Getting some blue araucanas. Some gender etc. questions? :D

[magicpigeon]

I'm getting two blue tailed araucanas this weekend and was wondering whether there is any way of somehow guessing the gender? I have had no prior experience with this breed and am wondering if anyone with experience can answer these questions:

What is the temperament of a rooster, if I get one?
Can araucanas live with other birds such as silkies?
How heavy can I expect an araucana to grow? (standard, not bantam)
Is there the lethal gene in Australian tailed araucanas?
What kind of egg color would I be looking at if I crossed it to a hatchery-quality black australorp?
What is the egg rate, and are they as "prolific" (

) as easter eggers?


How old do they have to be before I can tell the gender? And, lastly, out of 10 (ten being friendly, easily handled, non flightiest bird and zero being the exact opposite), where would araucanas rate on the scale for YOU?


Thanks. I'm really excited!!

 

[ChickenWisperer]

I always heard that Araucanas have good, even temperaments, but anyone could get a bad tempered bird.

Yes, I would think you'd have no problem as long as you don't have pickers or aggressive birds in the flock.

I'm not sure, as you're foreign and your standards are different I think. If your birds are tufted, then yes.

Assuming that they are pure Araucanas - that the cock carries two copies of the blue egg gene - then all of your chicks will lay green egg, heterozygous for the blue egg gene.

They are less prolific layers than Ameraucanas and EasterEggers from my research - but this may prove different for you as you are outside the US.