Why Can't Hatcheries Keep Pure Ameraucanas?

[BovieVei]

Yeah, I learned my lesson, only will be buying Ameraucanas from ABC breeders from now on...

 

[Fred's Hens]

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Not to mention the occasional mutts or mystery chicks.

 

[gardengoats11]

Could it be because of the lethal gene decreasing the number of eggs that hatch. Agree with others that hatchery aren't the route to go if you want quality purebreds. The do provide a nice variety of breeds if that is all someone is looking for.

 

[Medicine Man]

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the simple reason is this: they don't need to. They've been calling their stock "Ameraucanas" long before the fanciers decided which colors could or could not be, and the APA is not the law on what is or is not.

 

[rancher hicks]

I never really care what they're called or are as long as they lay colored eggs. Now if you are planning to show birds then it would be worth it to buy from a reputable breeder. If not then just enjoy them as they are. I have two ee's and they lay nice sized eggs.

Now if you got me going on Dels or orps then that's a chicken of a different color. I spent $20 a chick for my lavender orps from Hinkjc and I got some very nice black and whites. Really nice. I'd recommend anyone wanting nice orps to order eggs or chicks from her.

All experts recommend spending some bucks on nice birds rather than cheapies. If that's really what you want.

Take care,

Rancher

 

[Chris09]

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the simple reason is this: they don't need to. They've been calling their stock "Ameraucanas" long before the fanciers decided which colors could or could not be, and the APA is not the law on what is or is not.

That would be the Breed Club that regulates what is and what is not a Ameraucana.

Chris

 

[kstaven]

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The lethel gene exists in Araucana not Ameraucana. It is the one that creates the tufts which Ameraucanas do not have.

If hatcheries concentrated on quality you would see chicks at $40.00 a pop minimum very quickly. Reality is that every breeder out there committed to what ever breed looses money if they ever counted the time spent on improving their stock.

So it all comes down to the same old quality vs. quantity equation. Same reason many of the BYC and BYH folks grow their own and conveniently forget how much it really cost them factoring everything in the way a business would.

 

[Medicine Man]

Quote:
the simple reason is this: they don't need to. They've been calling their stock "Ameraucanas" long before the fanciers decided which colors could or could not be, and the APA is not the law on what is or is not.

That would be the Breed Club that regulates what is and what is not a Ameraucana.

Chris

The ABC still is not the law on what is or is not. They're nothing but a cute little club of fanciers, that's all.

 

[hcppam]

what's funny you can tell them at the feed store that they are not ameraucanas...and they say they are, so what can you do if you cant even convince the people who are selling them to you.

 

[wingsofglory]

Hatchery easter eggers are not Ameraucanas that became mutts. It happened the other way round - the mutts became "pure" by selective breeding.

Years ago, people who wanted their easter eggers to breed true to color, took hatchery birds and developed color lines by selective breeding, then strengthened the colors by adding white skinned breeds like Orps to their lines, till they bred true. And called them Ameraucanas and started a breed club, at a time when the hatcheries called the easter eggers they sold "Auracanas." Then the hatcheries switched to this new name, Ameraucanas, and it has been confusion since.

The 'auracana' technically are rumpless birds and are in the lineage but add more confusion, being a third factor hard to explain.

Anyway, I've been reading BYC for years, at least back to 2003, and that is what I understood back then, but it is confusing, so I may have it all wrong.

The hatchery easter eggers are great birds, healthy, hardy, and lay dependebly. A mix of blue egg auracana originally crossed with brown egg layers with yellow skin making willow legs and large terrific turquoise eggs.

The Ameraucana club outlined their goals when developing their breeds colors of blue eggs and white skin and slate legs. Made great birds also and are working on more colors like lavender, mottled, and barred.

"Purebred" does not have the same meaning in bird breeding it has in horse breeding. In an Arab horse, for example, it is expected to carry actual genes from previous Arab horses. In birds, not a drop of historical genes need be present - it only has to look right, and the look can be recreated by mixing breeds. Look up Chanteclers and the 3 colors for an example.