http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2013/12/ameraucana-vs-araucana-vs-easter-egger.html
Ameraucana vs. Araucana vs. Easter Egger - The Blue Egg Layers
December 10, 2013
Ever since Martha Stewart appeared
on television several years ago holding a basket of blue eggs laid by her
chickens, the demand for the blue egg laying breeds has skyrocketed. There are
predominantly three that come up when you're talking blue eggs - the
Ameraucana, Araucana and Easter
Egger (although Cream Legbars do lay blue eggs as well and are just becoming
available in the US) - but only two of the three ALWAYS lay blue eggs, so
you'll want to keep reading and be sure of what you're ordering this spring if
you are determined to have blue eggs in your basket come fall!
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I have raised all three types of the
blue egg layers. Unfortunately, the two Araucanas I hatched both turned out to
be roosters, so I was out of luck there with blue eggs from them, and every
Easter Egger I have ever raised has laid green eggs - some a pale mint color,
others a sage green - always very pretty, but never blue eggs, so I am
anxiously awaiting my first Ameraucana to start laying. I hatched her this past
spring and she's due to start any day now!
So anyway, back to the three, here
are the basic differences between them:
AMERAUCANAS
 |
|
-Virginia
is a Blue Ameraucana, as evidenced by her peacomb, blue legs, cheek muffs and
beard. She will lay blue eggs-
|
Ameraucanas are a pure breed recognized by the APA since 1984. They
were most likely originally bred from South American blue egg laying breeds but
were developed and standardized in the United States. They come in eight
distinct colors including, Blue, Black, White and Wheaten, which all share
these distinct Ameraucana traits:
- Peacomb
- Muffs and beard
- Red earlobes
- Tail
- Blue legs
- White foot bottoms
- Always lay blue eggs
ARAUCANAS
 |
|
-Two
of our Araucana pullets. Note the yellow foot bottoms and lack of tail-
|
Araucanas are also a pure breed recognized by the APA since 1976.
They originated in Chile most likely and come in five colors including black,
white, duckwing silver and golden. Araucanas all share these distinct Araucana
traits:
- Peacomb
- Ear tufts (this gene is lethal to developing chicks if inherited by both parents)
- Red earlobes
- Rumpless (no tail)
- Green or willow-colored legs
- Yellow foot bottoms
- Always lay blue eggs
EASTER
EGGERS
 |
|
-One
of our Easter Eggers exhibiting very common EE traits including cheek muffs
and a peacomb. She lays mint green eggs-
|
Easter Eggers are
not a recognized breed. They are mongrels - mixed breed chickens that do
possess the blue egg gene but don't fully meet the breed specifications of
either Araucanas or Ameraucanas. They can come in any color or combination of
colors and share these traits:
- Any kind of comb
- Muffs/beard/ear tufts or none
- Any color earlobes
- Tail or tail-less
- Any color legs
- Any color foot bottoms
- Can lay blue but also sometimes lay green, tan, pink or even yellow
So if you want to be guaranteed blue
egg layers, you will want to raise some Araucanas or Ameraucanas; otherwise
Easter Eggers are always fun because you never know what color egg each will
lay until she starts laying, and even identical-looking hens often lay varying
shades of bluish or greenish eggs.
Final note: There is no such thing as an Americana.
Buying
Source for Blue-Egg Laying Breeds:
