Where can I find accurate information about Ameraucana chickens?

Aren't Ameraucana, Araucana and Easter Egg chickens the same?

How do I know I'm really getting Ameraucana chickens?

What breeds and varieties of day-old chicks do you offer?

Are your chickens standard-bred?

What is a “standard” chicken?

What about the egg color?

Do you sell hatching eggs?

Do you sell locally?

Where can I find accurate information about Ameraucana chickens?

Go to the Ameraucana Breeders Club website and the ABC Forum.

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Aren't Ameraucana, Araucana and Easter Egg chickens the same?

No.  Ameraucana (often misspelled "Americana") and Araucana chickens are both relatively new breeds and both lay blue eggs.  They are different breeds with different characteristics that are defined in the APA and ABA standards. Easter Egg Chickens or Easter Eggers are not a "Standard" breed. They are mixed breeds (aka mutts or mongrels) that happen to possess the gene for blue eggs.  Just like a mixed breed dog may make a great pet but be disqualified if entered into an AKC sanctioned dog show, mixed breed poultry may be great for the backyard/barnyard but they are not “Standard” bred for exhibition and would be disqualified if entered in an APA sanctioned poultry show.

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How do I know I'm really getting Ameraucana chickens?

If they are advertised as Americana, Americauna, Araucana/Ameraucana or Easter Egg Chickens, you can be sure they are NOT the real thing.  If they can't get the name right, they don't know what they have.  Also beware of the fine print that says their chickens "are recommended for egg laying color and ability and not for exhibition" or “Our flock is multi-colored with a wide variety of colors and feather patterns” or “** Breeds marked this way are production strains and Should Not be used for 4-H”.  Those disclaimers and similar ones mean they are selling mongrel chickens (mixed breeds), not Ameraucanas.  Many hatcheries, both big and small, will sell anything that doesn't lay a white or brown egg as an Ameraucana or Araucana.  Educate yourself about Ameraucanas before you buy.   Ameraucana chicks from ChickHatchery.com are ideal for 4-H, FFA and other youth poultry projects.

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What breeds and varieties of day-old chicks do you offer?

ChickHatchery.com specializes in dual-purpose, non-hybrid, “standard” breeds of chickens that due to their physical characteristics are especially well-suited for cold climates.  Although these breeds are relatively new, as compared to some old-time ones, they can be considered as “Heritage” breeds, due to the history of their development, their unique genetic traits and the fact that they are not only bred to a “standard” but also do well as “barnyard” or “backyard” chickens.   “Standard” bred poultry may be exhibited at APA sanctioned poultry shows, plus “dual-purpose” breeds are utilized for both their meat and eggs.  They mature more slowly or naturally than the commercial hybrid chickens that are bred solely for meat or eggs.  Please check out the Order Form, under "Chicks" for the most up-to-date list of breeds and varieties offered and note that the list is always subject to change. 

·      Bantam and large fowl Ameraucana:  ChickHatchery.com is well known for quality day-old Ameraucana chicks.  Several varieties of both bantam and large fowl Ameraucana are bred and some varieties were originally developed here.  Ameraucanas lay blue eggs and were admitted to the APA in 1984.  These are some of the best!

·      Large fowl partridge Chantecler:  ChickHatchery.com uses “compensation mating”, critical selection and other breeding practices each year.  Improvements are being made and this strain is in demand.  Chanteclers lay brown eggs and were admitted to the APA in 1921.  They were originally developed in Canada.

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Are your chickens standard-bred?

Yes.  Breeding programs at ChickHatchery.com are focused on continuous improvement and the various strains of chickens are bred to represent the "standards" as outlined by the APA and ABA in their books describing the standards for recognized breeds and varieties of poultry.  There is no guarantee that standard-bred breeds and varieties will produce day-old chicks that will mature into “show quality” (exhibition) birds. 

Below is a chart rating several characteristics of the different breeds and varieties being bred.   Numbers have been assigned representing the status of those characteristics. 

1 = needs much improvement…3 = average…5 = very good.

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What is a “standard” chicken? 

