Hatchery Araucanas

They are often labeled Americana/Araucanas depending on the hatchery. There is another American Poultry Association breed called the Ameraucana (notice the spelling) it also lays a blue egg and has a controversial history, but that is for another website. Many people are looking to buy the real Ameraucana or Aruacana when they go looking at the hatcheries or feed stores.(who get their birds from hatcheries) Sadly they end up with Easter Egger Chickens. It is much more difficult to tell the difference between the hatchery Easter Egger and the APA Ameraucana, than it is to tell a hatchery Easter Egger from an Araucana, but it can be done. First clue is, if you purchased your bird at a feed store or ordered it from a hatchery, it is not an Araucana nor is it an Ameraucana!

A couple of easy differences to note when buying your birds.  The Ameraucana has slate or blue/black looking legs because it has white skin, so if your bird has yellow or greenish legs you have an Easter Egger. The Ameraucana only lays blue eggs. The Easter Egger can lay blue, green, tan, pinkish, or brown eggs.  So if the sign says ” Birds will lay colorful eggs”  they are Easter Eggers.  Most importantly if you bought it from a hatchery or a feed store it is not an Ameraucana.

The Ameraucana was recognized as a breed in 1984 and comes in blue, black, white, blue wheaten, wheaten, buff, brown-red, and silver. The Easter Egger comes in just about every color, but will most often be seen in shades of tan red.  If you’re interested in learning about the Ameraucana chicken, the Ameraucana Breeders Club at www.ameraucana.org is the place for you. There are also several discussions online at BackyardChickens.com that pertain to both the Araucana and the Ameraucana.

There is also much information online about the Easter Egg chicken.

The Araucanas history is so intertwined with that of the Easter Egger chicken and the Ameraucana, so it is important to distinguish between the three.

Common color for the Easter Egger