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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.
Top of Page
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.
Top of Page
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. Chicks from ChickHatchery.com are
ideal for 4-H, FFA and other youth poultry projects.
Top of Page
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.
Top of Page
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
|
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