Araucana thread anyone?

[willchickeneat]

When can you tell sex with araucanas? Mine are going on 8 weeks and I'm not seeing cockerel traits on any of the 3.

I can usually tell by 8 weeks. Feather pattern for males are pretty distinct and easy to tell, unless they are the solid colored Araucanas like black, etc. Duckwing/BBR are pretty easy to tell. Plus the males will have bigger wattles/comb where females will have little or none. Last few hatches I made the cockerals started crowing at 8 weeks already, and made it easy to tell.

Post up some photos?

 

[Mylied]

I can usually tell by 8 weeks. Feather pattern for males are pretty distinct and easy to tell, unless they are the solid colored Araucanas like black, etc. Duckwing/BBR are pretty easy to tell. Plus the males will have bigger wattles/comb where females will have little or none. Last few hatches I made the cockerals started crowing at 8 weeks already, and made it easy to tell.

Post up some photos?

I can tell with my other breeds by now but it's my first time with these. I was actually hoping for a cockerel for once. It's 2 whites and a black. I'll take some pics tomorrow. I'm at work and was just wondering about things.

 

[Araucana Nest]

I've been able to tell by 4- 5 weeks by their comb size. It's thicker and redder. The difference is subtle at first but much harder to tell if you don't have both sexes to compare. One of my cockerels just started to crow this morning at 8 weeks

 

[willchickeneat]

Had a coyote come through yesterday. Literally catwalked the fence. Hard to believe they can do it just as fast and just as well as the cats due to their size. Chickens went crazy.

Gal is fine during the day, but at night wry neck gets really bad. She is eating fine and drinking fine during the day, so I'm hoping it will go away. I've been upping on the vitamins and the Vit E syringe just came in yesterday. Plan to give it to her later today or tomorrow.

Caught Mr. with my fav Araucana hen yesterday. Still waiting on that egg!

Love her tuffs. She's on the high-end of the pecking order so all her tuffs are intact. Mister's tuff keeps growing inward toward his eyes. I trimmed it back last month but it's edging back to his right eye.

Have a great weekend.

 

[willchickeneat]

I've been able to tell by 4- 5 weeks by their comb size. It's thicker and redder. The difference is subtle at first but much harder to tell if you don't have both sexes to compare. One of my cockerels just started to crow this morning at 8 weeks

Araucanas crow waaayyy sooner compared to Ameraucanas. They also lay eggs faster as well.

I've read some people write that Araucana lay later around 6-9 months but I've yet to experience that. I've had them lay as soon as 4 months and no later than 6 months.

Ameraucanas rooster generally don't crow until at least 4-6 months. Araucanas roosters, looking at 2-4 months.

I do live in CA, so maybe the sunshine helps them mature faster?

 

[Mylied]

Had a coyote come through yesterday. Literally catwalked the fence. Hard to believe they can do it just as fast and just as well as the cats due to their size. Chickens went crazy.

Gal is fine during the day, but at night wry neck gets really bad. She is eating fine and drinking fine during the day, so I'm hoping it will go away. I've been upping on the vitamins and the Vit E syringe just came in yesterday. Plan to give it to her later today or tomorrow.

View attachment 2375673

Caught Mr. with my fav Araucana hen yesterday. Still waiting on that egg!

View attachment 2375666
Love her tuffs. She's on the high-end of the pecking order so all her tuffs are intact. Mister's tuff keeps growing inward toward his eyes. I trimmed it back last month but it's edging back to his right eye.

View attachment 2375670

Have a great weekend.

Do the tufts get picked out regularly? I love my little ones tufts. One of my young peafowl has been plucking the other's head feathers. :-/ I thought they just stopped growing for a while.

 

[Mylied]

Araucanas crow waaayyy sooner compared to Ameraucanas. They also lay eggs faster as well.

I've read some people write that Araucana lay later around 6-9 months but I've yet to experience that. I've had them lay as soon as 4 months and no later than 6 months.

Ameraucanas rooster generally don't crow until at least 4-6 months. Araucanas roosters, looking at 2-4 months.

I do live in CA, so maybe the sunshine helps them mature faster?

I have a few days off so I'll get new pics of my 3. I'm leaning pullet on them.

 

[willchickeneat]

Do the tufts get picked out regularly? I love my little ones tufts. One of my young peafowl has been plucking the other's head feathers. :-/ I thought they just stopped growing for a while.

They can be, depends on the pecking order of the group. If they have sufficient space to run arouns from bullies, they are fine. Araucanas fly and jump better than most other breeds. Also found that higher protein cuts back on feather picking as well.

 

[Araucana Nest]

They can be, depends on the pecking order of the group. If they have sufficient space to run arouns from bullies, they are fine. Araucanas fly and jump better than most other breeds. Also found that higher protein cuts back on feather picking as well.

They are great flyers, can compete with guinea fowl in that respect and much quieter and calmer.
Out of eight, I only have one that has the larger tufts, a black pullet that is about 6 weeks. I have several that have "micro" tufts, which I prefer or no tufts at all Six Araucana eggs (out of ten) moving into lockdown this morning (I don't really lock down).

 

[Mylied]

Here's my 3. Jane, Elizabeth, and Sir Reginald. 8 weeks old.