Pictures!!

[Guest]

So today I got a dozen eggs from a dozen hens.  Since I just got my camera back from the shop yesterday, I just had to post some pictures!!  The top pic is what most of my Ameraucanas look like.  One of my Ameraucanas is darker, mostly black (with that beetle-green sheen) but still with the gold color on her head, neck, and upper back.  One, Slick, I\'ve already mentioned has no muff or beard.  The rest look pretty similar to the top girl.

I also have 4 EELs including the buff one in the bottom picture.  In the egg carton pic, the yucky khaki colors on the right come from the EELs.  The Ameraucanas seem to lay the blue and turquoise colors on the left and center of the carton.  The pretty blue eggs are modeled by Steph, my 9-year-old.

Ok sorry for the length of the post I just had to show off what I have  Thanks for letting me!!

Liz in Utah

[Mike Gilbert]

Liz,
That left hen in the bottom picture looks like a wheaten, not a buff.    Did someone tell you it was buff?   Nice color on some of those eggs.

[Guest]

lol no, I don\'t know the difference between a wheaten and a buff, actually...  My 4 EELs are variations on the same theme.  I have two that are all white, one that\'s a little white with that buff or wheat color lacing all over, and one that\'s mostly white with the buff/wheat lacing on the head/neck/shoulders.  I have no idea what they actually are, they were SUPPOSED to be Buff Orps (why I called it \"buff\") but there\'s no question they aren\'t.  They\'re all bearded, muffed, and lay khaki and olive drab eggs and have little shrimpy combs.  Don\'t know as I\'d describe it as a pea comb, but it\'s definitely not a single comb, with red ears.  They have dark legs and feet but yellow toenails.  On most of them the dark color is more of a greeny (willow?) than the nice slate grey.    My guess is some Ameraucana/Araucana ancestry mixed with who knows what kind of brown egg layer.

Yes I was rather pleased about the nice blue eggs I\'m getting.  Since I didn\'t get them from a breeder, I thought I\'d be lucky to get ANY blue instead of green, olive drab, or (blecch) khaki, but most of my Ameraucanas actually are laying the blue.

So what color do you call my gold and black laced girls?  They seem to be pretty uniform with nice slate colored shanks and beards/muffs, (except Slick) and the mostly dark grey/black one seems to be a bit heavier than the other girls.

Thanks for your help

Liz

[Mike Gilbert]

The gold & black ones are mixed parentage, no name that I know of for that color combination.     But that\'s okay, it sounds like they are great layers.   Enjoy your flock.

[Guest]

Oh well, they\'re mutts I guess.  Don\'t know what else I woulda expected buying \'em from a farm supply store but they seem to be decent layers and while I\'m sure they wouldn\'t win any shows they still seem to be pretty Ameraucana-ish.  I\'ll stick around anyway, maybe I\'ll try to breed up  If I can ever find a blue-egg roo...

Liz

PS--what breed might you say they are mixed with?  I\'m curious

[bantamhill]

Liz,

Welcome! Don\'t distress . . . many folks have mixed flocks of Ameraucana varieties for layers. The main thing to watch out is for willow color legs . . . those birds have been crossed with a yellow skinned bird. You may find pictures of the eight standard varieties at the following link:

http://www.ameraucana.org/scrapbook.html

It appears that you have some birds with nice egg color . . . in the future when and if the standard variety bug hits you you could use those birds to improve laying and egg shell color - lots of work if you have the time and patience!

Michael

[Guest]

Ooh thank you for the link!  I\'ve been wanting to compare my girls with other people\'s real Ameraucanas.  Mine look rather like them in body, most of my combs seem to be pretty good, and mine (except for the 4 who are definitely EELs) have terrific slate shanks...but mine look nuttin\' like the real ones color wise.  I have one who would be almost a blue except for some gold on her neck and shoulders, lol...Except for that, I guess I didn\'t come out too badly buying from a livestock store.  I would like to try to improve the Ameraucana traits so I may be looking for a roo this spring.  Thanks to everyone for writing with information on real Ameraucanas, this should be fun to see what I can create from my black and gold laced girls

Liz