Araucana Black White Blue Golden Duckwing Silver Duckwing Black Breasted Red

Posted 01/11/12 • Last updated 01/11/12 • 716 views • 0 comments

Araucana
Black, White, Blue, Golden Duckwing, Silver Duckwing, Black-Breasted Red Created by Anne

Breed Information, Comments, and Experience with breed:

The Araucana is a rumpless chicken which ideally should also have ear-tufts (NOT the same as the muffs & beards of Ameraucanas, as illustrated in the photos) and lay blue eggs. They come in several standardized color varieties. The Modern Araucana is the result of a cross between two South American breeds: the rumpless collonca and the tufted quetro. The South American Indians valued the rumpless trait, as they believed the lack of a tail made them better able to escape predators. Araucanas are very rare and difficult to breed. The fact that they are rumpless (missing their last vertabrae and lacking tails) makes mating a challenge and sometimes results in low fertility. 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, very few Araucanas are show quality. Standards for the Araucana differ in various parts of the world. In most of Europe, for example, the stardard calls for muffs & beard as well as tufts. Muffs & beards are a disqualification in the U.S., however.