Ameraucana\'s or EE\'s

[Guest]

Hello Folks!
Very nice and informative forum you have here. I must say it is one of the better mannered ones I have come across as well.
   I would like to request some opinions on the heritage of my small flock. I suspect I’m going to be told I have a nice flock of Easter Eggers. I purchased them on line from a South Florida Feed Store but they were shipped from New Mexico (at least that is what the post mark said). I ordered 25 Ameraucana Pullets last  June. They even spelled it correctly. We found new homes for 12 of them and kept 13. One of our flock had a cross beak and did not survive. Also when you look at the photos the astute among you will notice that one is not a pullet. We like them all though. Raising them has been quite fun and it will not bother us much to find out they are really not Ameraucana’s. We have a lot of muffs and beards, they like to fly (hard to keep out of the neighbors yard) and they just tolerate being handled. They do not fit any of the color standards, to the best of my understanding. I would appreciate any and all feedback anyone here might offer.
   At almost 19 weeks we are anticipating eggs at any time. Are their any behaviors that will telegraph they have begun to lay. Unfortunately I am not here all the time in order to hear the tell tale “cackle”.
   Our rooster is quite the character. We had a hawk land in the oak tree in our yard and thought he was going to climb the tree after it. He stood right out in the open under it and growled, scratched and seemed quite ready to duke it out. He runs right up to the fence to confront any dog within 100 feet of it.  Then today I come home to find the neighbors cat stalking the entire flock and the same rooster is hiding behind the pullets. Go figure!
Here is the link to my photos.

 http://picasaweb.google.com/sdcorbett/Chickens18Weeks#

Thank you
Stephen

[Mike Gilbert]

Stephen,
It looks like you have done a nice job of raising your little flock as they all are in nice condition, and well developed for their age.   They mostly have some Ameraucana traits (the rooster has no muffs and white earlobes) but they are a mixed lot for color.   The rooster does not really go with any of the pullets for color either.    They are not show birds, but should make a nice backyard flock.   Enjoy!  And thanks for sharing.

[John]

They do not fit any of the color standards, to the best of my understanding.

You\'re right they don\'t, but they do look healthy and happy.  Many do have Ameraucana traits, but none are a recognized variety from what I see.
Enjoy,

[Guest]

Does that roo have a rose comb?  Certainly does not look like a pea comb.  But not like a good rose comb either...

[Guest]

I dont know the difference between rose and pea combs. By the sound of the names I would call his comb more rose. I could try and get a better pic if you like. If he\'ll hold still for it.

Would still like to know if there are behaviors associated with start of lay?

Stephen

[Guest]

before my marans started to lay, for a few weeks I saw them checking out the nest boxes and \"test driving\" them for a while, just setting there, rearranging the straw, making a bowl shaped depression. The rooster helped some too. Good luck with your birds, and be sure to post pics of your eggs!
Patty

[greeneggsandham]

They don\'t always lay in those nest boxes if they are free range.  I found an egg one day in a pile of leaves behind a wheelbarrow.  We also had one hen that kept following my husband in the tool shed over and over again one day.  Well she was looking for a dark spot to lay.  I put her in a nest box and sure enough, by the next afternoon she was laying her first egg.  If you notice a hen off by herself, looking into corners and such, I would get her aquainted with the nest boxes.  Hopefully yours are in a quiet semi-dark place.  If you start finding eggs around your premises, it might help to keep them locked up a few days in the pen with the boxes and also put a fake plastic egg or golf ball in the nest boxes.

[Guest]

Thank for the tips. We got our first egg Saturday! I thought one hen was missing and found her in one of the nest boxes. When she left the box there was no egg. Then she just dropped it in the middle of the yard. We got one more Sunday and one more today. They were both left in the nest. They also kicked out one of the fake wooden eggs that we have had in there for a few weeks. I added pics to the album with the others here  http://picasaweb.google.com/sdcorbett/Chickens18Weeks#
I included pictures of their coop, made almost entirely from recycled or scavenged material. I am pleased with how it turned out. Of course being in Southern Florida made some design concerns a lot easier.

Thanks again for all of your kind words.

Stephen

[Guest]

Thanks for sharing your pics! That is a great looking egg, not long and skinny like some pullets lay. How would you describe the color of it? I find it is hard to photograph blue and greenish eggs, they all come out washed out and greyish looking.

[Paul]

If a hatchery, feed store or some other outlet is offering their chicks as Americanas or just Ameraucanas without listing a variety (black, blue, blue wheaten, buff, brown-red, silver, white or wheaten), you can bet your bottom dollar that they are EEL\'s and not Ameraucanas.

Paul Smith

[Guest]

Thanks for sharing your pics! That is a great looking egg, not long and skinny like some pullets lay. How would you describe the color of it? I find it is hard to photograph blue and greenish eggs, they all come out washed out and greyish looking.

I would describe the color of three as green blue. One was blue green. They all seemed to be more blue when first laid and got more green as they were cooled. Probably just my imagination.
Stephen

[Guest]

If a hatchery, feed store or some other outlet is offering their chicks as Americanas or just Ameraucanas without listing a variety (black, blue, blue wheaten, buff, brown-red, silver, white or wheaten), you can bet your bottom dollar that they are EEL\'s and not Ameraucanas.

Paul Smith

This I paid money to learn.
Still wasn\'t the most expensive lesson of my life by a long shot. Since showing birds has never been part of our plan we aren\'t really that put out. These mutts have won us over. It really speaks more to the integrity of those I dealt with and will affect how I deal with them (or not) in the future.

Stephen