Araucana chicken
The Araucana is a Chilean breed known for blue or green eggs. The British Araucana has a tail and a crest.
The Araucana is a pure-bred chicken breed in the PCGB Soft Feather Light class. Its origin is given as Chile. It appears on the RBST Watchlist as a priority breed, so keepers of pure stock help conserve it.
It is kept in large and bantam forms. Recognised colours: Black, Black-Red, Blue, Blue-Red, Crele, Cuckoo, Golden Duckwing, Lavender, Pile, Silver Duckwing, Spangled, White. Typical adult weights: cock about 2.7–3.2 kg, hen about 2.25–2.7 kg, bantam cock about 740–850 g and bantam hen about 680–790 g.
Expect roughly 170–200 eggs a year, with blue/green shells. It is mainly kept for eggs and for exhibition or as an ornamental bird.
Compiled from poultryclub.org, rbst.org.uk, poultrykeeper.com, en.wikipedia.org. See sources
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Identity
- Species
- Chicken
- Type
- Pure breed
- PCGB class
- Soft Feather Light
- Origin
- Chile
- Kept for
- Eggs, Exhibition or ornamental
History
Blue-egg chickens are recorded in South America from the 1520s. Prof. Castello showed birds at the 1921 World Poultry Congress in the Netherlands. A mix-up over names became fixed in breed standards, so British and American names now differ.
Appearance
Many standardised colours, including Lavender, Blue, Black, Crele, Cuckoo, Pile and the duckwings. Some birds have ear tufts. Both ear tufts and rumplessness are caused by lethal genes.
Recognised colours
Black, Black-Red, Blue, Blue-Red, Crele, Cuckoo, Golden Duckwing, Lavender, Pile, Silver Duckwing, Spangled, White
Size and weight
- Forms
- Large, Bantam
- Cock
- 2.7–3.2 kg
- Hen
- 2.25–2.7 kg
- Bantam cock
- 740–850 g
- Bantam hen
- 680–790 g
Eggs
- Eggs a year
- 170–200
- Egg colour
- Blue/green
- Notes
- Poultrykeeper gives 170–200 blue/green eggs. Crosses with other breeds lay green or blue eggs.
Temperament
Not recorded yet.
Hardiness
Not recorded yet.
Broodiness
Not recorded yet.
Flying
Not recorded yet.
Suitability
- Good to know
- It is called the Ameraucana in America.
Conservation status (RBST)
A priority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist, listed as British Araucana.
Breed club
- British Araucana Club, breed-specific
Sources
This page is compiled from:
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