Did anyone ever ask you if you have “standard” chickens, when they really want to know if you have “large fowl”?  This is not just a problem with new-comers to the fancy, but many old timers, breed clubs and show clubs refer to large fowl as standards.  It is true that if the bird looks like what the American Poultry Association’s (APA) written “standard” says it should it is a standard.  But, so is any bantam chicken that looks like what the “standard” says it should.  If your birds are not mongrels they are standard chickens, regardless of their size, or any other traits.  My bantam chickens are standards, because they are bred to meet the standard.  I have standard bantams and standard large fowl.  Some will say they mean a standard “size” bird.  But there again my bantams are standard size when they meet the weights described in the standard.  They could call a large fowl a regular sized chicken as opposed to a banty, or miniature chicken, and that is fine when using colloquial terms.  Once someone understands what the word “standard” means relative to breeding they should begin to use the proper terminology.

Another term I’ve seen quite a bit recently is “roo”.  The first time I saw it I thought they were talking about a kangaroo and then realized they meant “rooster”.  This term seems to be used by novices for the most part.  Although “rooster” is a proper name that can be used interchangeably with “cock” for a male chicken over one year of age, cock is the official term used throughout the APA Standard of Perfection and by breeders, exhibitors and fanciers.  When you go to a real APA sanctioned poultry show the names used are cock, hen, cockerel and pullet.  These are the proper and accepted names so there is no need to fight the system.

Also note that Breeds, Varieties and Strains are different things.  Plymouth Rock is a breed.  Barred is a variety and Joe’s barred Plymouth Rocks could be a stain of that breed and variety bred by some guy named Joe.  I think the most misunderstood variety is “mille fleur”.  Many people think it is a breed.  There are several breeds that feature the mille fleur variety.  The most popular is the Belgium Bearded d’Uccle, but not every mille fleur is a d’Uccle and not every d’Uccle is a mille fleur.

I’ve noticed that some breeders are now calling the mottled variety “black mottled”.  They say it distinguishes it from blue mottled.  The fact is the APA standard says the variety name is mottled and not black mottled.  Birds entered as black mottled (at a poultry show) could be judged as a separate variety or AOV.  Note that just because there are blue wheatens and splash wheatens we don’t start calling wheatens “black wheatens”.  They are still wheaten and mottled is still mottled.  Entering recognized “black” varieties as “self black” is yet another mistake.  Using extra descriptive words when corresponding with another breeder may be helpful, but when entering a bird into a sanctioned poultry show the accepted names used in the APA Standard should be used.  

These are just some observations about some poultry terminology and you could probably add to the list.  It is not a list to pick on anyone, but rather to get us all on the same page and not promote a bilingual fancy.  When in doubt about the proper jargon, in the poultry world, check the APA “standard”

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What about egg color?

Ameraucana chickens should lay eggs with light pastel blue shells.  Many varieties and strains, especially of large fowl, carry modifying genes that cause their eggs to appear greenish.  This is a fault that breeders are trying to correct thru selective breeding programs.  You will know the blue egg shell color is the proper blue when the inside and outside egg shell colors are the same.  An Ameraucana Egg Reference Chart is available from the Secretary of the Ameraucana Breeders Club.

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Do you sell hatching eggs?

Normally not, but if and when I do a link to an order form will be posted here.

For other sources check the ABC Breeders Directory, available thru the FAQ page on the Ameraucana website and ABC members may post want ads for Ameraucana eggs and chickens on the ABC Forum.

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Do you sell locally? (Birch Run, Michigan)

Yes.  By appointment only.  From late March thru late May I generally have extra chicks that hatch, each week, and sell them locally as culls (my “rejects”) at discounted rates if customers take them as they come from the brooder.  They could be bantams and/or large fowl of any breed and variety that I have plus mixed breeds from my experimental matings.  If a customer wants to pick and choose from what is available the cost per chick is a bit higher.  There is a 10 chick minimum - just to make it worth while financially.  You’ll need a small box for transporting the chicks, so please bring one or you can buy a box here. 

Go to the “About” page and contact me via email to see what is available.

Also, I sometimes sell my “rejects” and extra birds at one of the swap meets sponsored by the Michigan Bird and Game Breeders Association in the mid-Michigan area.