Definately simplier Stacy.
Bottom line is both tufted to tufted and cleanfaced to tufted will give you the same amount of live tufted chicks. Tufted to cleanfaced will give you more live cleanfaced chicks. I breed both ways, depends on what I have and what I want to pair it up with. I look more at color and body type when doing a breeding, but always make sure I have at least one tufted bird in the mix. Typically my roos are tufted and the hens are both tufted and cleanfaced. I do have 1 pen that has a cleanfaced roo and all tufted hens.
As Nivtup mentioned, tufts are only part of the mix when it comes to the araucana. When you are starting out you have to work with what you can get. So breed what you can and cull hard for the unwanted stuff like tails, partial tails, wrong leg color, wrong plumage color, incorrect body type. Never breed a bird that doesn't lay a blue or blue green egg. That will only add to the list of problems. Other than that, have fun, join the araucana club of america, get a copy of the Standard of Perfection, and goggle every breeder of Araucana and haunt their websites looking at photos and info.
Lanae
Bottom line is both tufted to tufted and cleanfaced to tufted will give you the same amount of live tufted chicks. Tufted to cleanfaced will give you more live cleanfaced chicks. I breed both ways, depends on what I have and what I want to pair it up with. I look more at color and body type when doing a breeding, but always make sure I have at least one tufted bird in the mix. Typically my roos are tufted and the hens are both tufted and cleanfaced. I do have 1 pen that has a cleanfaced roo and all tufted hens.
As Nivtup mentioned, tufts are only part of the mix when it comes to the araucana. When you are starting out you have to work with what you can get. So breed what you can and cull hard for the unwanted stuff like tails, partial tails, wrong leg color, wrong plumage color, incorrect body type. Never breed a bird that doesn't lay a blue or blue green egg. That will only add to the list of problems. Other than that, have fun, join the araucana club of america, get a copy of the Standard of Perfection, and goggle every breeder of Araucana and haunt their websites looking at photos and info.
Lanae
