Araucana

Araucana Breed Description – Not currently available

Araucana chickens are amazing birds. Pronounced Arra-carna. They have a beard, muff and a crest and most interesting of all, they lay a blue egg. We keep them in Black, Blue and Lavender varieties which are quite rare colours. Originally from Chile, they were brought to the UK many years ago and have been used in the creation of many crested breeds such as the Cream Legbar.

Indigenous Araucana are a rumpless chicken, so they have no “parsons nose” to grow feathers from. Americans bred with them with some of their local fowl and created a tailed version. The tailed version is more correctly known as Ameraucana. This differentiates the two kinds. Most UK Araucana are actually Ameraucana but the name Araucana has become a one size fits all kind of name.

Breed Temperament

Araucana are a fairly reserved chicken. They exhibit the full range of possible personalities, from skittish to velcro-like. Careful handling is the key. They are good in a mixed flock.

Breed Size

The chickens we have are large fowl – light, but they can also be found in some places in a bantam version. Large fowl in this breed are on the small side of large we feel.

Eggs

Araucana are very respectable layers of medium-sized blue eggs. Interestingly enough the genes that make a blue egg are different than those of a common or garden egg. The colour is deposited into the shell at the outset and the inside of the shell is as blue as the outside. Other breeds of chickens apply the colour as a final flourish just before laying. The colour on the outside of regular eggs does not go right through the shell. Rest assured that the egg once it hits the frying pan is just the same as any other regular hens egg. They just look rather nice additions to your egg box.

Further Information

If you need any further information on how to look after chickens then a course might be a good option.