what is he?

[kleinheksel farm]

That is true, but there is a very fuzzy line between "just a mutt" and "mutt that probably has a blue egg gene", especially in roos.

Ameraucana is an APA recognized breed with 8 recognized colors. According to the Standards of Perfection for that breed, any color mixing results in an EE, even if bred from true Ameraucana parents. Those EEs should lay true blue eggs.

When "easter" eggs started getting popular, hatcheries mixed Ameraucana with high-production breeds to increase egg production and breed out broodiness, resulting in true mutt breeds rather than just color mutts (Amer color X to Amer color Y resulting in unrecognized color XY). Now that it's a huge craze they are probably breeding EEs to EEs, resulting in some layers who don't have the blue egg gene and some roos who don't carry it.

Some people, myself included, consider the bird a mutt rather than an EE when the blue egg gene has been bred out. At that point it is just a mutt bird that obviously has Amer somewhere in its lineage.

The more Ameraucana characteristics your roo has, the better the chances of him carrying that blue egg gene and passing it to offspring. Your boy's comb appears to be a hybrid between pea comb and single, so he's likely been crossed one or several times. He still has beautiful muffs.

The only real way to tell is to breed him to brown egg-laying hens and keeping the female offspring til laying age. When you breed him to brown egg layers, you may get green eggs. Breeding to white egg layers will result in some white layers and some blue layers, though I'm not sure which one is dominant or if that gene is more complicated (white is "not blue + not brown").

Now THAT is some good information. Are there any other characteristics of an Amer that I could look for? He'll be bred with all brown egg layers. I guess we'll have to wait and see what we get

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry//CGA/Arau/BRKAraucanas.html

You might enjoy feathersite.

Sorry I don't know enough about Ameraucanas to tell you anything. I have only had EEs and bantam EEs.

Edited to add: I forgot I did buy some wheaten Ameraucanas once but IDK if they were true Amer. because I never researched it...bought them since they were pretty!

 

[BlazeJester]

Characteristics of true Amer include:

beard/muffs - check

slate legs - check (if the bottoms of his feet are yellow he's mixed with another breed - if white/pink, possibly pure Amer heritage)

pea comb - check

blue egg gene - TBD

I think your chances are pretty good. He's a beautiful boy. Could be that he really is just a "color mutt" and pure Amer otherwise!