What Color Is My Ameraucana Going To Be
With large expressive eyes, Ameraucana chickens could merely exist the inspiration for the angry hen stereotype in cartoons.
But there's more to this rare craven than their optics, multicolored feathers, and the lovely blue eggs they lay!
Y'all'll come across online that lots different types of chickens are sold as Ameraucana chickens.
This breed of chicken is easily confused with the Araucana chicken and Easter Eggers – especially since both breeds lay blue eggs.
Araucana vs Ameraucana vs Easter Egger are mutual subjects in forums and threads, only Ameraucana chickens have a few stand out characteristics that separate it from the other blueish egg layers.
From afar, you'd see a cute creature that does not look like the average chicken in the coop. At present, let's inspect the Ameraucana chicken from head to toe.
About Ameraucana Chickens – Brood Characteristics, History, & Personalities
For a piffling fleck of storytelling, Ameraucana chickens originated in the United States.
Agricultural scientists created this breed, hoping to preserve the genetics of the South American, blue-egg laying Araucana chicken – but likewise to eliminate its lethal gene that tin can kill the chick while within the shell.
Eventually, the Pratt Experimental Farm in Pennsylvania got the correct genes together sometime in the early 70's.
And yes, well-nigh breeds of chickens are non considered "truthful craven breeds" by most people until the American Poultry Association (APA) says then, and eight varieties later it was finally recognized by APA and American Bantam Clan (ABA) in the 1980s.
Ameraucana chickens accept a beautiful curved bill, large eyes, and a red "pea" comb. This pea comb, together with the wattles and the round earlobes, should be cherry-red.
Ameraucana chickens besides appear to have a "beard of feathers" and adorable muffs that sometimes almost embrace their face up.
This makes them mannerly – giving you more reason to own and breed one, if the chicken gods would permit you to find Ameraucana chickens for sale.
If closely compared the Araucana and Easter Eggers, Ameraucanas volition also take a well spread, total tail. (Araucana chickens, on the other hand, are "rumpless."
This craven breed also sports a few uncanny characteristics like having bluish slate shanks and bottoms.
Are Ameraucanas Cold Hardy?
Most craven breeds (similar Silkies) are cold hardy, and Ameraucanas are no exception – ours have ever done better in winter than summer.
Our Ameraucanas don't really like going out in the snow, simply because they take small pea combs and smaller wattles, they are resistant to frostbite on these areas.
They likewise lay well during colder seasons.
Offering your flock extra treats during the colder months can lift their spirits and provide extra protein.
Can Ameraucana Chickens Fly?
Ameraucana chickens can fly short distances and savor the view from a tree branch. They're smaller and lighter framed than other heavier chicken breeds (similar buff orpingtons and brahmas, for example), so it's easier for them to grab some air for lift off.
They won't fly long distances or even get out your subcontract, though.
How Long Practice Ameraucana Chickens Live?
While backyard Araucanas tin live more than 10 years, the actual lifespan of your Ameraucana chick can vary greatly depending on its diet, genetics and exposure to predators.
Virtually pet chickens alive between 5-six years if they're given a warm shelter and a high quality layer feed, clean craven feeders and waterers, and are protected from fox, raccoons, and other predators.
What Is The Difference Between Easter Eggers And Ameraucana Chickens?
Easter eggers are hybrids, unremarkably a mix between Ameraucana or Araucana chickens and a brownish egg layer, such as a Rhode Island Red.
They come from different breeds with one parent having the blue egg laying factor.
Unlike Ameraucana chickens, Easter Eggers don't simply lay blue eggs – they tin lay dark-brown, green, or fifty-fifty pinkish eggs – a veritable rainbow of egg colors.
If you've heard of lavender Ameraucana chicken eggs, you're likely thinking of Easter Eggers. Both make wonderful pets!
The Ameraucana craven egg color is bluish – not lavender, however.
As well, they do not brood truthful, so even if you breed 2 Easter Egger chickens together, in that location's no telling what characteristics the offspring will accept. No two Easter Eggers look exactly the aforementioned.
Personally, I like this "grab bag" approach to convenance, but the bottom line is breeding two Easter Egger chickens together can have some surprising and offbeat results.
Types of Ameraucana Chickens
Be prepare to accept a colorful flock when you accept these clucking in your coop or grazing in your backyard. Each variety come in different sets of color.
Then, What Colors Do Ameraucana Chickens Come In?
The recognized Ameraucana chicken colors (allAmeraucana chicken breeds colors) are:
- blackness,
- blue,
- chocolate-brown scarlet,
- vitrify silver,
- blueish wheaten,
- wheaten, and
- white.
Some breeders are as well working on new varieties similar black gold and also lavender! How wonderful would those exist?
