Araucana thread anyone?

[Weve3Chickens123]

Was glad to hear from some of you that Araucanas ARE a reliable layer. I went out this weekend looking for one, had my heart set on geting a tufted pullet but fell for a little tuftless, rumpless sweetie and, since I'm not in this for breeding - just eggs and a pet really - I bought her. Low and behold as I get her all settled in the car and ready to go home the the fella I bought her from says to me , "oh, by the way, this breed only has a slightly better than 50% chance of laying. Some do,, some just don't ever. You've got a month or so before you'll know." Needless to say I was disappointed but i've just hads such a hard time finding a hatched out Araucana in my geographic area ( and I've widened as far as 90 miles!) AND the fact that I'm a sucker for sweet hens, I kept her hoping she WILL give me those blue eggs I've been wanting for some time now. But why would he say that? Has any one else heard this about the breed,, so far I've been hearing just good things. I hope my little pullet will lay.

 

[Illia]

That's a very ridiculous thing to say! I could say that for some Easter Egger strains out there, but never for Araucanas. Sure, there might be some show strains who lay less, but, that's a wild statement. Never ever had a poor or non-layer.

 

[cackleberrycoop]

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I'm very interested in seeing what color eggs this cross results in. The photos of the Barnevelder eggs that he hatched out of were very unique. He is from a small private breeder and the egg color is deep, pink, orange -ish...... I know computer screens are very hard to interpret egg color off of, but it was such a different color than what I get from my Marans. It'll be fun to see what happens. I'll be happy if it is something new in my egg cartons. If not, at least I know that I will have nice meaty birds and there is no wasted effort in that. So far this year I have pressure canned about fifty pints of chicken meat. It's amazing what I am able to trade pints of meat for!




OK, so is it time for me to stop hoping that this little one is a female? This is all boy, right?

 

[jeremy]

I dunno if it's a pullet or a cockerel but I like it!

 

[cashdl]

Quote:
What is the area you live in? Araucana should start laying between 5 and 7 months. All of mine are reliable layers, some better than others, but they all lay well.


Lanae

 

[cackleberrycoop]

Quote:
The closest that I have come to having trouble with Araucanas as layers is if I have pullets coming into point of lay just as the really cold winter weather is starting up. Last year I did have three pullets who didn't lay at all until this spring, even though by the calender they should have begun about November. Otherwise, my Araucanas have always been good to great layers.

 

[Illia]

Looks like a blue breasted red pullet to me.

( or, in the girls' case, a red breasted blue )

 

[cackleberrycoop]

Quote:
Music to my ears (eyes?)

Thank you jeremy - I think she's lovely also.

 

[suzannaski]

Wow! a lotta catching up to do!
Yes, I have the Greenfire egg shells. I'm keeping them enclosed in a box. Greenfire wanted me to know that the heat from the incubator & brooder makes them fade, but since I'll be comparing to shells that have been through the same conditions, I don't think it matters much. Age might, if this little project gets sidetracked once my college starts back up again.

My araucana/ameraucas are so pleasant to be around, and the roos are excellent husbands (well, except one overly horny one). Only one has gone broody, but they are only a year old. And I lost that wonderful little hen and her chicks to a weasel or sumthin'. Booo.
The only hens I had that didn't lay eggs were hatchery EE's. One was a crossbeak that never laid but was so tame I had to keep her. The other laid for a year and a half, then gave up first on adding a shell to the egg, then gave up on laying eggs alltogether. She's still around cuz she's the first hen I ever had, and she's survived 3 or 4 predator raids, getting stepped on by a horse, and getting grabbed by my dog (absolutely injury free, and dog now avoids chickens because I screamed so loud I think I scarred him for life)

I love that Blue/Red pullet!

Can I put a request in for chicks? From anyone with more blue-ish than green-ish eggs. I don't care about rumps or tufts. I'm partial to duckwings and blues. The blue/reds are nice, too.

What does anyone have for an opinion about Gary Ramey? I was thinking since he is also on the east coast, it might be easier on the chicks. Or HinkJC. He's relatively close, too.

 

[Illia]

All my current Araucanas are from Gary Ramey, so, if you recall my birds, that's an idea of what he breeds.

I love some of his stuff, and some other examples are not my favorite. Since he breeds many colors they vary from pen to pen. Love his Cuckoos, love his Brown-Red projects, and love his Duckwings (except I did get a couple silvers who were small, skittish, and poorly colored)




I've got another chick today

I now have three being shared by the broody girls. The third is either a silver duckwing or golden duckwing male, and is definitely brand new. The blue one I got a good look at today and is definitely half Sussex. That one will be a keeper! It will basically be a very very large version of my previously pictured Olive Egger.