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

[Sonoran Silkies]

PA requires that birds breed true to type, colour size and comb at least 50% of the time. That means that they can also be incorrect up to 50% of the time. That os in the standard. Yes, you can show and even place any bird that actually meets the standard, even if it is a mutt cross that happened.to get all the correct features, but it would likely not come even close.to breeding true. using non tufted araucanas, on the other hand will breed true 50% of the time, and thus is within the standards.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

additionally, the Bantam Standard states that only 50% of offspring will be tufted.

 

[Ravynscroft]

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.

What you are condoning is against all showing and breeding guidelines, rules and ethics... yes, a bird with the correct phenotype could win in a show when it is not an actual correct breed... in fact, someone once did it... and was then banned and blacklisted... thus the requirements that breeds must breed true at least 50% of the time... and the time and energy it takes to make a mixed bird correct in phenotype to not only show, but win for a breed it is not, is considerably more than it would take to simply breed the proper breed and show it...

Without the proper genotype they will not breed true and meet standard requirements and that is what is meant when a breed of poultry is called 'purebred'... most of our modern day breeds are amalgams of different breeds bred together until they breed true to the type desired... crossing in one of the original base breeds to improve a flaw and rebreed back to the existing breed is a common practice among breeders... only once the breed returns to breeding true is it accepted by that breeder as being pure again...


And to the OP, @Chickyloubou I give you my sincere apology that your desire to learn and gain knowledge has devolved into such an unnecessary spiraling debate... unfortunately with any of these breeds and the term Easter Egger, you will find this happens often... several people gave you some good advice and a starting base for learning... I hope this experience does not reflect too badly on your desire to know more...

Oh, and I do raise and breed Araucanas, Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars... contrary to popular belief, Araucanas are not a 'rumpless, tufted, blue egg laying bird' from South America... it was created using 2 main base breeds found in South America, one was rumpless and tufted and one was tailed and layed blue eggs... just as smooth faced happens in Araucanas, so do tails come out to haunt us... all we can do is keep breeding forward and improve as best we can...

 

[Chickyloubou]

So is it possible that my new babies are Araucanas?

 

[enola]

In the USA Araucana chickens should not have tails. At best your chicks may have an Araucana in their ancestry.

When Rayvn said the tails still occassionally show up to haunt the breed, she may have been referring to what is called 'drop tails', these tails usually hang down in a fan shape.

I get a couple of them out of every 100 or so chicks.

 

[Eggcessive]

These links may help you since many people incorrectly call any bird that lays blue eggs as auracana:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Arau/BRKAraucanas.html

 

[junebuggena]

So is it possible that my new babies are Araucanas?

Not likely at all. Some of them have muffs, which is an Ameraucana trait, not Araucana. They are hatchery type Easter Eggers.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Araucanas have tufts coming from their "cheek" area. Tufts are small clumps of feathers growing from a small protrusion of skin. They are also rumpless. Many breeders use non-tufted birds since the tuft gene is lethal in two doses. Some also used tailed birds as they believe rumpless birds are not as fertile.

If you are looking to breed or show, you need tufted, rumpless birds. For breeding, you can use birds that do not display all the traits so long as each breeding pair has between them all the necessary characteristics.

You also need to look at other breed characteristics. Araucanas have a pea comb, yellow skin, red earlobes, etc.


This is one good link for araucana bantams: http://browneggblueegg.com/Araucana.html

 

[Chickyloubou]

Well I have learned a lot! Thanks KS everyone. And now I also know if I breed my copper maran to one of easter Eggers I will get an olive egger! Haha!

 

[junebuggena]

Well I have learned a lot! Thanks KS everyone. And now I also know if I breed my copper maran to one of easter Eggers I will get an olive egger! Haha!

You might get an Olive Egger. If your Easter Egger lays a shade of green, then she has a blue egg gene and a brown egg gene. When crossed with dark brown egg layer, you would could get an Olive Egger, or you could get a brown egg layer.