Araucana thread anyone?

[Extra Java]

What is the genetic code for Araucana "gold duckwing?"

Are these similar to red enhanced silver wheatens? What do the females look like? I've only seen the males. Thanks

 

[chicksformsswan]

I'm just learning about keeping chickens, and I have a dumb question.....what is an "EE" and what does it stand for?

 

[jpulidol]

EE stands for Easter Egger. This mixture of chicken breeds that had Araucana lineage in its past. EE lay colored eggs ranging from green to blue to pink and brown.

 

[chicksformsswan]

Thanks!

 

[sahmhomesteader]

My friend's dad is giving away a rooster that he says is Araucana. I do not know anything about the breed as I have EEs. He said that if his roo was put with a good hen from the breed that show quality characteristics would follow. I am considering whether or not I should take the roo and get rid of my 12 week old EE cockerel. One concern I have is that my cockerel has been raised from a chick around my toddler boys, but my friend says this roo is very docile towards her children although he is not handled like I handle our cockerel.

Anyhoo, the roo is approximately 2 yrs old. I am wondering if he is really Araucana, and if he has good characteristics?? What would you all do? Thanks in advance!

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Forgive me...I guess Araucanas never have tails...?

 

[enola]

If you are outside of the USA, Araucanas have tails. Other countries have a different SOP than we do. The pictured rooster is not Araucanas.

He is a good looking EE.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

If you are outside of the USA, Araucanas have tails. Other countries have a different SOP than we do. The pictured rooster is not Araucanas.

He is a good looking EE.

Thank you kindly. I am so sorry to have posted here. You all probably get tired of answering EE when someone asks if they have Araucana.

 

[enola]

No problem! I don't mind at all. I am sure your friend was probably told he was an Araucana when he bought him. He was not trying to mislead you...........someone else had already mislead him.

 

[smoothmule]

Forgive me...I guess Araucanas never have tails...?

The Araucana is a breed that was made using 2 breeds from South America, the Colloncas and the Quetros. One breed was tufted and tailed and the other clean faced and rumpless. Neither was a "breed" but they had traits used to create the Araucana. The Araucana can still have a tail, partial tail, a few stray tail feathers or rumpless. Rumpless is the standard so that is what is bred for. I have bred tailed Araucana's back when I was starting and using every Araucana I could get my hands on to create a more diverse flock, and ever since, I have bred towards the standard of perfection which is how the Araucana "breed" is recognized as a breed. The Araucana is more often clean faced than tufted. Not because of preference but because there are more chicks hatched that are clean faced than tufted. The gene responsible for tufts is lethal if a chick gets a gene for it from both parents. If the chick gets 2 tuft genes it dies. If it gets 1 tuft gene, it is tufted and if it gets no tuft genes it is clean faced. Tufts are not the same or even related to the Beard and Muffs of the EE or Ameraucana.

The Ameraucana and the Easter Eggers share some of that history but have differing standards. Because the EE is not recognized by the American Poultry Association, it is not considered a "breed" although hatcheries raise and sell them and have for many years. Most of those years they erroneously called them EE, Americana (mispelled) and Araucana ....sometimes using one breed name and sometimes calling them by all three names as if they were all the same.....which they are obviously not.

The EE may lay any color of egg from blue, green, brown, tinted and even pinkish. The Araucana and Ameraucana standard for egg color is blue but there is a range of shades for blue from a pale powder blue, sort of a lavender blue (I've never seen one) to a turquoise blue that can be greenish. The favored color in the Araucana is as blue as possible and it can be bred for. The brown egg gene on top of the blue egg is why they sometimes have a greenish tint. The standard simply states blue so anything in the blue range is acceptable, we all have our preferences. Hens even have different colors with age and season. I highly recommend the breed.