Araucanas

[jag]

Do the rumpless Araucanas still have a little tail and just look rumpless...or do they really have no tail feathers?

My little yellow americauna looks rumpless, but she's got a little tail. Her wing feathers cover it up, though, and she looks rumpless. DH pointed it out and he knows nothing of the rumpless Araucanas.

 

[Anne]

Araucanas are supposed to be completely rumpless -- missing their last vertabrae and lacking all tail feathers. However, even from completely rumpless birds you can get tailed or "partial tailed" offspring. Perphaps your hen is "partial tailed." I think there are members on this board who might have pics of partial tailed birds they could post, so you could see what it looks like. If you could post a pic of your bird, that would be very helpful too!

 

[jag]

Thanks Anne! I'll have to look up partial tailed!

I'll get some pictures tonight. She even looks as though she's getting tufts and her legs are greenish/slate colored. She's a cutie!! I know she's not a true Aracuana because she came from MM; but wondered if she could have some of those traits regardless.
I can't wait to see my girls all feathered out!

(Oh, hey! Interesting...I searched for it earlier this morning and ended up on your site! Beautiful birds!!)

 

[Anne]

Thanks for the compliment on the birds -- I'm quite proud of them!

Lately I have been hearing more and more reports of people getting birds with Araucana-like traits (rumplessness and/or tufts) from hatcheries. My theory is that some hatcheries have managed to get ahold of some "real" Araucanas for their breeding pens, so that they can continue to market their birds as Araucanas.

I'll look forward to the picture(s)!

 

[jag]

Well, here's one of her about a week or so ago, where you can clearly see she has a tail, but now her wings have grown so much and her tail hasn't, so she's looking very rumpless. I'm wondering if she'll stay that way. All the other americaunas that are the same size as her do not look like that, their tails are much larger. (Oh goodness, this doesn't mean she could possibly be a rooster does it?) Her wings now come right around the backside and almost (or do) touch.

 

[Anne]

It looks like she has a full tail to me. I'm guessing that her tail will catch up to the others. Possibly she just inherited different genes for the speed at which she feathers. The only thing to do is wait and see! Sometimes, if you have birds that are feathering at different speeds, it is an indication that they are different sexes.

 

[jag]

Here's some pictures of her:

 

[Anne]

Thanks for the new pics! Judging by those, I'll betcha his or her tail will catch up to the others. I see muffs and a beard, but no tufts. Other than the tail being slow to feather (or the wings fast, I'm not sure which) I think s(he) is pretty much your typical "easter egger", i.e., beautiful, friendly, and a good egg layer, but probably not showable. I would say that s(he) could possibly be entered as a white Ameraucana, except that she has green legs where an Ameraucana would need blueish-gray.

 

[hinkjc]

I agree with Anne.

Jody

 

[jag]

Thanks ladies!

I had no intentions of showing her anyway (or any of my other girls) so no problem there. I just thought it was interesting how she was feathering in and wondered if she'd look rumpless.
I don't know the difference between muffs and tufts and beards, but I think she's a cutie regardless.

She's funny...she's all white except for that half a feather on one wing (you can see in the third picture down.)