AMERAUCANA CHICKENS : The Ameraucana chickens is a most unique chicken among its peers.It is just a fairly recent addition to the chicken breeds making its’debut in the 1970s.
It includes a staunch band of breeders and followers in this country and many more and is slowly gathering more folks who’re becoming devoted followers. The annals of the Ameraucana chickens is a bit convoluted as we shall see. In this short article we shall explore the Ameraucana’s temperament, egg laying, color varieties and more.
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#1. Ameraucana Chickens Appearance and Temperament
Ameraucana Chickens Appearance – The coloring of the Ameraucana chickens is quite variable, with several color palettes to select from – anywhere from black to white, blue to wheaten. All of the colors available makes this a very pretty bird. It is recognized as a winter hardy, dual purpose breed.
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The beard and muffs provide the bird a significantly ‘chipmunk face ‘, looking like their cheeks are puffed out! With the eyes being bay red, they will look a bit fierce, but they are a significant docile bird, the appearance is deceiving.
In reading reviews for the temperament with this bird I noticed a wide selection of behaviors. Whether this reflects upbringing or other circumstances is hard to determine. Its temperament has been noted as anywhere from skittish to docile and gentle.
It is generally an agreeable bird but doesn’t necessarily enjoy being picked up and cuddled. The Ameraucana chickens is usually sociable having its’own kind and usually sits in the midst of the pecking order, additionally, it enjoys human contact and interactions, most folks say it is just a very smart and predator savvy bird.
#2. Ameraucana Chickens Breed Standard
The Ameraucana chickens was accepted to the American Poultry Association in 1984. There is also a bantam Ameraucana chickens which was accepted by the American Bantam Association in 1979. The Ameraucana chickens has a pea comb which will be red as are the wattles.
Wattles are on the little side or could be non-existent. Ameraucanas have both beards and muffs. It could be difficult to differentiate between the muffs and beard, but on close inspection it must be clearer to see. The tail should be carried upright almost at 45 degrees to the body.
With respect to the color of the plumage, the legs and feet should be slate blue to black. There must be four toes on each foot and the shanks should be clean of feathering. Your skin on the underside of the foot is white, as is skin of the bird. You will find eight recognized colors for the Ameraucana:
- Black
- Blue
- Blue wheaten
- Brown red
- Buff
- Silver
- Wheaten
- White
The Ameraucana chickens is considered the light fowl and weights need to be around 6.5lb for males and 5.5lb for females. Bantams should weigh in at 26-30oz. for males and 24-26oz. for females.
#3. Ameraucana Chickens Egg Laying & Broodiness
The Ameraucana chickens is beloved for the’light blue eggs. It’s really a moderately good layer, producing about 3–4 medium-sized eggs/week. It may be a bit of a late starter, so pricier your eggs at 18-20 weeks. Some people reported they’d waited 5-7 months before any eggs appeared.
In past times blue eggs are promoted as having less cholesterol plus much more protein. It was simply a place ploy to obtain people considering blue eggs. Could be strange now, but blue eggs weren’t always popular. The eggs have precisely the same nutrients as an eco-friendly, brown, pink or white egg. Ameraucanas are non-broody for part. Occasionally you are going to go broody, however it’s not an everyday occurrence.
#4. Ameraucana Chickens Health Issues
The Ameraucana chickens does not get significant medical concerns unlike its parent the Araucana. They are going to live around 7-8 years on average. Background Good reputation for the Ameraucana. The recent history behind this breed extends into the 1920s’and to South America – Chile for being specific.
The Mapuche Indians originally had two kinds of chickens – the Collonca and Quetero. These breeds were early extending its love to the Indians and were first noted and discussing with the Spanish invaders back in the 1500s. The 2 main breeds were bred together either naturally or by human intervention – no-one knows – and because of this union came the Araucana. The Araucana is a mom or dad bird of the Ameraucana chickens.
#5. Young Araucana Chicken
The Araucana chicken was (and is) a very rare bird. The genetic make-up of your bird is in a way that it carries a lethal gene which can kill chicks while in the shell. The lethal gene provides each Araucana its’unique tufted ears. If both dad and mom contribute a tufting gene (ET) – the chicks will die while in the shell.
Ameraucanas were bred to offer the blue egg gene but eliminate the lethal gene of the parents. The Araucana was brought for the US in limited quantities while in the 1920s adopting the presentation in the bird by Professor Salvador Castillo at a gathering in Santiago, Chile.
One of several folks instrumental in raising Araucanas and at last ‘creating’the Ameraucana chickens was Mr. Keller in the Pratt Experimental Farm in Pennsylvania. He cross bred the Araucanas along with other birds causing a mélange of numerous birds – some with ear tufts, some with muffs and beards, some rumpless, some with full tails etc. – all were called Araucanas. Interestingly, in your UK, Australia and a number of other countries, both Araucanas and Ameraucanas are accepted because same breed, whether are rumpless or tailed.
#6. Is the Ameraucana Chickens Right for You?
These birds are respected as docile the ones friendly. They may be hardy -although a number of people say they just don’t tolerate snowy climates. They appear to tolerate NY winters fairly well if they have perhaps dry and draft proof accommodations.
They can bear confinement but don’t achieve it well. They’re just a reasonably independent bird so deeply love to free range once they can. A huge plus for many individuals is because they lay a moderate to get affordable quantity of light blue eggs.
This appears blue eggs are getting to be ‘an item’generally in most supermarkets where they sell for the not insignificant amount! As with most roosters, they might purchase a bit cranky from time to time, but they are not overly aggressive that I’ve found during research.
#7. Ameraucana Chickens Cautionary Note
Many hatchery along with breeders offer birds labelled as Americana or Americauna. These bankruptcies are not Ameraucanas – note the spelling… Experts agree it is used as an advertising and marketing ploy for quit some time now. What they’re selling is certainly Easter Eggers – and that is not just a pure breed at all.
An Easter Egger is really a hybrid and while you’ll find nothing is wrong with Easter Eggers you need to comprehend a real difference – because many private ‘breeders’apparently don’t. A telltale sign in much of the hatchery catalogs is when the birds are advertised as ‘appropriate for laying or for exhibition or 4H use ