Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Ameraucana?

A chicken is considered an Ameraucana when it meets the APA and ABA’s breed description as well as the description for an approved color variety. A color variety is considered a project color when it breeds true 50% of the time. There are bantam and large fowl Ameraucana.

What are the benefits of being a member of the Ameraucana Breeders Club?

New members of the club receive a handbook that is packed with useful breeding information, quarterly newsletters, forum access, are eligible to earn exhibitor points and can qualify for rosettes. New members of the club are automatically entered into our new member prize drawing. Members can also list their hatching eggs, chicks, and adult birds for sale in our three Breeder’s Directories!

What are Easter Egg chickens?

The Ameraucana Breeders Club defines an Easter Egg chicken or Easter Egger as any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene but doesn’t fully meet the Standard as defined in the APA and/or ABA. Further, even if a bird meets the Ameraucana breed Standard description but doesn’t meet a variety description and breed true at least 50% of the time, it is considered an Easter Egg chicken.

Who decided which attributes the Ameraucana breed would consist of?

The attributes for the Ameraucana breed were determined via majority vote.

Which varieties are recognized by the American Bantam Association and by the American Poultry Association?

There are presently nine approved Ameraucana color varieties for large fowl with the American Poultry Association (wheaten, blue wheaten, blue, black, white, brown red, buff, silver, self blue). There are presently eight approved varieties for bantam with the American Poultry Association (wheaten, blue wheaten, blue, black, white, brown red, buff, and silver). There are ten approved color varieties in bantam with the American Bantam Association (wheaten, blue wheaten, blue, black, splash, white, brown red, buff, silver, and self blue).

Where can I get a list of Ameraucana breeders to try to obtain hatching eggs and/or birds?

The Ameraucana Breeders Club offers several options for searching for breeders of true Ameraucana. An online searchable Ameraucana Breeders Club Online Breeders Directory is available via html format. A printable Breeders Directory sorted by breeders name and a printable Breeders Directory sorted by state are also available.

What color on the ABC Egg Color Reference Chart is the most desired?

The Standard calls for Ameraucana to lay eggs that have blue eggshells. The ABC Egg Color Reference Card is a good resource for breeders to use to compare their egg color with other breeders, or to use as a tool while one works to improve egg color in their flock.

Can you tell me more about the blue eggshell of an Ameraucana fowl and factors that affect egg color?

The blue eggshell of an Ameraucana fowl is one of the attributes that draws people to the Ameraucana breed. In this post, the biochemical and physiological characteristics of the blue egg shell are reviewed. Numerous studies and scientific advances have occurred over the years which have gradually increased our knowledge of the blue-green pigments that create the characteristic blue egg shell of an Ameraucana fowl. It is important to note that the pigment has been renamed several times over the course of the past century, which may lead to some confusion if you research the topic.

In the 1800s, and in several studies completed since then, the pigment that causes blue eggs is referred to as biliverdin. In the late 1800s H.C. Sorby completed a scientific study and referred to the same pigment as Oocyan (Sorby, 1875). As scientific advances have occurred, more in-depth studies on eggshell pigments have been completed. The blue-green pigments that create blue eggshells are presently identified as Biliverdin-IX and Zinc Biliverdin Chelate.

Friedrich Tiedemann (1781-1861), a german physiologist and anatomist, was one of the first individuals to study the blue-green pigment that we now refer to as biliverdin. He created the now famous gmelin reaction (a diagnostic color test) which was able to identify bilirubin in bile. Bilirubin is a derivative of biliverdin (Tiedemann, 1814).

In 1858, W. Wicke presented what is considered to be the first known chemical essay on egg color pigments. Wicke treated egg shells with hydrochloric acid, water and boiling alcohol. During the process, he collected and identified a bluish green pigment that he declared to be biliverdin (Wicke, 1858).

