No Blue Eggs

[ChocolateMouse]

Agreed - you don't own an ameraucana you own an easter egger. It's a common misconception/lie that they're the same - they aren't. Wonderful birds but only sometimes lay colored (blue/green) eggs.
If you want to guarantee blue eggs, buy from a respectable breeder.

 

[Ridgerunner]

So do you think it will be safe for her? I have been told i have to add two or they might be diseased.

That's not how it works. But there are two different concerns.

One is integration. May of us integrate new chickens a lot without too many issues but it can go horribly wrong. The more room you have usually the easier it is. Room is very important but even with plenty of room in the coop, on the roosts, and outside you don't get guarantees. Maturity is another big factor. Maturity is kind of related to age but isn't exactly the same. Typically when pullets start laying they can be considered to act maturely. Since you want a pullet or hen already laying so you know egg shell color I won't talk about maturity differences that much, that's more complicated. If you decide to get immature chicks we can talk about that later.

It is sometimes beneficial to integrate more than one new one at a time. That's not as important when they are all mature as it is when the new ones are immature. Chickens are social animals and like to have buddies. When you integrate mature chickens they tend to settle the new pecking order pretty quickly. It can get violent for a short time but it's usually over pretty quickly. But sometimes the new ones like to hang out apart from the others, especially at first. If you have enough room it just often works out better if you add two instead of one. That may be where the "two" came from in what you heard. This has nothing to do with disease.

Any time you meet a new person, either one of you may give the other a disease even if you don't shake hands. It works the same way with chickens if one is diseased. You don't have to meet two new people, one is enough if one is diseased. The great unknown is if any of the chickens is diseased, yours or the other. Parasites can also be a concern.

It is not that unusual for chickens to develop what we call flock immunity to either a disease or a parasite. They can be infected yet never show any symptoms so they can be carriers. It could be the flock the chicken is coming from or it could be your flock.

Or it is possible that a chicken has recently just been infected, especially if it recently met a new chicken. Chickens in what we call a closed flock, where they are kept away from other chickens, are not very susceptible to this, but they may still have a flock immunity. Chickens you get at auctions or chicken swaps are at a higher risk.

Some people just bring in new chickens without worrying about this. Often it works out fine but it is possible you could bring in something that wipes out your flock. When new birds do bring in something (which is not that often) it is usually something like mites or lice. You can treat that so it is more of an inconvenience than a disaster. But it can be a disaster.

Some people quarantine new birds, keep them isolated for a month to see if they come down sick. It's also a good time to treat them for mites or lice or even worms even if they don't show symptoms. But a good quarantine is not easy to do. Diseases and parasites can spread by them eating or drinking from the same containers, pecking at the soil where they have pooped, by insects, or on the wind. You can transmit it yourself if you wear the same clothing, especially shoes, when you are feeding or watering them. The better your isolation the better the quarantine. Very few of us have the facilities to handle a good quarantine.

I strongly recommend a quarantine for any birds that come from an auction, show, or a swap. These birds have been exposed to strange birds. If the bird comes from a flock that has not been exposed to new birds the risk is much less, especially if the owner would recognize a disease or parasite and was honest enough to tell you about it. That does not mean there is no risk, just that it is much less.

Would your girlfriend be willing to swap?

 

[chrissynemetz]

I'm sorry but I agree. You have an Easter Egger pullet, and they don't always lay blue eggs.

 

[Djurg1]

That's not how it works. But there are two different concerns.

One is integration. May of us integrate new chickens a lot without too many issues but it can go horribly wrong. The more room you have usually the easier it is. Room is very important but even with plenty of room in the coop, on the roosts, and outside you don't get guarantees. Maturity is another big factor. Maturity is kind of related to age but isn't exactly the same. Typically when pullets start laying they can be considered to act maturely. Since you want a pullet or hen already laying so you know egg shell color I won't talk about maturity differences that much, that's more complicated. If you decide to get immature chicks we can talk about that later.

It is sometimes beneficial to integrate more than one new one at a time. That's not as important when they are all mature as it is when the new ones are immature. Chickens are social animals and like to have buddies. When you integrate mature chickens they tend to settle the new pecking order pretty quickly. It can get violent for a short time but it's usually over pretty quickly. But sometimes the new ones like to hang out apart from the others, especially at first. If you have enough room it just often works out better if you add two instead of one. That may be where the "two" came from in what you heard. This has nothing to do with disease.

Any time you meet a new person, either one of you may give the other a disease even if you don't shake hands. It works the same way with chickens if one is diseased. You don't have to meet two new people, one is enough if one is diseased. The great unknown is if any of the chickens is diseased, yours or the other. Parasites can also be a concern.

It is not that unusual for chickens to develop what we call flock immunity to either a disease or a parasite. They can be infected yet never show any symptoms so they can be carriers. It could be the flock the chicken is coming from or it could be your flock.

Or it is possible that a chicken has recently just been infected, especially if it recently met a new chicken. Chickens in what we call a closed flock, where they are kept away from other chickens, are not very susceptible to this, but they may still have a flock immunity. Chickens you get at auctions or chicken swaps are at a higher risk.

Some people just bring in new chickens without worrying about this. Often it works out fine but it is possible you could bring in something that wipes out your flock. When new birds do bring in something (which is not that often) it is usually something like mites or lice. You can treat that so it is more of an inconvenience than a disaster. But it can be a disaster.

