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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 about the egg color?

Do you sell hatching eggs?



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 barnyard chickens) that happen to possess the gene for blue eggs.

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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" orOur flock is multi-colored with a wide variety of colors and feather patternsor ** 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.   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?

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 available. 

·         Large fowl partridge Chantecler:  Chicks were obtained from a hatchery in Texas and another in Iowa.  Using only the best cockerel from one hatchery and the best two pullets from the other a strain has been developed, but it is still not as good as it should be and may not be ready for competition.

·         Bantam Vorwerk:  Wilmar Vorwerk, of New Ulm, Minnesota, developed the bantam Vorwerk in the States using Lakenvelders, and various varieties of Wyandottes and Rosecombs.  The Vorwerk flock, at ChickHatchery.com is descended from Wilmar’s.  Rose comb Nankins have since been used to make improvements and to develop Vorwerks with rose combs for the colder climates. 

·         Bantam silver spangled Hamburg:  Breeding stock was obtained from a breeder in Michigan and another in Washington.    Each breeder has over 20 years of experience with show quality bantam silver spangled Hamburgs.  The two strains were combined to produce this new one.

·         Bantam Lakenvelder: A bantam Lakenvelder male was obtained from a breeder in Washington and crossed over Vorwerk females to develop this strain.  The cockerels from the F1 generation carry the Vorwerk’s “gold” gene even though they may look “silver”.  Lakenvelders with rose combs are also being developed.

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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” 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.

Bantam Ameraucana

Type/

Shape

Size

Color/

Pattern

Docile

Comb

Leg Color

Lobe Color

Eye Color

Egg Color

Lay

Rate

black

4

5

4

4

4

5

3

3

5

4

brown red

4

4

3

3

4

5

3

3

4

3

buff

5

5

4

5

5

5

4

3

5

3

silver

3

4

3

3

3

4

3

3

5

4

wheaten

5

5

3

5

4

5

3

3

4

3

lavender

4

5

4

5

4

5

3

3

4

4

 

Bantam Lakenvelder

Type/

Shape

Size

Color/

Pattern

Docile

Comb

Leg Color

Lobe Color

Eye Color

Egg Color

Lay

Rate

single comb

5

4

3

3

3

5

4

4

4

3

 

Bantam Vorwerk

Type/

Shape

Size

Color/

Pattern

Docile

Comb

Leg Color

Lobe Color

Eye Color

Egg Color

Lay

Rate

single comb

5

4

3

3

3

5

2

4

4

3

 

Bantam Hamburg

Type/

Shape

Size

Color/

Pattern

Docile

Comb

Leg Color

Lobe Color

Eye Color

Egg Color

Lay

Rate

silver spangled

5

4

4

3

3

5

4

4

4

2

 

Large Fowl Ameraucana

Type/

Shape

Size

Color/

Pattern

Docile

Comb

Leg Color

Lobe Color

Eye Color

Egg Color

Lay

Rate

black

5

5

4

4

4

4

5

3

3

4

brown red

5

3

3

4

4

5

5

3

2

4

buff

5

3

4

5

3

4

5

4

4

4

silver

3

3

3

3

3

4

2

4

4

4

wheaten

3

3

3

4

4

4

2

4

4

4

lavender

4

3

4

4

4

5

5

3

3

4

 

Large