The Ameraucana’s Origin Story

The first blue egg-laying breed to come to the United States in the 1930s looked similar to what we now call an Ameraucana. It had a pea comb and some variation in facial feathering, but when the breed started being recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA), the breed standard would be for tufts but no beard and rumpless. Many birds that shared the same comb style, egg coloring, and feathering of an Arcuana no longer fit breed standards due to not being rumpless or having beards and muffs. A new breed was then created in the 1980s; The American Ameraucana.
The Ameraucana breed has 8 different color varieties: Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten, and White. They will always lay blue eggs at a rate of roughly 3-4 per week and be medium to large in size. The Ameraucana breeds true so they can be sustainable and reproduced to achieve breed standard in a home flock.

According to the Ameraucana Breeders Club (ABC) color chart, Ameraucanas can lay shades of green. While it is not desired, a green egg does not indicate that they are not pure Ameraucanas.

Is An Easter Egger a Breed?

The APA does not recognize the Easter Egger as a breed and there is no defined standard of perfection for it. Easter Eggers can have varied feathering, comb type, leg color, and egg color, though most of them lay blue eggs. Some Easter Eggers do have the genetic chance that they will lay green, olive, tan, or cream-colored eggs. If Ameraucanas are ‘purebred’ animals, the Easter Egger would be more like a ‘designer hybrid.’ Meyer Hatchery’s Easter Eggers are not first generation and will breed true and are thus not considered hybrids, but some Easter Eggers have a mixed heritage, their offspring could produce a completely different look and egg color from their parents.

When trying to decide between owning an Easter Egger and/or an Ameraucana, you can take into consideration the importance of their role in your personal flock. If a sustainable blue egg layer that could be shown in a poultry exhibition is important to you, the Ameraucana would be a great choice.

Easter Eggers are just as friendly and loving as their blue egg-laying counterparts and usually lay a slightly larger egg at a lower cost per chick. When ordering Easter Eggers for your flock, you can expect a wide range of feathering and characteristics, which can give a diverse look to your farm. The main difference between the breeds is in the guarantee of blue egg coloring and the ability to reproduce the birds true to APA standards for the Ameraucana, but that does come with a higher price tag for the chicks.