In 1875, H.C. Sorby published "Proceedings of the Zoological Study," which is considered to be the first scientifically based publication on the pigments present in blue eggs. He completed spectrum analysis of colored egg shells and identified seven substances present in various egg shells. Those substances were labeled: 1) Oorhodeine, 2) Oocyan, 3) Banded Oocyan, 4) Yellow Ooxanthine, 5) Rufous Ooxanthine, 6) Lichnoxanthine, and 7) a substance imperfectly distinguished (Sorby, 1875). Oocyan ("oo" = egg, "cyan" = blue) eventually became known as biliverdin within the scientific community. The pigment Sorby labeled as Oorhodeine eventually became known as protoporphyrin-IX. Protoporphyrin IX has been identified as the pigment that creates brown egg shell color.

R.C. Punnett was the first individual to classify the pigment found on brown egg shells as protoporphyrin. Punnett also discovered that the blue-green eggshell color in chickens was produced by an autosomal dominant gene called Oocyan. Punnet noted in his scientific study that eggs laid by Oocyan homozygotes were a darker blue than those laid by heterozygotes (Punnett, 1933). Kennedy and Vevers completed a study in 1973 and found that blue eggs laid by Araucanas contained biliverdin-IX, zinc biliverdin chelate, and protoporphyrin-IX (Kennedy, et al., 1973). They completed an additional study on 108 Araucana fowl in 1976 and confirmed that only the pigments biliverdin-IX and zinc biliverdin chelate could be detected in blue eggs and were causal of the blue coloring. They confirmed in their studies that brown egg shells contained large amounts of the pigment protoporphyrin-IX (Kennedy, et al., 1976). The following is an excerpt of the findings they made during the study:

“Eggshells from 108 species were examined for appearance and pigment content. Principal pigments found were protoporphyrin, biliverdin IXa and its zinc chelate. 49 species had protoporphyrin only, 2 had biliverdin only, 33 had protoporphyrin and biliverdin, 17 had all 3 pigments, one species had biliverdin and its zinc chelate, one had protoporphyrin and biliverdin zinc chelate and five species had no pigment. Biliverdin zinc chelate was never found alone (Kennedy et al., 1976).”

In pullets and hens that lay an egg on the olive green or khaki spectrum, a coating of the pigment protoporphyrin-IX has been deposited on the egg during the final hours of the egg being inside the uterus. Interestingly, the biliverdin pigment passes through all eight layers of the egg shell. If you crack open a blue Ameraucana egg shell, you will find that the interior of the egg shell is also blue (Wang et al., 2007).

The higher the concentration of biliverdin within the uterus of a hen, the bluer the egg will be. The higher the concentration of protoporphyrin-IX within the uterus of a hen, the more olive or brown an egg will be (Wang et al., 2009).

An excerpt from the study is listed below.

“The quantity of biliverdin of Dongxiang blue-shelled chickens was much more than Dongxiang brown-shelled chickens, whereas the quantity of protoporphyrin of Dongxiang blue-shelled chickens was only about half that of Dongxiang brown-shelled chickens, which hinted at the probable different transformation from precursor to biliverdin or protoporphyrin between blue-shelled chickens and brown-shelled chickens (Wang et al., 2009).”

Interestingly, scientific research has shown that biliverdin is created within the shell gland and then is deposited on the eggshell roughly 3-4 hours before ovi-position (Wang, et al., 2009). A study was done in 2010 to map the blue egg allele locus. The blue egg allele is identified by the letter “O.” A total of 98 blue egg laying hens were studied, and the map was identified as (TTA) n –(TG) n –A–O–(tg) n. The study also found that the “O locus was located between theA and (tg) nloci, that is, Chr1:67,296,991-69,140,571, which is the first genomic sequence interval to be established for the blue eggshell gene (Wang et al., 2010).”

A research study completed in 2013 found that a blue egg occurs due to the expression of the SLCO1B3 gene. The SLCO1B3 gene is a part of the organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) family. The OATPs function as membrane transporters, and have been proven to transport bile products such as Biliverdin. An EAV-HP insertion in the 5' flanking region of the SLCO1B3 gene was found to be connected to the blue egg phenotype (Wang et al., 2013).

