Araucana Chicken

Last Updated on September 12, 2020 by Pauline G. Carter

Araucana Chickens originate from South America; in fact, they’re named from the Arauca Indians from Chile. In the early 1900s, they were introduced to Europe. There are claims that they have been around already since the middle of the 16^th century.

Originally these birds had large and floppy pea combs, but these have now been bred to arrive at very small irregularly-shaped pea combs. In the US, Araucanas are known as “South American Rumpless”, and they are extremely rare.

This chicken breed has non-symmetrical tufts, even to be found in the pure-bred Araucanas. It is for this reason that Araucanas are available only through breeders, not hatcheries.

Their claim to fame is the magnificent blue shelled eggs which they lay. The Rumpless and tufts are unique to this breed.

Araucana Chicken | Breed Profile

Country of origin:	Chile
Primary use:	Dual-purpose meat/eggs
Weight:	Male: Large: 2.7–3.2 kgBantam: 740–850 gFemale: Large: 2.2–2.7 kgBantam: 680–790 g
Temperament:	Friendly, Flighty, Very Active, Quiet, Bears Confinement Well
Recognized Varieties:	Black Breasted Red, Silver Duckwing, Golden Duckwing, Black, White
Egg production (annual):	170-200
Egg color:	Blue or Green
Egg size:	Medium
Comb type:	pea

Characteristics Of The Araucana Chicken

The Araucana has facial features that are thick; they only have a small crest on their heads. They also don’t have wattles. The blue-green egg is coloredright through the shell so that even the inside is just as blue as the outside.

The hens really only lay their eggs during summer and spring months. Araucana chicken eggs are green and blue and are the most common. Colors can range from greyish or even violet-blue to turquoise or greenish-blue.

If you see eggs that are khaki or olive in color, it might suggest that the hens were crossed with other chickenbreeds. Araucana chicks can be born without tails or with tails. The ones without tails are known as “Rumpless Araucanas”.

Related Article – Frizzle Chicken Breed Profile

Araucana chickens are short and round, with an upright stance. It has a broad skull. They’ve got the unusual wart-like feature which appears on either side of their heads. These are called plicae and it’s wherethe earlobes are normally seen.

These have feathers on which make up the ear tufts and which slant backwards. Their color varieties are white, black, silver, blue, buff, cuckoo, Crele, spangled, Pyle, lavender, blue/red, black/red, golden duckwing and silver duckwing.

Behavior/Temperament

The Araucana chicks are strong, fast growers. They mature quickly. They do lean towards being broody and make superb mothers. The birds don’t mind too much being kept confined to a pen, but they do love their fresh grass.

This means the coop and run will need to be moved regularly. They are not aggressive birds, placid in nature.

What are the Pros and Cons of the Araucana Chicken?

We Liked

• Very good forages
• Good choice for backyards as well
• Good egg layers and meat providers
• Very friendly
• Hardy
• Colorful eggs
• Chicks are hardy and grow faster

We Don’t Like

• Not good choice for small coops
• Need plenty of skill and patience to breed
• The tufted gene could prove problematic for large-type breeders

Is The Araucana Chicken A Good Choice For You?

• It makes no difference whether you have been raising chickens for years on end, it is imiportant to realise which are the right breeds to have to raise in your flock of brirds.
• If you raise chickens mainly for their egg production, then yes,the Araucana chickens are a very good choice.
• It is a unique breed and has many characteristics that make it a positive addition to the flock.
• hand-o-rightIf you are looking for Araucana chickens for sale, you will find them rare, generally only available through breeders and not hatcheries.
• hand-o-rightThey have excellent foraging skills, making them good choices for farms or backyards if you have enough room.
• hand-o-rightThey are active and less docile than some other breeds, which makes them less prone to predators.
• hand-o-rightFor those who want chickens that offer both meat and eggs, the Araucana is a smart option.