or "Araucanas" - Breeds who originate from Chile, have tufts and/or beards, and lay blue/green eggs. Well, the truth is that Those breeds do exist, but not in hatcheries. What hatcheries sell you are crossbred chickens called Easter Eggers (with Ameraucana somewhere deep in their genes) that lay any color of egg, come in any color, and look like, well, anything. They're far from Ameraucanas and Araucanas, as they're just crossbred chickens with colored eggs (but some just lay brown or white eggs) while Ameraucanas and Araucanas are a true breed that calls for true APA standards, such as (for Ameraucanas - ) Slate legs, pea comb, certain body type, only blue/green eggs (no brown or white) and certain colors, such as Black. Blue, White, Wheaten, Blue Wheaten, Silver, and Buff. Those Easter Eggers (the name given to hatchery "ameraucanas" ) you have there look like they'll grow to be the typical partridge color.

Nothing wrong with EE's - I have two and they're great, they're just not Ameraucanas as the hatcheries claim.

 

[2dogs1cat]

My goof, I typo'd.

They are Aruacanas, not Ameraucanas.

The store had EEs and they did not look like these...now I'm quite confused

Thanks for the info!

 

[Illia]

Sure thing. They're still not Araucanas though. Araucanas will have tufts, no tail, and also don't come in that color. I'm guessing the feedstore got these chicks originally from Murray McMurray, as they are the hatchery who claims to have Araucanas. Most others claim to have Ameraucanas. I know, it is all confusing, especially the similar names. . .

 

[Celtic Hill]

nice chicks! and don't worrie what the EE are! they have a bunch next door and they are very nice chickens. Here are some links on Araucanas and Ameraucana

~Ian

 

[Dora'smom]

This is one of my pet peeves. I went to a feed store, and saw Auraucana listed on the laminated card in front of a bin of what looked exactly like my EE's. I asked the attendant about this, and she said "oh, no. They are really Ameraucanas, which are the same as Easter Eggers". I tried to explain the difference, but it was useless. She said that they have to label them this way because it is what the hatchery wants. Why do they insist on misidentifying these birds? It serves no purpose. All it does is make me not want to buy from them. I am happy with my EE's and bought more this year, but I do generally know what I am getting. Other folks may not.

 

[Illia]

Dora'smom :

This is one of my pet peeves. I went to a feed store, and saw Auraucana listed on the laminated card in front of a bin of what looked exactly like my EE's. I asked the attendant about this, and she said "oh, no. They are really Ameraucanas, which are the same as Easter Eggers". I tried to explain the difference, but it was useless. She said that they have to label them this way because it is what the hatchery wants. Why do they insist on misidentifying these birds? It serves no purpose. All it does is make me not want to buy from them. I am happy with my EE's and bought more this year, but I do generally know what I am getting. Other folks may not.

I hear you! Sadly to me the most annoying subject concerning chickens is the EE versus Araucana/Ameraucana thing. There are sooo many people who insist on not knowing the truth, and soo many people who "breed pure bred Ameraucanas" who are clearly EE's! I even once asked a hatchery, just to see if I could get answers, all about the whole misnaming thing, why they have EE's and not Ameraucanas, and so on. . . No matter what evidence I showed, they still insisted they had purebred Ameraucanas.