What kind of Ameraucana do I have?

[gardenmama45]

She definitely has splash coloring. Are her legs a greenish tint with yellow skin under the feet? If so then she’s also an Easter egger! A very cute one though!

Yes, they are. She’s a cutie, and my daughters favorite.

Well Darn, I feel so stupid now. It’s a little embarrassing. I hope we get the blue eggs we were hoping for. Thanks tho!

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Yes, they are. She’s a cutie, and my daughters favorite.

Well Darn, I feel so stupid now. It’s a little embarrassing. I hope we get the blue eggs we were hoping for. Thanks tho!

She’s definitely adorable!! Don’t feel stupid though, it’s sucks that hatcheries try and label Easter eggers as Ameraucanas! However you will probably get a blue egg from her, just a lighter shade than a true Ameraucana lays! Most of the time Easter eggers do lay light blue/greenish eggs.

 

[Galaxy_rules]

Far from an expert, but that looks like an Easter Egger to me.

X2

 

[sekeyslaks]

Yes, they are. She’s a cutie, and my daughters favorite.

Well Darn, I feel so stupid now. It’s a little embarrassing. I hope we get the blue eggs we were hoping for. Thanks tho!

It happens to the best of us,all part of the learning curve!

Yes, they are. She’s a cutie, and my daughters favorite.

Well Darn, I feel so stupid now. It’s a little embarrassing. I hope we get the blue eggs we were hoping for. Thanks tho!

Don’t feel bad it happens to all of us! And Easter Egger’s are great chickens! Such friendly goofballs with hearts of gold. I have several and one is the nicest rooster I have ever had!he is my avatar.

 

[BastyPutt]

She definitely has splash coloring. Are her legs a greenish tint with yellow skin under the feet? If so then she’s also an Easter egger! A very cute one though!!

Not so fast!

I'm not certain about the first one. But the second one, the splash, is very much an Ameracuna.

Below are the ABS standards for recognized Ameraucana varieties. A splash, although not YET recognized in large fowl (but recognized in bantams) are currently under review for large fowl.

Genetically, a blue bird is a black bird. The blue gene is a "wash" which in easy terms, the gene fades a black bird to a blue bird. So a blue chicken, carries 1/2 (one parent) blue gene. When you breed two blue birds, you will have 2 parental blue genes, which 25% of the time will result in a "double washed black bird, or a splash. If you were to breed a blue and a splash, you'd have a 50/50 chance of getting a blue bird or a splash. Then, breed splash/splash for 100% splash offspring

But, because a black bird shows zero blue genes, you will never get splash offspring directly from a black bird, even if you breed splash/black.

So with that said, a blue splash Cana can only be the result of breeding two pure Cana together, thus, making it genetically a true ameraucana that you currently wouldn't be able to show. This is furthered in this case, because I can see her little green toe poking out in the pic.

You will absolutely also get the eggs you hope for (as long as it isn't a cockerel)

http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/standard.html

 

[gardenmama45]

Not so fast!

I'm not certain about the first one. But the second one, the splash, is very much an Ameracuna.

Below are the ABS standards for recognized Ameraucana varieties. A splash, although not YET recognized in large fowl (but recognized in bantams) are currently under review for large fowl.

Genetically, a blue bird is a black bird. The blue gene is a "wash" which in easy terms, the gene fades a black bird to a blue bird. So a blue chicken, carries 1/2 (one parent) blue gene. When you breed two blue birds, you will have 2 parental blue genes, which 25% of the time will result in a "double washed black bird, or a splash. If you were to breed a blue and a splash, you'd have a 50/50 chance of getting a blue bird or a splash. Then, breed splash/splash for 100% splash offspring

But, because a black bird shows zero blue genes, you will never get splash offspring directly from a black bird, even if you breed splash/black.

So with that said, a blue splash Cana can only be the result of breeding two pure Cana together, thus, making it genetically a true ameraucana that you currently wouldn't be able to show. This is furthered in this case, because I can see her little green toe poking out in the pic.

You will absolutely also get the eggs you hope for (as long as it isn't a cockerel)

http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/standard.html

So good to know! She definitely has greenish legs and her little cheeks are getting more feathery by the day. We pray all the time that Sunshine (she was a light yellow chick and my five year old dubbed her as such) is a girl.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Not so fast!

