Aracauna/Americauna/EE...How to know the difference?

[WVchick71]

I am fairly new to chickens and was wondering if you could tell me how I can know the difference between the 3 breeds?

 

[MrChicken207]

I know that the biggest difference between Aracauna and the others is that the Araucana is rumpless. It looks like someone cut the tail area off and it healed. I think they look odd for a chicken. If you're told it's an aracauna and it has a tail, then you're not getting an aracauna that is pure. it might be a cross, but even then not likely. it is most likely an americauna, or easter egger.

 

[wsdareme]

Wikipedia has some good, basic information about the differences in the breeds -- in layman's terms:

The Ameraucana is a breed of chicken developed in the United States. The name is a portmanteau term of American and Araucana (a related breed). Ameraucanas come in both a large and bantam variety. Eight colors are officially recognized for poultry shows by the American Poultry Association: Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten and White. Ameraucanas are similar to Araucana chickens because both have pea combs and lay blue shelled eggs, but they have many differences and are completely different breeds. Some other Ameraucana traits include full tails, muffs and slate or black legs depending on the variety. Bantam cocks weigh 30 ounces and bantam hens weigh 26 ounces while large fowl cocks weigh 6½ pounds and large fowl hens weigh 5½ pounds.

The Ameraucana Breeders Club defines an Easter Egg chicken, or Easter Egger, as any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene, but doesn’t fully meet any breed description as defined in the APA standards. Further, even if a bird (that possesses the blue egg gene) meets an APA standard breed description, but doesn’t meet a variety description or breed true at least 50% of the time it is considered an Easter Egg chicken. The American Poultry Association's American Standard of Perfection contains breed and variety descriptions of all recognized standard breed poultry in North America. In other words, most Easter Egg chickens are "mutts" which happen to carry the blue egg gene. True Ameraucanas are rare.

The Araucana, also known in the USA as a South American Rumpless, is a breed of chicken originating in Chile. The Araucana is often confused with other fowl, especially the Ameraucana and Easter Egger chickens, but has several unusual characteristics which distinguish it. They lay blue eggs, have feather tufts near their ears, and a tail. To comply with the north American standard they must have no tail and are rumpless.

Hope this helps!

 

[hinkjc]

I have a handy little grid at the bottom of my araucana page on my web site that helps with differentiating them as well. http://www.hinkjcpoultry.com/araucana.htm