Araucana thread anyone?

[Weve3Chickens123]

Thanks to all for your responses. I do hope my little Annabelle will be as good a layer as yours. But even if she doesn't, she IS the sweetest little chicken I've come across. Was just surprised by his comment.

 

[Erin K]

Head Shot:

Body, she's in the middle (obviously)

This is Nancy. The black one was Sweetums (a raccoon got her,

) The stripe one is a Barred Rock, so don't look at her on this thread.

They were sold to me as Araucanas. The guy told me that they don't always have the rumpless and the tufts (Nancy does have tufts, they are even bigger now) but that they are still pure, just not show quality. Is that true? I mean I totally trusted the guy, but didn't do any homework because I don't really care about breed, I just wanted friendly chickens to be my pets and make eggs. The only reason I ask is so I can describe Nancy.

Regardless of if she's true or not can anyone tell me how to describe her color? Is it like a duckwing of some type? I think she's stunning, especially around her neck area. I feel like there should be a name for that stunning beauty.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Yep, he was right.

You're lucky, most local sellers out there have EE's!

Her color is indeed gold duckwing, or other known as "black breasted red" or "wildtype duckwing" It is stunning indeed! I have a silver version of her, except mine doesn't have tufts but is rumpless.

 

[Erin K]

Quote:
Yep, he was right.

You're lucky, most local sellers out there have EE's!

Her color is indeed gold duckwing, or other known as "black breasted red" or "wildtype duckwing" It is stunning indeed! I have a silver version of her, except mine doesn't have tufts but is rumpless.

Hurray! I mean it doesn't really matter, but it's good to be confident in a breed/color. The black came from him too. She was awesome and super pretty. Thanks so much! I guess I get to hang out on this thread now.

 

[cashdl]

She is a lovely Black Breasted Red. Araucana come tailed and cleanfaced, rumpless and cleanfaced, tailed and tufted, and rumpless and tufted. The most common are rumpless and cleanfaced even though the standard calls for rumpless and tufted.

Tufted is difficult to get, pair that with rumpless and tufted in a hen and you hit the jackpot. Plus she is a recognizable color. Yippee! for you.

Lanae

 

[Stacykins]

So how many of ya'll going to fairs this year have seen EEs and such labeled as Araucanas? I saw only one in the poultry barn at my local fair, a muffed and tailed individual.

 

[cashdl]

I went to an APA show and saw an EE labeled as an Ameraucana. It was the typical EE color with pretty green ( willow ) legs.

Lanae

 

[cackleberrycoop]

The last two year's fairs have just about sent me over the edge. There are more "Ameraucanas" and "Araucanas" entered than just about any other breed, and of course there has never been an actual Araucana yet - not even close. The "Ameraucanas" are far and away more Easter Egger than anything else. I saw red last year when an Easter Egg with a messy single/pea comb and willow legs won out over a very nice Lavender Ameraucana rooster and hen. I have two dbl tufted and rumples banty Araucanas entered in next weeks fair. I'm already lecturing myself on maintaining my cool when some Easter Egger labeled as an Araucana wins out over my two. It's just to get the real thing out there and seen for now. I hope it brings up some questions. I'll have my SOP in hand and will be nothing but sweet and willing to chat about the standard.

 

[suzannaski]

Good for you Cackleberry!
We need a separate thread just for this topic!!!
In the past few weeks, I've been talking with local small farmers at the farmers market and at information sessions, and I say I am looking for Araucanas, and inevitably, they respond, "Oh, I have those!" so then I say, "Really? Where did you ever find them? They are pretty rare." And the reply has been "McMurrays" or "Agway" or "Morrisons"
AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!
And yes, at last year's Sterling Fair, there were no Araucanas, and a couple Americanas. Yep, they spelled it just like that. And they were the typical EE. I thought about entering my Scooter, who is only half Araucana but is rumpless but with off colors, as an Araucana. But I can't bring myself to leave him at the fair for 3-4 days. He's such a family man.

 

[cashdl]

We have a National Heirloom Exposition happening here next month. I have a breed table that I will be Wo-manning. There will be a poultry show also and it will be judged by an APA judge. I have enterred my white roo and am kicking around a couple of others. I was startled when I talked to the organizer and she said that there were quite a few Araucana enterred. I just said " oh thats wonderful". HMMM! We shall see. At least its an APA judge. There are a few Araucana people here in California, so maybe they are all bringing their birds. Let the fun begin.

I have gotten it to where when I go into the feed store one of the clerks tells me " Thats right you have the real Araucana" in a loud voice with a wink. Just in case someone wants one or wants to chime in that they have one. The feed store sells americana/araucana and tell people that if they want the real thing they know someone who has them.

I am at the point in my life that if people can't bother themselves to be fairly certain of what they speak, who am I to teach them. If they are certain they are buying an araucana from the feed store, and a quality one at that, then more power to them. The internet is so readily available that with the tap of your fingers and 15 minutes of your time at most, you can get the basics of what you are looking for, so who is anyone to be shocked when they don't get what they were expecting at the feed store.

I wouldn't go into a toyota dealership and ask for a Bugatti Veyron. Doesn't mean toyota doesn't make great cars. Its just means that I can't get the car of my dreams there.


Lanae