Why so against EE?

[chics in the sun]

I don't mind having her at all, and a white egg will be nice to add to the egg basket. I do feel that someone lied along the way, though - mixing up/ confusing an EE for Ameracaunas is one thing, selling a leghorn as and Ameracuana is another story. They knew they would sell better labled "Ameracauna", and that's the bottom line.
And now I have to (ok,ok, I don't HAVE to have blue/green eggs, but people here understand....... ) spend the weekend (and more expense) adding on to my coop so I can fit the extra birds in there. And hey, since I have to add on anyway, maybe I'll try to find an Olive Egger EE.... it's and addiction, and they are just enabling me by giving me an excuse for MORE CHICKENS!

 

[Chickaholic]

I would like to know, if anyone really knows this, what is the most common bird "they" are breeding with a "true" Ameraucana to get an EE????????????

Because to me all EE look the same, so there must be a common bird they are breeding it with, what is it!!?? and you can tell even when they are chicks that they are not "true" Ameraucanas, so all these feed stores and hatcheries trying to pass them off as true Ameraucanas, why don't they just breed true Ameraucanas with true Ameraucanas?

 

[Chickaholic]

Quote:
I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love them too!! But you already that about me Jess!! We both have them runnin' around our yards and they are cute as ever!!

 

[CityChicker]

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That is the site I was referring to. That is in no way an official anything or authoritative...and just plain full of misinformation to boot. It's written as tongue in cheek. Or perhaps someone became insulted when told they didn't have what they thought they had. It's a complete joke site, folks. Good grief, there certainly are white EEs! Look at their color list, for heavens sake. I'd hate for someone to think that was authoritative on the subject.

I'm not sure this subject is worth getting worked up over.

Why on earth this causes so much confusion is beyond me. Almost very modern day breed we have came from combining other breeds, then were standardized so they bred true. Same with Ameraucanas. I'm not sure why this is an issue, really. Wyandottes came from Cochins, among others, but we still have Cochins and Wyandottes aren't controversial in the least.

Okay, I'm backing out now. Let's not get too much like this here, please http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/Mtnviewpoultry/Emoticons/catfight2.gif or yet another EE/Ameraucana/Araucana thread will have to die a sad, horrid death.

I don't mean this directly about this thread. Really, I don't. You are so right though. Breed development, in general, (and outcrossing too actually) is something that is just almost impossible to have an intelligent conversation about. People just lose their minds and go crazy and act like the sky is falling. The issue you describe with the blue egg layers has additional layers of confusion and controversy as well, things said that I rarely see said about other breeds. I am not sure why.

Anyway, that said.... when people do talk about breed development, there are always people that as I said, "lose it". It is just a conversation that rarely seems to be had (probably because experienced breeders recognize that it is futile). Maybe it is just because people simply do not know or stop to think about how breeds and varieties are developed. Most of my experience in recent years has been with waterfowl and I see this all the time. It is like a lot of people think that breeds or new varieties have just materialized out of thin air. Which brings me to my next observation, something that I really find funny (and I don't mean this about the A/A/EE's).... In the hands of one person, a bird could be nothing more than a "mixed breed" or a "mutt" and the hands of another person the very same bird could be an exciting or rare "new variety" or "non-standard color". Something to ponder. Again, that last statement doesn't apply as much to the birds this thread is about just because with these birds there seems to be more indiscriminate crossing and there is a big difference between that are very intentional/planned outcrossing. That said, my point is that there is a certain amount of politics in the development of new varieties.

 

[SteveH]

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Most hatcheries are offering day old chicks cheaper than you can buy them from a breeder of high quality purebreds . They are , by necessity , more concerned with keeping prices down and profits up than breeding a quality bird of any breed . So if the flock resembles the specified breed they're sold as and produces enough eggs to justify the feed their fed they're satisfied . It may be difficult to locate breeders willing to ship their day olds and the price will be higher ; but many people do not research the breed they suddenly feel an impulse to own . Generally the potential customer sees " Americanas/Araucanas " at a comparitively low price , ignore any warnings that they " may not be suitable for showing " or " often called easter eggers " or " come in many colors and lay eggs in many shades of green , blue , or even pink " , then blame the hatchery . Were they duped ? ............. perhaps so to a degree , but realisticly they bought what was advertised , influenced by some sales hype , at a price below the average cost of a purebred . I feel for the uninformed when they come to this forum and are told " That's an EE " ; but also hopefully they have learned a lesson at a relatively low cost about not researching something before shelling out their hard earned cash for it on impulse . Most , including myself , have done it ; its part of life's learning experience . I actually prefer the EEs , they can be bred to have qualities I choose that the APA Standard of Perfection would exclude and can be just as purebed[ i.e. breed true ] or more so than the two APA accepted breeds .

