Breeding Araucanas

[BluebirdHomestead]

I have the chance to get an Araucana pullet as well as whatever hatches from 10 Araucana eggs. I think they are such a unique, interesting breed and I’d love to hear from someone who breeds them. Should I take this opportunity? I’ve heard the hatch rate is lower due to the tufted gene. I’ve heard some say to breed tuft-less to tufted to avoid that issue and I’ve seen some say to breed tufted to tufted and accept the losses? Super interested to hear peoples experience with having a flock of this breed. I wouldn’t plan to breed to profit much or anything like that. Maybe just sell enough hatching eggs to cover feed as well as preserve this rare breed.
Thoughts?

 

[Trimurtisan]

I don't have much experience with the breed, however we do have two young pullets here. Even if you don't get them for breeding, I would suggest getting them. They are unique looking, and so far they've had a pretty good personality. Not to forget blue eggs are awesome. I'll follow asking with you. I'm interested to hear what more experience owners have to say.

 

[HuffleClaw]

@Trish1974 could tell you more. She’s basically a pro! Her birds are sooo beautiful.

 

[Trish1974]

A lot of the negative things you hear about Araucanas (the lethal gene, fertility issues due to rumplessness) are blown way out of proportion. Breeding tufted to tufted birds CAN result in 25% of the chicks inheriting both genes causing the chick to die in shell. Last year the president of the Araucana club had a 98 or 99% hatch rate breeding to tufted to tufted birds. Granted, that was probably all his luck right there, but those stats are over a large number of hatches. This type of breeding does cut down on unwanted clean faced chicks, so a lot of breeders will breed tufted to tufted.
I would keep your breeders in small groups. Pairs or trios are best. Araucanas still hold on to the Collonca trait of pair bonding, so a lot of times fertility issues aren't due to being rumpless (think about it - the breed would not have evolved in to what it is if rumplessness caused so much trouble with fertility), it could be a male is only breeding with one or two females. You can vent trim for fertility if you feel you are having issues with butt fluff, but a lot of breeders including myself do not vent trim.
I'll give more info later - gotta get to work!

 

[Trish1974]

She’s basically a pro!

Not even close HuffleClaw; but thank you! LOL

Just a few more things: Araucanas mature slightly slower than other breeds. The earliest I've seen pullets lay are 6 months, but usually closer to 7 or 8 months. They tend to live longer and lay longer than other breeds. I know of a few breeders that are still hatching from 10-12 year old hens.
They are FANTASTIC mothers! If given the chance, let your Araucanas sit and hatch the eggs for you. Last summer I had a 38% hatch rate in my incubator, and an 80% hatch rate under broody hens. Same breeders. I'm sure some of that has to do with my incubator and settings, but you can't beat nature.
The males are the best! I have yet to own, see or even hear of an aggressive Araucana male. Many times multiple male/female pairs can be kept together. In addition to being gentle they help with nest building (I even have one cockbird that escorts his hen to the nest and will sit with her while she lays), help raise chicks and are excellent predator alerts. Being a rare breed, its also easier to get rid of excess cockerels. I've been selling extra cockerels for a year now and it has never taken longer than 2 or 3 weeks to get rid of one. I've had people come from two to three hours away for my culls! Most have been sold as 4-H birds, some for EE and OE projects, even sold a few for rumpless projects.
@BluebirdHomestead may I ask where you got your hatching eggs?

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Not even close HuffleClaw; but thank you! LOL

Just a few more things: Araucanas mature slightly slower than other breeds. The earliest I've seen pullets lay are 6 months, but usually closer to 7 or 8 months. They tend to live longer and lay longer than other breeds. I know of a few breeders that are still hatching from 10-12 year old hens.
They are FANTASTIC mothers! If given the chance, let your Araucanas sit and hatch the eggs for you. Last summer I had a 38% hatch rate in my incubator, and an 80% hatch rate under broody hens. Same breeders. I'm sure some of that has to do with my incubator and settings, but you can't beat nature.
The males are the best! I have yet to own, see or even hear of an aggressive Araucana male. Many times multiple male/female pairs can be kept together. In addition to being gentle they help with nest building (I even have one cockbird that escorts his hen to the nest and will sit with her while she lays), help raise chicks and are excellent predator alerts. Being a rare breed, its also easier to get rid of excess cockerels. I've been selling extra cockerels for a year now and it has never taken longer than 2 or 3 weeks to get rid of one. I've had people come from two to three hours away for my culls! Most have been sold as 4-H birds, some for EE and OE projects, even sold a few for rumpless projects.
@BluebirdHomestead may I ask where you got your hatching eggs?

Thank you SO much for taking the time to respond. All that info is so helpful and exactly what I wanted to hear. Araucanas are so unique and based on everything I’ve heard, sound like the perfect breed for me. I love the way they pair up, and the way the cockerels seem like gentleman for the most part. I also really like that they are good at avoiding predation and that they are good mothers. I plan to let Hens hatch out the eggs when that day finally comes.

So the way I stumbled upon them - I had been chatting with a local Ameraucana breeder because I wanted to start a little olive egger project and I reached out to ask if she had any started pullets. She didn’t at the moment but mentioned she happened to have one Araucana girl. I asked how she came upon her and she had a close friend getting ready to move out of state and gave her some hatching eggs. Long story short, I asked if she could get any more and she actually drove out there to help the flock owner with her move and got the 10 eggs for me and will be hatching them out. I’ll buy whatever hatches. So basically I know nothing about the line they come from or the quality, but figured I’d take my chances and hope there’s something I can work with. The pullet isn’t tufted so I’m really hoping some of the ones that hatch out are. If I don’t have much luck, I’ve seen hatching eggs on eBay from SkyBlueEgg. I’ll need to figure out what color varieties hatch out. I imagine I’d want to just breed within one or two color varieties. You’d want to breed Silver Duckwing to Silver Duckwing for example right? The pullet I’m getting is silver Duckwing I think.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

I don't have much experience with the breed, however we do have two young pullets here. Even if you don't get them for breeding, I would suggest getting them. They are unique looking, and so far they've had a pretty good personality. Not to forget blue eggs are awesome. I'll follow asking with you. I'm interested to hear what more experience owners have to say.

So awesome you have a couple! What color? Do you have pics? They are such interesting birds.

 

[Trish1974]

Yes, try to keep your colors segregated. Just fyi, silver duckwing is the hardest to get "right" in Araucanas because of the natural stippling in the breed. But if you aren't breeding for show it shouldn't matter.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Yes, try to keep your colors segregated. Just fyi, silver duckwing is the hardest to get "right" in Araucanas because of the natural stippling in the breed. But if you aren't breeding for show it shouldn't matter.

Ok good to know. Definitely not breeding for show but will try to be conscious of the SOP. I have no idea if this lady ran multiple colors or what, so I’m going to get the pullet in case I get a silver Duckwing Roo from the eggs.

 

[Trish1974]

@BluebirdHomestead please update with pics of your pullet and chicks when you get them. Also, here is a link to the Araucana thread if you are interested:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/araucana-thread-anyone.288425/page-1145