Naked Necks ARE fabulous birds that are well received by their owners. However I found that because of their exposed skin they run the danger of sunburn. There's always a positive and negative with any breed and this is one that concerned us because we have so much sun year'round.
As for EEs vs Amers -- EEs are bred like landrace and not selectively bred for any traits other than laying blue or green eggs. Amers are being more selectively bred to APA standards that are giving them a definite genetic difference in their type and temperament from EEs. Though they may have been the same breed at one time emerging from Araucanas, there have been a lot of differences bred since the 1980's and before that in the '60s when the Araucana and Ameraucana factions had their arguments as to whether the birds should be tail-less or tailed, bearded or muffed, or tufted, etc. which resulted in two separate breeds of Ameraucana and Araucana registered with the APA. With your argument you can add that Araucanas share 99%+ of EE and Amer genes but that would be so incorrect. There has been so much modification of the 3 breeds that they don't qualify to be lumped together. It's like when the BRs and Dominiques went their separate ways at the turn of the last century -- the birds started out the same but split into two factions that made them totally different from each other decades later with BRs having Malay and Game bird infused in their history that isn't in the Dom history.
I do agree that it is an individual animal that dictates it's characteristics but some breed traits dominate beyond an individual bird. Where owners have found their EEs bolder in temperament and larger/hardier in all climates we have found through communication and comparison with other APA Amer owners that the Amer breed is more nurturing and is maybe a bit smaller and densely downed to be better suited for colder weather rather than heatwave climates.
Just as the BR/Dom issues had serious contention that eventually resolved decades ago it will take another decade or two of educating about the differences between Araucana, Ameraucana, and Easter Eggers before the issues are resolved, understood, and accepted.
Please let me know if you have any to sell or know of any good resources. I really want to try and get eggs locally(or from Calif) rather than shipped from a long distance!
