AMERAUCANASBrown-red cockerel, Mike Gilbert breeding Updated 4/01/02 A Special Thank You to Mr Mike Gilbert for his help in providing me with accurate information and some beautiful birds. This unusual breed gets its name partly from the Araucana chicken, a tufted, rumpless breed, that lays blue eggs. Araucanas are named for the Araucanian Indian tribe of Chile, South America, where they were developed by a Dr. Ruben Bustos. Araucanas were imported and crossed with hens from the U.S. and thus played an early part in the breed's history. However, no tufted, rumpless fowl were used to create any of the present-day varieties of Ameraucanas. A look at a pair of Araucanas for comparison. Notice the ear tufts and the rumplessness:
Araucana photos permission from the Stanfords of Brown Egg Blue Egg, breeders of winning Araucanas and Silkies. Ameraucanas lay colored eggs as well. They are supposed to be a shade of blue, but the eggs oftentimes are a shade of green, from pastel to olive. Breeders are hoping to correct this. This breed is often mistakenly called the "Easter Egg chicken", but this term is better reserved for crossbred birds and those birds purchased through hatcheries. Eggs from these "Easter Egg" birds usually include a much broader range of colors, from very light brown to several shades of green, and some may even be blue. But these birds also often lack other necessary breed characteristics to be truly called Ameraucanas. Here are 3 bantam Ameraucana roosters I've owned:
Note: The Silver roo pictured above has some brown on his wings and back which isn't correct. Silvers should not have any brown on them. The Blue-wheaten didn't have a proper comb. The Brown-red, a handsome bird, has a new home with a friend in CA. I sadly had to give up the Am's and other poultry. Due to having to move the birds off the farm I must bring my poultry hobby to a halt for the time being. I hope to resume again with this breed when a new farm can be found. Color Chart
Color Chart photos courtesy of the Ameraucana Breeders Club Note: Even though the Quail color is not a recognized variety yet, it is currently being worked on in the Bantams by the Klemmedson's. Links For more information on this wonderful breed, go to... Visit my Silkie chickens by clicking the following ... The 4S Bar Silkies For a great compilation of poultry breeds & species, try this site... FeatherSite Thanks for visiting! Jessica Sanders Bangor, PA e-mail: jbar_ranch@yahoo.com [ Home | Artwork | Pets | Mini Horse | Chickens | For Sale | Links ] |