What is the difference between an Easter Egger and an Auracana?

[junebuggena]

Ameraucana Breeders Association

 

[greenleaf]

Here is a link to an article in Backyard Poultry Magazine that should help.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I would also like to add, dedicated Araucana breeders do not refer to their clean faced birds as Easter eggers. They realize clean faced birds are not show quality, but consider them necessary to their breeding program.

Personally, I prefer the clean faced chickens over the tufted ones.

Enola, clean faced birds are not Araucanas - they are by definition Easter Eggers. What breeders call them is irrelevant.


The point here is that heritage/bloodlines/etc are irrelevant in chicken breeding - all that matters is displayed phenotype. Purebred doesn't mean anything. Mutt doesn't mean anything. The only thing that matters is how close that particular bird is to the breed specification.

Part of the Easter Egger phenotype - pretty much the only thing that's important - is that blue egg gene. If someone is selling you a bird as an Easter Egger and it doesn't lay blue or green eggs, you're not getting what you paid for.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I would also like to add, dedicated Araucana breeders do not refer to their clean faced birds as Easter eggers. They realize clean faced birds are not show quality, but consider them necessary to their breeding program.


Personally, I prefer the clean faced chickens over the tufted ones.

Enola, clean faced birds are not Araucanas - they are by definition Easter Eggers. What breeders call them is irrelevant.



The point here is that heritage/bloodlines/etc are irrelevant in chicken breeding - all that matters is displayed phenotype. Purebred doesn't mean anything. Mutt doesn't mean anything. The only thing that matters is how close that particular bird is to the breed specification.

Part of the Easter Egger phenotype - pretty much the only thing that's important - is that blue egg gene. If someone is selling you a bird as an Easter Egger and it doesn't lay blue or green eggs, you're not getting what you paid for. 

Enola is correct. a bird that lacks a single trait required by the standard, yet is useful for breeding does not mean the bird is not that breed. it simply means it is not entirely to standard. in the case of lethal genes, using non tufted breeders means that you have fewer chicks that die in the shell. also, what do you consider birds with a single tuft? by your definition it would seem you consider them ees, too.

 

[enola]

Crazy talk , I am curious..... Do you breed Araucanas? We do agree on one point...... Easter eggers that lay brown, cream or white eggs are not Easter eggers. I have said that for years.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Enola is correct. a bird that lacks a single trait required by the standard, yet is useful for breeding does not mean the bird is not that breed

When that trait is one of the specific defining traits of the breed, it absolutely does mean that the bird is not of the breed. A bird without a crest is not Polish. A bird without a buttercup style comb is not a Sicilian Buttercup. A bird without the correct feather type is not a Silkie - and a bird without tufts is not an Aracauna, and a bird that doesn't have the blue egg gene is not an Easter Egger.

There are literally dozens of chicken breeds separated by single traits - people fudging these things are exactly why we have these problems.

The problem here is that you're again confusing breed with how the word is used in dogs and cats - as a prescriptive term. It's not. In chickens breed is entirely descriptive - it doesn't tell you what the birds ancestors were, it doesn't tell you what the bird will produce when breeding. It's about phenotype, not genotype. All it tells you is that this particular bird has the particular traits that define the breed. If we start including birds that don't have those traits, the entire thing is a waste of time.

 

[MeepBeep]

When that trait is one of the specific defining traits of the breed, it absolutely does mean that the bird is not of the breed. A bird without a crest is not Polish. A bird without a buttercup style comb is not a Sicilian Buttercup. A bird without the correct feather type is not a Silkie - and a bird without tufts is not an Aracauna, and a bird that doesn't have the blue egg gene is not an Easter Egger.

Since an EE is not a breed why do you finish applying breed standards to the term EE?

Just because the ABC says a bird with a blue gene is called an EE does not mean that definition is universally accepted, especially outside the ABC's membership...

Lets look at the ABC definition...

"The Ameraucana Breeders Club defines an Easter Egg chicken or Easter Egger as any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene, but doesn’t fully meet any breed descriptions as defined in the APA and/or ABA standards."

If find that definition flawed, and highly biased for their own prejudiced breed standard reasons, they have a clear agenda with their definition... They are not an organization in the business of recognizing and defining breeds outside their own single breed... IMO their definition is nothing more than their 'opinion' and that is all the weight I will give it...

In a previous post you claimed that the APA defines EE as a blue gene bird as well, can you point me to this official APA definition of an EE? I'm unaware the APA was in the business of specifying 'standards' outside their recognized breeds, thus the reason I ask for verification on the claim...

In the end if you want to insist that the ABC definiton of Easter Egger is somehow official, I will have to disagree... I would never call for example a Crested Cream Legbar an 'Easter Egger' just because in the ABC;s 'opinion' it is...

 

[CrazyTalk]

Since an EE is not a breed why do you finish applying breed standards to the term EE?\

Because its a classifying term. Words are useless if we just make up our own meanings all the time - the definition I stated is used by pretty much every recognized poultry body.


As to the Crested Cream Legbar - there's an APA draft specification - the breed is officially recognized - so by definition, not Easter Eggers.

 

[MeepBeep]

Because its a classifying term. Words are useless if we just make up our own meanings all the time - the definition I stated is used by pretty much every recognized poultry body.

As I said previous what makes or deems the ABA opinion of what is or isn't an EE the 'official'' definition all should follow outside of said club? I don't care if you claim other 'recognized poultry bodies' agree, please post up these other recognize poultry organizations official acceptance of the definition, surely they have put it in writing if they recognize it and follow it? I have asked you several time to back up your claim the APA has the same 'blue gene' EE definition and yet I'm still waiting for that verification...

As to the Crested Cream Legbar - there's an APA draft specification - the breed is officially recognized - so by definition, not Easter Eggers.

So when the wording of the 'classifying term' doesn't fit your description you can ignore that part?

"but doesn’t fully meet any breed descriptions as defined in the APA and/or ABA standards."

The Crested Cream Legbar at this time is not a recognized APA breed, thus even with a draft specification if can't meet the APA breed description as it's not an APA defined breed, thus in the black and white of the 'classifying term' you suggest we follow they are Easter Eggers...

Thus the reason I refuse to follow their opinion, as I find it flawed, biased, and prejudice for obvious reasons... There is some pure irony that if you follow their definition you can breed an 'Easter Egger' to an 'Ameraucana' and get a pure 'Ameraucana' and some pure irony that even though a bird can be genetically and DNA an Ameraucana, if it doesn't look 'perfect' it's an Easter Egger...

 

[CrazyTalk]

There is some pure irony that if you follow their definition you can breed an 'Easter Egger' to an 'Ameraucana' and get a pure 'Ameraucana' and some pure irony that even though a bird can be genetically and DNA an Ameraucana, if it doesn't look 'perfect' it's an Easter Egger...

This is EXACTLY how poultry breeding and showing works. You could splice together the genes from an Ameracauna, a Polish bird, and your neighbor's doberman, and if the resulting genetic mess meets the specification for a Delaware - IT IS A DELAWARE. It can be shown as a Delaware.

Parentage DOES NOT MATTER. The word "PURE" means nothing.

This is how poultry judging and classification works. PHENOTYPE is not just everything, it is THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS.