Why so against EE?

[High Roost Ranch]

I only have Araucanas. With all the confusion about EE or Americaunas, I can see how people are mislead and confused. I was at a swap last weekend where there were Olive Eggers, whatever that is. To be honest with you, I am kind of one track when it comes to the differences, I only know the araucanas and adopt a kind of "uh huh, I [really don't] see" confused look on my face when people start talking about the others. As to the seller's comment from Craigslist, I for one can attest to the fact that the araucanas are no less fertile than any other of my breeds. Probably more so to be honest. If I can bet anything is going to hatch from my bator, it will be an araucana from a blue-green egg.

 

[CityChicker]

The fact of the matter is that a lot of people that are militant about using the term "Easter Egger" don't have the first clue why hatcheries refer to them as Araucanas or Ameraucanas. I honestly believe that most do so simply because they have always done so and have kept/bred/sold them FAR longer than the breeds have even been standardized. Now, ask yourself, if you were in their shoes would you feel any pressing need to change the name of your birds because a poultry club decided to split them into three breeds and standardize them? Obviously, they are now indeed separate breeds, but I think it is almost insulting to ask these businesses, some of which have been around for several decades, to change the name of their birds. I also know that you can't say this on BYC without people accusing you of being a villain. LOL. Trust me, the hatcheries have been raising these birds for many decades. As long as I can remember (back to the '70's), the hatcheries referred to them as Araucanas. Nobody had even heard of "Ameraucanas", let alone "Easter Eggers". Why would they just up and change that at the demands of people that weren't even born when they started their business? I agree that they are separate breeds now, but some people are so insulting about it. If I owned a hatchery and someone came demanding that I change the name of a breed I had bred for decades and accused me of basically stealing, I would probably tell them in a very unkind way to go fly a kite.

It is not really about money either (a frequent accusation made). I made a list of all the prices on the three breeds (hatchery prices) and posted it here once before. The prices across the board are very similar at all the hatcheries regardless of what term a particular hatchery uses and hatchery "Araucana/Ameraucana/Easter Eggers" are very inexpensive birds. You get what you pay for anyway. Most of us here seem to know that. Hatchery birds quite often do not conform to the standard. That holds true for any breed. I am not sure why we think it would be different for these birds, regardless of what they call them. Anyway, I don't think they are "intentionally deceptive". I think they simply call them what they have always called them and they have bred them longer than the breeds have even been standardized. That's all. I know that a lot of people get up in arms about this. I no longer breed the birds, so I have absolutely no vested interest in them and therefore will not even check this thread again. Feel free to disagree and think the hatcheries are all thieves if you chose to do so, but I prefer to think of them as pioneers that are deserving of a little more respect than they are often given.

 

[zephyrcreek]

I do not think that hatcheries are villians, but I do think that their practices can be suspect. Consider people from the Dog or horse world like myself. I would never breed a husky to a malamute and sell it as a "husky". That would be purposly deceptive. To me it is intent to defraud. It was shocking to me when I started to learn about the breeding side of poultry. Even though I had chickens most of my life, I never knew that the hatcheries would breed to seperate breeds together and still sell it as breed "A" and not as a cross. Compare the hatchery Dels to the true heritage Dels and it becomes quite obvious that they have been crossed with a columbian breed. Not that really makes me want to bang my head against the wall.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! I'm really glad you brought this up. I just posted an ad this morning on CL and I wouldn't want there to be any confusion about 'what they are'.
Just ask your seller for pics of his birds and eggs and decide for yourself if you want them.
Good luck!

Lisa

 

[cubalaya]

Quote:
i agree. a lot of the standard ameraucana breeders dont know that they all came from the same birds. breeding for a certain color doesn't make your birds any purer. they just are APA recognized. i call mine non standard ameraucanas . people will cross brown egg layer breeds to ameraucanas and call them ee or olive egger. i like the mix of colors in my non standard ameraucanas but they are as pure as your standard ameraucanas. according to the APA cubalayas are only recognized as bb red, white, black, and red pyle. i have brown red cubalayas and am getting blue cubalayas soon. are they not cubalaya because the APA doesnt recognize them? they are pure cubalayas and if enough people start showing them, maybe the APA will recognize them. they are definitly recognized in cuba for what they are.

 

[SilkieTime]

Jessica Rabbit I don't understand eather. They know that a hatchery will sale chicks not to standard of any breed. They do seem to be the only one wanting the hatchery to change the name of that breed. We all understand the difference between the hatchery and the breeder for standard. I see your new on BYC

You will learn just to call them EE's. If you get an other breed from a hatchery and love your chick like a good mama... We will tell you what the standerd is for that breed for shows and better breed. I think I will stop now because I know I will be looked down on for a long time to come for posting this and I know this is what you are talking about. All they really mean is the closer to standerd the chicken is shows that people worked really hard on them.

 

[houndit]

I like them really well! The only thing that annoys me is when people say true Ameraucanas and they are Easter-eggers. As long as they are truthful about it I do not care. I would like to have some true Ameraucanas because I like them, but I will probably never get rid of all my Easter-eggers.

 

[schellie69]

I have 3 EE's bantams and I love them they do lay blue eggs I just get upset when I see people use the same name for the different breeds and act like oh but they are the same breed then you get a kid showing his/her bird and not understanding why he/she get DQ'ed because the bird is not what they stated it was. just be honest and I think people will respect them for it, I know now that if I get chicks from the farm store they are not breed pure and are EE's fine I can live with that but if I am buying from a breeder and pay for an Americuana (sp) then that is what i better get.

 

[emjay]

last summer, I was a newbie to chicken land. I had chickens when I was little, but, it was your typical brown chickens only. RIR's I believe, for eggs then for eating.

now, I finally own my own bit of property and got a coop set up so I could get my own flock of egg layers, for me and my daughter.
I couldn't believe how many breeds of chickens were out there. are out there!!!!!

I went to a Poultry Swap with a friend to buy some pullets. One lady was selling some 12 week old pullets, sold them as Ameracaunas. I didn't argue, I didn't know otherwise.
so silly me, is posting their pics saying 'these are my new Ameracaunas', only to be told they were EE's. Well, that's okay. I now have a flock of them and some purebreeds and now I have two broods of EE's and EE mixes.

here is my EE rooster. He has the reddish brown eyes, the slate legs, the beard etc. I guess what makes him EE is his coloring. Who knew, I sure didn't.

here is one of my hens. She is my one girl who lays the most prettiest green/blue egg, very deep color.

she has yellow legs.
the egg in the middle is hers

that is my problem with this breed, is when people falsify what they are selling. I believe this lady either believed she had Ameracaunas or knew they'd sell better if called that.
same with hatcheries. don't know.
I love my EE's. Don't care if they aren't ameracaunas. But, wish people would call them as they are. So, that I don't look stupid when I tell others that's what I have, when I don't. But, now I know.

oh and this blue hen, sold to me as an Ameracauna. She has no tufts or beard. and the fella who sold her to me just went on and on about the Ameracauna breed and how great and how popular and all about their heritage. etc etc. I wish I had known. as this one , I don't even know what she is crossed with, she has a 'bubble' comb, she looks reptilian. but, lays a blue egg, very pale.

 

[schellie69]

Quote:
The last picture looks like she is part Ameracauna she is a pretty blue, and I feel the same way when I go to buy something and I am told its this and then you find out sometimes in not so nice ways that you were sold this its very upsetting and when some one is new to chickens they start feeling like they were stupid of something when its not their fault very pretty birds by the way.