The blacks and dejection are the most common Ameraucana colors.
The black Ameraucana chicken is purely black with shiny coal black feathers bated from the red wattles, ears, and comb.
The same is true for the white Ameraucana chicken – except it's snow white and not black.
Don't expect sky-blue chickens to grow from a Blue Ameraucana craven, though.
The blues of this brood are more of an ashy blue. This color is derived from the blackness Ameraucana craven that has been diluted with the blueish gene.
The Ameraucana recognized multifariousness, buff, is also quite interesting to look at, with its contrasting gold buff color and blueish legs.
You might likewise be confused with the wheaten and bluish wheaten colour. It's quite simple: blue feathers on blue wheatens will supervene upon the black feathers on regular wheatens for both hens and roosters.
Only be enlightened that when y'all raise Ameraucana chicks, you'll only be able to distinguish what color they will be equally adults when they beginning feathering out. This is particularly true if you lot get them from a hatchery, rather than a local dealer where you can encounter the parent stock.
Until then, you can only fantasize and stare at an ameraucana chicken color chart hoping they would turn out to be the colors you want to have.
I desire the Ameraucana recognized variety blue myself.
Expect in general that males would take more than orange tint with blue and gray shanks.
Anyway, no matter what colour your chicks turn out to exist they're guaranteed to have blue eggs in unlike shades as long as they are genuine/pure breeds.
There is too a "standard" size and bantam size for this breed.
A standard Ameraucana craven can weigh up to 4.5 – 6.v lbs and stand upward to xviii" tall. Ameraucana bantam chickens are the cuter versions that abound half the size of a standard – and bantam chickens in general tend to be more cuddly with their humans than regular-sized chickens. You can buy the bantam versions from these hatcheries.
Are Ameraucanas Good Egg Layers?
There is no questioning the capabilities of the Ameraucana for egg production. They are one of the most productive egg laying breeds known to give at to the lowest degree 250 to 300 eggs a year, weighing approximately 53 – 60 grams.
Those are some nice, large, blue eggs!
Do Ameraucana Chickens Lay Eggs Everyday?
On the boilerplate, they produce iii-6 eggs a week, more in their starting time laying year. The exact amount they'll lay – and whether they lay consistently – will depend on their diet and environs. It'due south always best to provide a high-quality layer feed with at least 16% protein and enough of calcium.
Note that chickens who exercise non have a good nutrition, or who free range for almost of their nutrients, or take experienced some sort of stress, might non lay too. You tin explore reasons chickens cease laying eggs hither.
What Age Do Ameraucana Chickens Lay Eggs?
They offset laying eggs at nigh 6-7 months erstwhile, although information technology can depend on certain factors, such every bit the private craven, her nutrition, the time of year, etc. Pullets that reach the 7 month mark during the darkest days of winter might non lay until leap, since 12-14 hours of light is needed to spur egg production. Once your hens exercise commencement laying, offer them a high quality layer feed with enough of calcium.
Some breeders would say that it's quite a long time before they start laying, but pretty colored eggs are worth the await. When your hens showtime producing eggs, make certain they don't go through too much stress like change in surround or feeding. Stressed hens might just stop laying.
Their eggs aren't just coveted for their unique and gorgeous bluish color. Ameraucana chicken eggs are 1 of the healthiest, with low cholesterol and rich flavors.
Personalities
This breed can be misunderstood because there is a variety of Ameraucana chicken temperaments. Looks are deceiving for this breed.
A lot of breeders would testify that information technology is a friendly breed and piece of cake to tame. They can exist fun to lookout when they starting time beingness curious and explore the lawn.
To requite a piece of advice though, you might need to call back twice about picking them upward for a cuddle. These balmy chickens are as well easily spooked when they are not used to having humans around and tin can be broody.
The exception are well-handled runted varieties.
In Ameraucana flocks, males are dominant. They protect hens when in they're in problem, just they can be aggressive too. Information technology is a proficient practice to separate the males from females when they're not breeding if the roosters are being difficult.
While they relish costless-ranging and enjoying mother nature's treat, this is a brood that doesn't mind confinement. They tin easily adjust and thrive cooped up, every bit long every bit their environment is set to reduce stress.
You lot can provide them treats and toys to go on them entertained.
Starting to remember Ameraucana chickens are for you? Let me know – get out a annotate beneath! (Feature epitome courtesy of Royale Photography [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)])
Maat van Uitert is a backyard craven and sustainable living expert. She is also the author ofChickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a all-time seller in it's Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Postal service, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Mag. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. Y'all tin follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram hither.
Source: https://thefrugalchicken.com/ameraucana-chickens/
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