New Araucana Chicks, thoughts?

[mamabokbok]

I'm just excited to have new babies so can't help myself sharing

but also I'm wondering if anyone knows if the colours might indicate which are male/female? The perant hens I seen were grey, one being darker than the other and definitely a grey colour, kind of like a storm cloud even and the other was more of an off-white/light grey kind of colour (I'm unsure if I'd classify them as lavender, but this is what the seller refers to them as) with the rooster being a similar light greyish colour and having a few red/buff feathers on his wings. I'm looking at the chicks And already thinking that the yellow one is a boy and maybe the grey one too (hunch maybe, but they are slightly larger and have noticeably thicker legs as well as more feathers growing on the tips of their wings) and the three dark ones look exactly the same in size, with very fragile looking legs. I'm wondering Would this breed have the girls hatch as one colour and the boys as another like some other breeds? Also if the chicks are black now, will they stay dark as they grow feathers or change to be the same colour as both the perants were? I kind of can't wait to see what colours they turn out to be, seeing as they all came from similar coloured perants they sure are a mixed bunch! I'm totally interested in any random info people have on this breed as well, even photos of your own, which to be honest I'm not even sure how to tell what this breed is because here where I am in Australia they call this Araucana but with reaserch I get confused that maybe it's actually supposed to be an Ameraucana and that people don't know the difference or that the breed is labled differently Here to other countries

and they definitely do look like a google search for either name so that doesn't help! Anyways they hatched out of very pale, smallish blue eggs and they are super adorable with obviously fluffy heads that must turn into the muffler/beard trait

I'm super clucky!!

 

[sourland]

Neither Ameraucanas or Araucanas are able to be color sexed as chicks. Enjoy your chicks and post pictures in a couple of months, and someone will give you gender guesses. Good luck with them.

 

[mamabokbok]

Thanks for that, was wondering if there was a link between them being different colours and their other '
characteristics or not. I'm keen to see if I'm right or not

guess it would be a total fluke if I am though.

 

[donrae]

What little cuties

But nope, no color sexing with these chicks. You'll have to wait for combs, etc. Around 6 weeks you'll have a pretty good idea.

Lavender is much more common in your Aracaunas than here in the States. But it's a recessive thing, so it can be tricky. If your chicks are black or dark now, they'll stay black or dark, they won't lighten up to lavender.

Your parent birds could also have been blue, not lavender. that would explain getting black chicks.

It will be interesting to see how they feather out. Can you post pics again when they're around 6 weeks?

 

[lazy gardener]

Araucana are rumpless. Ameraucana have tails, and come in very specific colors, breeding true to color. Based on what you are saying, it's possible that you have Ameraucanas, or they could be Easter Eggers (not pure for color) The red patches on the shoulders of the roo that the breeder had are typical coloring for EE roos. And may show up in poorer quality breeding for Lavender or Blue (what ever they call that color variation in that breed) Am roos.

 

[mamabokbok]

Thanks for all the info guys! Yeah that's what I've read about the differences so far but it's bizzare because although online for over seas the Araucana's are the rumpless ones, here on the poultry club websites the breed standard seems to include a tail etc as if the Ameraucana is our Araucana

that's why it's SO confusing! I'm fair sure that my little ones are not 100% pure now though because I don't think their legs are the right colours described for the show standard, they must have something else mixed in there at some point? But The perants just looked like the Ameraucana breed (that are called Aruananas here

) while they were running around their yard. I'm giving up, I'm just gonna call mine blue egg layers lol they all hatched out of the pale blue eggs, I'm expecting them to also lay them.. Here is a photo of two of them up closer today

 

[Ravynscroft]

Aussie Araucanas are crested and tailed... look like Araucanas to me, cute little buggers...

Color unfortunately won't tell gender, you'll have to wait to see... yellow one could be white, but may feather out with other coloring due to the mix of colors you described... your grey is a blue, and breeding lavender to any other color results in black, thus your black ones...

I'm not sure what leg color your standard calls for, but many times chicks need to mature a bit before their full leg color will be apparent...

 

[lazy gardener]

Aussie Araucanas are crested and tailed... look like Araucanas to me, cute little buggers...

Color unfortunately won't tell gender, you'll have to wait to see... yellow one could be white, but may feather out with other coloring due to the mix of colors you described... your grey is a blue, and breeding lavender to any other color results in black, thus your black ones...

I'm not sure what leg color your standard calls for, but many times chicks need to mature a bit before their full leg color will be apparent...

Interesting, that. It's frustrating when the hatcheries don't get the names right. Adds even more confusion to the mix when the names change in different countries. Wish they were like plants: with a single Latin name that is very specific, and not subject to change.

 

[mamabokbok]

Yes it is confusing and a bit frustrating the name thing! I'm a believer in correctly identifying

it doesn't matter so much for me Coz these are just pets but it's still really nice to know what you have hey.. Their legs are a mixture of yellow and dark brown/black, some have two-tone coloured legs which is really cute, I THINK the info I read Said that they should be slate grey legs, but it is true that they can change

I had a little wynedotte chick who's legs didn't turn a definite yellow until he was grown, he was a stunner once he grew up

They started off a pinkish colour and people said that means he's a x breed! But for these ones I have no idea, I just would like to know for sure if they are what they are or not

I'll post photos as these little ones grow and shall see what happens, I sure do hope that there is a nice mix of colours

and black is one of my favourites so YAY!

 

[mamabokbok]

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