Some people quarantine new birds, keep them isolated for a month to see if they come down sick. It's also a good time to treat them for mites or lice or even worms even if they don't show symptoms. But a good quarantine is not easy to do. Diseases and parasites can spread by them eating or drinking from the same containers, pecking at the soil where they have pooped, by insects, or on the wind. You can transmit it yourself if you wear the same clothing, especially shoes, when you are feeding or watering them. The better your isolation the better the quarantine. Very few of us have the facilities to handle a good quarantine.

I strongly recommend a quarantine for any birds that come from an auction, show, or a swap. These birds have been exposed to strange birds. If the bird comes from a flock that has not been exposed to new birds the risk is much less, especially if the owner would recognize a disease or parasite and was honest enough to tell you about it. That does not mean there is no risk, just that it is much less.

Would your girlfriend be willing to swap?

if i buy from this place can i take her right out to the coop?

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/americana_started_pullets.html

 

[SurferchickinSB]

View attachment 1932673 I have 4 hens. a Silkie a Buff orpington an Ameracauna & a Black Australorp. I picked these particular girls for their temperament and their color of eggs. I got them April 14 as chicks and they are all laying now. My ameracauna is not laying blue eggs. I really want blue eggs, does anyone have any suggestions, should I trade her for a blue egg layer, should I just buy another blue egg layer? what can I do? Im new to the whole chicken thing but I love my girls so i want to do this right. I posted a pic of her and all the eggs. No Blue.

Maybe what you have is an Easter Egger and not an Ameraucana. If you brought her at your feet store and she was less than $20, chances are she is an Easter Egger. Easter Eggers can any color of egg, blue, green, pink or brown.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

if i buy from this place can i take her right out to the coop?

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/americana_started_pullets.html

Those are easter eggers.

Most hatcheries sell easter eggers as Ameraucanas.

 

[Ridgerunner]

if i buy from this place can i take her right out to the coop?

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/americana_started_pullets.html

I don't know if all McMurray "Ameraucana" pullets lay blue or green eggs. It is possible they don't. A started pullet will not be laying yet so they will not have seen the eggs. You can always call and ask them plus see what the guarantees are if she does not lay a colored egg. They are not show quality Ameraucanas but I don't think that matters to you. I think the question is what color eggs does she lay.

You can also talk to them about biosecurity. I expect their biosecurity would be excellent. If they allow any diseases or parasites in there it would be horrible for business. I'd expect a major hatchery to be about the safest source for a new chicken that you can find from a biosecurity aspect. That does not mean zero risk but I'd put it really low.

A started pullet is probably not laying yet, though you can ask them about that. If she is not laying it is unlikely she will be able to force her way into the pecking order. That can make integration harder. You need more room and probably need to introduce her slowly. A companion for her would help. This would be one of those immature chicken integrations that are more complicated.

Before they mature enough to force their way into the pecking order mature chickens often peck or even attack immature chickens that invade their personal space. Most are bullies about this but only when she invades their personal space. Occasionally you can get a mature hen that is just a brute about it. Most of the time the immature ones quickly learn to avoid the mature hens. But they need enough room to do that. If they don't have enough room to avoid them it can get bad quickly. If you happen to have a brute it gets harder. You won't know if you have a brute until you try it. Often it is one of your meeker, milder hens.

If you have an immature pullet you need to go into full integration mode. House her across wire for a while so they get used to each other. When you merge them have separate feeding and watering stations far apart so she can eat and drink without getting beat up. Give them as much room as you can and improve the quality of what room you do have by adding things she can hide under, behind, or over. It won't hurt to do this when you integrate another adult but it is even more important if one is immature.

Chickens are social animals and want to be with other chickens. If you only have one she may throw caution to the wind and try to stay close to the older ones, which can cause her to get pecked. If you are going to try this, I'd suggest you get at least two. That would improve your odds of getting different colored eggs too.

This is not a horrible idea. But I would call them about egg color and guarantees before I bought one or more.

 

[aart]

Those are easter eggers.

Most hatcheries sell easter eggers as Ameraucanas.

Does indeed look a bit hinky.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

On the McMurray website they even say things like; "This breed derives from the Araucana but is a mix of breeds, which subsequently makes it not a show bird.". "Our birds have muffs, but not all will have beards". "Our Ameraucanas are sold as a mixed flock only, and specific feather coloring is not available". Which means they're selling you mutts - easter eggers, not purebred chickens.

Mc Murray DOES say their hens are guaranteed to breed true for egg color. I'd find that guarantee questionable given they are trying to sell you "Ameraucanas" that they openly admit are mixed breeds. I would ask - in writing like email - if that's a money-back guarantee. If the chicken being actually an ameraucana is irrelevant to you - easter eggers are great chickens after all - and the blue eggs are the only relevant thing they might be good to get, assuming the egg color being true is actually true.

And hatcheries tend to have good biosecurity so it SHOULD theoretically be safe to toss them in after an integration period. But it is always good practice to quarantine every chicken you can IMO.

 

[BF Vince]

I have 2 young easter eggers. They laid pretty blue eggs for about 3 months and now the past 2 months I never get a blue egg. Can they change the color of eggs they lay? I have 2 olive eggers so there are usually 2 green eggs everyday & I have several Marans. Except for the 2 green eggs daily, the rest are brown eggs.