I'm not certain about the first one. But the second one, the splash, is very much an Ameracuna.

Below are the ABS standards for recognized Ameraucana varieties. A splash, although not YET recognized in large fowl (but recognized in bantams) are currently under review for large fowl.

Genetically, a blue bird is a black bird. The blue gene is a "wash" which in easy terms, the gene fades a black bird to a blue bird. So a blue chicken, carries 1/2 (one parent) blue gene. When you breed two blue birds, you will have 2 parental blue genes, which 25% of the time will result in a "double washed black bird, or a splash. If you were to breed a blue and a splash, you'd have a 50/50 chance of getting a blue bird or a splash. Then, breed splash/splash for 100% splash offspring

But, because a black bird shows zero blue genes, you will never get splash offspring directly from a black bird, even if you breed splash/black.

So with that said, a blue splash Cana can only be the result of breeding two pure Cana together, thus, making it genetically a true ameraucana that you currently wouldn't be able to show. This is furthered in this case, because I can see her little green toe poking out in the pic.

You will absolutely also get the eggs you hope for (as long as it isn't a cockerel)

http://ameraucanabreedersclub.org/standard.html

This bird still has yellow skin and green shanks, which according to the standard is not an Ameraucana. True Ameraucanas need to have pink skin and slate/blue legs. There are places that sell splash Easter eggers. What they’re bred from, I don’t know, but the splash coloring itself doesn’t make her a true Ameraucana.

This is my Ameraucana. She’s has splash coloring and has the blue legs and pink skin which make her a true Ameraucana (along with her other characteristics).

 

[BastyPutt]

Note that they don't say that theirs are actually up to APA standard. Also, any brown eggs at all, even just 1 in 300, suggests at least a bit of mixing. True ameraucanas should only lay blue eggs. Some of their birds are also beardless, a sure sign of being mixes. Nothing wrong with Easter Eggers, but your bird isn't a standard issue ameraucana, and the hatchery shouldn't have sold it as such.

This isn't true.

McMurray is a large reputable Hatchery, and isn't going to make a false claim on this scale.

Ameraucanas were developed before the APA recognized them. So before "breed standards" the ameraucana existed, and Mcmurray was apparently breeding them. What they are saying is from that time until now, there has never been another breed introduced into their stock. If something was an ameraucana before the APA, it is still an Ameraucana today - just not under the controlled variety.

So let's put it this way, if I take all 9 ABS varieties, and let them breed together. You are going to have something come out that isn't recognized - a plumage mut of sorts. It will lay blue eggs, beard - cheeks all that. An ameraucana + ameraucana = an ameraucana

Where you are getting confused is the designation between Easter egger and ameraucana. And Easter Egger will have an entirely different breed introduced. A leghorn or something along those lines to increase and improve production.

To the point of the 1 in 300 eggs or no beard - yes, this is entirely possible and still have a purebred stock. Chickens can have "mutations" or even recessive genres that would change the appearance of a chicken or their egg - but wouldn't necessarily be the result of a cross.

 

[BastyPutt]

This bird still has yellow skin and green shanks, which according to the standard is not an Ameraucana. True Ameraucanas need to have pink skin and slate/blue legs. There are places that sell splash Easter eggers. What they’re bred from, I don’t know, but the splash coloring itself doesn’t make her a true Ameraucana.

View attachment 3525311
This is my Ameraucana. She’s has splash coloring and has the blue legs and pink skin which make her a true Ameraucana (along with her other characteristics).

aucanabreedersclub.org/standard.html

Look here and let me know if you see a specified leg color - or anywhere on an APA publication.

 

[BastyPutt]

This bird still has yellow skin and green shanks, which according to the standard is not an Ameraucana. True Ameraucanas need to have pink skin and slate/blue legs. There are places that sell splash Easter eggers. What they’re bred from, I don’t know, but the splash coloring itself doesn’t make her a true Ameraucana.

View attachment 3525311
This is my Ameraucana. She’s has splash coloring and has the blue legs and pink skin which make her a true Ameraucana (along with her other characteristics).

Also, if this isn't a bantam in your pic here, then by APA standards she isn't an ameraucana. If she is, then she is good to go