Many folks are unaware that the color varieties of Ameraucanas were initially created by crossing birds of varying backgrounds and selecting for specific attributes. Blue egg color was one part of that equation. The attributes that were selected for were eventually used to create the breed standard for each of the approved Ameraucana color varieties. The APA standard calls for Ameraucanas to have several other important attributes as well, such as a pea comb, reddish bay eye color, a beard, muffs, slate shanks, etc. It is important to remember that there are no perfect birds out there. Breeding birds towards the standard of perfection is all about balance. Don't become so lost in any one feature or attribute that you forget about the other aspects of the standard.

How can I be certain I am purchasing standard-bred Ameraucana?

People raise Ameraucanas for various reasons. Some people enjoy collecting a blue egg from the nest box. Other people enjoy having them as pets. This article is directed specifically towards individuals that want to purchase quality Ameraucanas in an approved variety with the intent to breed them towards the standard.

There are presently nine approved Ameraucana color varieties for large fowl with the American Poultry Association (wheaten, blue wheaten, blue, black, white, brown red, buff, silver, self blue). There are presently eight approved varieties for bantam with the American Poultry Association (wheaten, blue wheaten, blue, black, white, brown red, buff, and silver). There are ten approved color varieties in bantam with the American Bantam Association (wheaten, blue wheaten, blue, black, splash, white, brown red, buff, silver, and self blue).

The following is a list of questions that you may want to consider asking an individual prior to purchasing Ameraucanas from them.

1. What color varieties are you raising?

2. Do you own a copy of the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection book?

3. Are you breeding your birds towards the standard?

4. How do you have your breeding pens set up?

5. Can I see pictures of your breeding stock?

6. Are you showing your birds and having them evaluated by a licensed poultry judge?

7. How are your birds performing in poultry shows?

8. How long have you been a breeder?

9. What are some things you are working on in your pens?

Serious breeders will be able to quickly answer the aforementioned questions.

Can I cross different color varieties of Ameraucana?

Ameraucana owners often ask if any of their color varieties can be bred together and the resulting offspring still be considered Ameraucana.

Many of these color varieties are built on different e locus alleles and carry different genes that create their plumage colors. For example, a blue wheaten Ameraucana cockerel is built on eWh and carries one copy of the Blue gene while a self blue Ameraucana pullet is typically built on E and carries two copies of the Lavender gene.

There are presently nine approved Ameraucana color varieties for large fowl with the American Poultry Association (wheaten, blue wheaten, blue, black, white, brown red, buff, silver, self blue). There are presently eight approved varieties for bantam with the American Poultry Association (wheaten, blue wheaten, blue, black, white, brown red, buff, and silver). There are ten approved color varieties in bantam with the American Bantam Association (wheaten, blue wheaten, blue, black, splash, white, brown red, buff, silver, and self blue).

What criteria must a color variety meet for it to be approved in the first place?

In order to seek acceptance for a color variety with one of the Associations, the color variety must produce not less than 50% of all specimens reasonably true to type, color, size and comb. Some of the color varieties that are approved by the Associations can be bred together and will continue to adhere to the Standard for an approved variety. Examples of color varieties that a beginner could breed together that will continue to adhere to the Standard are listed below:

Wheaten x Blue Wheaten x Splash Wheaten

Blue x Black x Splash

Buff x Buff

White x White

Brown red x Brown red

Self blue x Self blue

Silver x Silver

Many first-time Ameraucana owners acquire stock and begin haphazardly crossing various color varieties without knowledge of a Standard. There are also hatcheries that produce colorful egg layers which carry some Ameraucana traits and they often sell these birds under a variation of the name Ameraucana. Many of these crosses and colorful egg layers are visually appealing. However, a problem arises when these crosses and colorful egg layers are entered into poultry shows under the name Ameraucana and are disqualified or when they are sold as Ameraucana to unassuming buyers.

If you are interested in breeding Ameraucana to Standard, you should acquire birds from breeders that are actively breeding towards the Standard for an approved color variety. You should also purchase a Standard of Perfection and study it in depth. Trying to work up standard color varieties from a mixed flock of birds that carry some Ameraucana traits can take many years if one even has the time and energy available to devote to the task.