WILLOW HILL ARAUCANA FARM -- BASIC ARAUCANA INFORMATION

*** Copyright 2007 www.araucanasonline.com.  Unless otherwise noted, all pictures contained within this site were taken by me and are of my own birds.  THEY ARE NOT TO BE USED ELSEWHERE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION.  Thank you. ***

The Araucana is a rumpless chicken which ideally should also have ear-tufts and lay blue eggs.  They come in several standardized color varieties in both standard and bantam sizes.

This handsome Araucana rooster is rumpless but lacks ear-tufts.

The Modern Araucana is the result of a cross between two South American breeds: the rumpless collonca and the tufted quetro.

Araucanas are very rare and difficult to breed.  The fact that they are rumpless (missing their last vertabrae and lacking tails) makes it difficult for them to mate and sometimes causes deformities.  The gene for ear-tufts is lethal, causing a significant portion of the tufted chicks to die in their eggs before they hatch.

The Modern Araucana does not breed true, meaning many Araucanas will not have tufts, some may have partial or full tails, and their coloration may not meet the standard for their variety.  As a result, approximately only 1 in 100 Araucanas is show quality!

This Araucana hen shows beautiful tufts!

The Ameraucana is another breed that lays blue or green eggs.  Unlike the Araucana, the Ameraucana has a tail and sports muffs and a beard, which are entirely different than the Araucana's ear-tufts!  These differences are illustrated in the photos above and below.

Ameraucanas are larger than Araucanas, and their traits and colors breed true.  They come in many standardized color varieties in both standard and bantam sizes.

This easter egg pullet has muffs and a beard.  The difference between the muffs in this photo and the tufts in the previous photo is quite obvious.

Easter Egg Chickens are colored-egg-laying mutts that do not meet the standard for either breed.  If you got your chickens from a feed store or any major hatchery, they are almost certainly easter eggers.  They may lay blueish or greenish eggs, but they may also lay brown, pinkish-brown, tan, grayish, or even white eggs.  They do not have any standardized color varieties -- almost every bird will have different colors and patterns.  Some have muffs & beards and some do not.  You may see different kinds of combs and different colors of legs.  They are medium-sized and all will have tails.  It is rare that an easter egg chicken from a hatchery or feed store resembles any recognized color variety.  Easter egg chickens are not a real breed, but instead a fun, friendly, colored-egg-laying mongrel.

***UPDATE: I have been hearing reports of people receiving chicks with Araucana traits (rumpless and/or tufts) from hatcheries and feed stores.  I believe that one or more hatchery has acquired some "real" Araucana breeding stock and are crossing them with their Easter Eggers.  If you've received a rumpless and/or tufted chick from a hatchery or feed store, I'd love to know!  You can reach me at anne@araucanasonline.com.  I would like to start compiling a list of hatcheries that keep Araucana breeding stock, for those who are interested.  Thanks!***

These three easter egg pullets show a variety of colors and patterns, which demonstrates a lack of standardization.

Vocabulary:

Tufts - Bunches of feathers that grow from peduncles on either side of an Araucana's head.  Often called "ear-tufts" "ear-whiskers" or "ear-rings."

Peduncle - The fleshy lobe from which the Araucana's ear-tufts grow

Bilateral Tufted - This refers to a bird with tufts on both side of its head.  Sometimes Araucanas hatch with only one tuft, so it is occasionally necessary to specify whether a tufted bird is bilaterally tufted or not.

Clean-Headed - An Araucana without tufts is called "clean-headed" or "clean faced."

Muffs - Fluffy poofs that grow around the ears of Ameraucanas and Easter Egg chickens.  In the U.S., muffs are a disqualification in standard-bred Araucanas.

Beard - A fluffy poof under the chin of Ameraucanas and Easter Egg chickens.  In the U.S., beards are a disqualification in standard-bred Araucanas.

"Dirty"  - Used to describe feather color - with the Araucana, it usually refers to hackle feathers or saddle feathers that are streaked with black.

Rumpless - Truly rumpless birds are missing their last vertabrae and lack a tail.

"Parson's Nose" - The last vertabrae in a chicken's back which rumpless fowl lack.

BBR - Abbreviation for "black-breasted red"

APA - The American Poultry Assiciation

"Colored" - As in "colored eggs" - usually refers to blue or green eggs

Standard - Large-sized fowl

Bantam - Miniature fowl

True-Breeding - To "breed true" means to see a trait or traits consistently among all generations.

Standard-Bred - Bred according to the American Standard of Perfection

American Standard of Perfection - The "poultryman's bible" - the book which describes all recognized breeds and color varieties and sets the standard for how birds should ideally conform to their breed & variety.

Modern Araucana - This is the rumpless, tufted, peacombed, blue-egg-laying fowl described in the American Standard of Perfection.

Ameraucana - The tailed, muffed, bearded, peacombed, blue/blue-green egg-laying fowl described in the American Standard of Perfection.  The name is often misspelled "Americana".  Remember, there is no "i" in "Ameraucana!"

Easter Egg Chickens - These are the colored-egg-laying mutts sold by almost all hatcheries and feed stores.  They are often falsely advertised as being "Araucanas" or "Ameraucanas".  They have tails, often have muffs and/or beards, come in many different colors with different traits, have no standard, and are not a recognized breed.