What is the difference between Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas??

[Barnette]

Like the title says, I'm really confused about the differences between Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas. I had always thought that EEs were a type of Americana, but I read somewhere that this is not true. Any advice/answers would be great, and thanks for your time!!

 

[DobieLover]

Ameraucanas are a pure breed with a SOP.
Easter Eggers are hybrids of any breed of chicken mixed with a pure breed chicken that carries the blue egg gene. The most common pairings are with Ameraucanas or Cream Legbars.
Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars are much more expensive than EEs.

 

[Barnette]

Ameraucanas are a pure breed with a SOP.
Easter Eggers are hybrids of any breed of chicken mixed with a pure breed chicken that carries the blue egg gene. The most common pairings are with Ameraucanas or Cream Legbars.
Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars are much more expensive than EEs.

Okay. So all EEs lay blue eggs but not all Americanas do?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Other way around, all Ameraucanas should lay blue eggs. Most Easter-eggers lay blue or green, but some end up not inheriting the blue egg gene and may lay tan or pinkish-brown eggs instead.

Easter-egger is kind of an amorphous term for which different people have different definitions. For example, some don't consider the Legbar-based EEs to be EEs at all, only the Ameraucana-based ones. Some call a pure Ameraucana that does not have the proper coloring a mixed-color Ameraucana, while others strictly state that any non-standard coloring means it's an Easter-egger even if both parents were Ameraucanas. Some say it can only be an Easter-egger if it does have the blue egg gene, and if it does not, then it's just a mix.

The long and short on the Easter-egger name is that it's a catch-all term for a non-standard bird that has the blue egg gene somewhere in its ancestry.

 

[SilverBirds]

This article explains the difference very well.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...s-and-ameraucanas-with-review-optional.76220/

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Okay. So all EEs lay blue eggs but not all Americanas do?

AmerIcana are EEs. AmerAUcana are the pure breed. Some hatcheries use a similar but different spelling to make their EEs look like the pure breed when selling

 

[Barnette]

Other way around, all Ameraucanas should lay blue eggs. Most Easter-eggers lay blue or green, but some end up not inheriting the blue egg gene and may lay tan or pinkish-brown eggs instead.

Easter-egger is kind of an amorphous term for which different people have different definitions. For example, some don't consider the Legbar-based EEs to be EEs at all, only the Ameraucana-based ones. Some call a pure Ameraucana that does not have the proper coloring a mixed-color Ameraucana, while others strictly state that any non-standard coloring means it's an Easter-egger even if both parents were Ameraucanas. Some say it can only be an Easter-egger if it does have the blue egg gene, and if it does not, then it's just a mix.

The long and short on the Easter-egger name is that it's a catch-all term for a non-standard bird that has the blue egg gene somewhere in its ancestry.

Thank you for explaining this! It clears a lot up for me. So, my little brown/gold/black hen with a beard who lays blue eggs... EE or Americana? Both or neither?

 

[Barnette]

AmerIcana are EEs. AmerAUcana are the pure breed. Some hatcheries use a similar but different spelling to make their EEs look like the pure breed when selling

Ah. Thanks!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Thank you for explaining this! It clears a lot up for me. So, my little brown/gold/black hen with a beard who lays blue eggs... EE or Americana? Both or neither?

EE. It's a pretty common hen color for EEs, I've had a few over the years

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Thank you for explaining this! It clears a lot up for me. So, my little brown/gold/black hen with a beard who lays blue eggs... EE or Americana? Both or neither?

Easter-egger for sure! She's gorgeous, too!