Another dumb newbie question

[Guest]

On those pictures where I could see the shanks (legs), they were willow.   That means your birds have yellow skin, so are also E.E.\'s as Ameraucanas must have slate (black in some varieties) legs and white skin.  Plus the colors are non-standard as well.   They look like they should make good layers.   Enjoy your birds, and when you are ready for standard-bred Ameraucanas check out the breeders directory on this website.  Best of luck to you.

Thanks for writing, Mike, but I do know they\'re horribly willow legged Easter Eggers.  These are feed store mutt chickens...and not nearly as close to Ameraucanas as my last feed store mutt chickens were.  My last ones at least had slate legs and full beards and muffs and really nice blue eggs!  I expect I\'ll probably get olive and booger-colored eggs out of these ones.  Ah well, these feed store mutts are usually great layers even if the eggs do look like they came from a military surplus store.

I do have some real Ameraucanas, as well, I have blues, blacks, and splashes...they\'re only a month and a half old yet though so hard to tell gender at this point, especially for me since I\'ve only had chickens a couple of years.

Thanks again for writing and I will definitely enjoy my chickens.

Liz in Utah

[Guest]

Liz,

I viewed your photos.  I hate to tell you this but the people who sold you the chicks slipped in a duck.  B)

Those birds of yours are all hens.

Andy

Hi Andy,

The duck...well, it\'s a bit of a long story, but Parasol the runner duck is in need of some very serious psychotherapy.  He has a severe identity disorder--he is thoroughly convinced he is a chicken.  

We got him to be a friend to Lucky, our other duck.  Poor Lucky is quite lonely--he just showed up one day, on his own.  We have no idea where he came from.  Parasol however completely ignores Lucky and hangs with the chickens.  When he first arrived, the chickens were petrified of him and ran away screaming.  Parasol just ran right after them (he IS a runner duck, after all) hollering \"hey, wait! Where ya goin\'?  I wanna come too!  Wait for me!\"

Now, they all snuggle up together...leaving poor Lucky all alone still.  Lucky still needs a buddy.

Thanks for the info on the gender of my chickens, I\'m glad to hear that I haven\'t wasted food on any stinkin\' mutt roosters!

Liz in Utah

[Guest]

One can always hope, right??

hahahaha you were RIGHT all along!

Liz in Utah

[Guest]

AAHHHH.... sounds like music to my ears  B)  LOL