 

[Chris09]

I said it I don't know how many time, If you want a chicken to just look "pretty" , run around the yard and give you eggs then hatcheries are OK but if want a breed that look remotely close to the what the breed should look like then you have to go with a good breeder that knows that breed...

It isn't just the the EE's being called a Araucanas and the Ameraucanas, there is the White Single Comb chicken that hatcheries/ people sell as Rhode Island Whites. The only thing that the two have in common is that there both White the body shape is wrong, tail is wrong and comb is wrong (R.I. Whites only come Rose comb).
There are more than one or two breeds that when you buy them from a hatchery you are not getting the real deal.
Also look at the R.I. Reds, Barred Rocks, Black Giants, just to name a few.
OK I'm done

But before I get off this soap box I would like to say this to all the newbies on here,
Do your home work on a breed before you get it.

Chris

 

[cashdl]

First of all I love EE's. They are the first to run to see me, they lay beautiful eggs where they are supposed to. They don't try to hide them like my other breeds do. They are funny looking with their beards and fierce little eyes. I even have araucana X EE's that are too cute.

I have a stall at our local farmers market. I just went today. I have a flier that has a picture of one of my araucana roos and a brief history of the breed and how they should look and the eggs they lay( the hens not the roo). I usually take a batch of hatching eggs, they never sell but people ask me about them, and away I go giving them a little bit of info on the various breeds that lay blue eggs. I let people know that my chickens ( layer hens ) are free range, stress free and spoiled, and when people buy my eggs it helps me continue with my hobby of Araucana's. I explain that it was expensive for me to start my flock and difficult to find good quality birds.

I love how even after they read my flier, hear my story, see the pics of my birds, I always get, " oh yeah, the araucana, I used to have some of those, you know you can get them down at the feed store." Wow, I wish I had thought of that when I spent two years on the internet searching for every scrap of info I could find, haunting eggbid, ebay, and the various breeder sites, saving my money for the day I could get my very own Araucana. LOL!

All most people see is the egg color. A chicken is a chicken right. If you want what you want no matter what it is. Do your research.

I will continue to do my little bit at my farmers market. One day everyone in my little town will know what an Araucana is, I am determined.

 

[chics in the sun]

I would still like to point out that even if you do your research and learn about the breed and make sure it is suitable for you, all the research goes out the window if someone lies about what you are buying. The leghorn has traits that may make it harder for me to care for, such as the flightiness (I am in the middle of the city, with a fenced in yard she will no doubt be able to escape soon should she choose to), and that's not fair to me or the chicken. You should get what you have paid for. A person new to chicken raising cannot be expected to identify the breed of a two or three day old chick. I did miss the yellow leg thing, but mine was not and impulsive purchase. It was carefully thought out after several weeks of looking at breed temperments and needs, and I was lied to about what I was purchasing. I didn't want a show bird or one to breed for a perfect standard. Hatchery chickens are fine for me, but I expect that they should be labled accurately, not according to what is going to sell best.
If you buy a box of Cheerios, you should get Cheerios, not open it to find it full of Raisin Bran.

 

[cashdl]

you are correct about being lied to. It is not fair and unfortunate. I wonder if it was a matter of one being accidentally put in the wrong bin. I am sure you have mentioned wether you called them or not, I have not read all the posts. They may be willing to send you a chick to make up for the one that wasn't as described.

Re: flightiness you could try clipping her wings. I have to do that sometimes in my breeding pens because they are not covered cages, just big fenced runs.

I apolgize, I was not meaning you had not done your homework and should have phrased my wording different. I know when I was researching the breed there were a few things that stood out for me when I would go to the hatchery sites. But I was looking into aruacanas not americanas and it is easier to tell the difference. I also had read quite a bit on this website and several people had mentioned that the quality of birds you get from a hatchery are not the same as what you get from breeders such as health and general robustness. If I order a bunch of chicks and some die because they weren't healthy, who am I going to complain to that would care. A good breeder has a name to defend and hopefully will stand behind their birds even their non standard ones. All these thoughts went thru my mind before I bought my birds.

Lanae

 

[chics in the sun]

That's okay, I wasn't offended, just pointing out that even if you aren't one of the impulsive aren't-they-too-cute-not-to-take home baby-chic buyers, it's a no win if the seller isn't honest. I think I will call them tororrow as you suggested. One of the reasons I waited until they were ten or eleven days old to pick some out was to observe how healthy they were, as a lot of times it seems like the ones that won't make it are gone in the first few days or so. They all looked good, and have had no health issues at all, so I'm happy about that, anyway. I actually considered giving my number to the manager there so if the impulsive chic-buyers regretted their decision in a few weeks they could call me and I'd come take them off their hands.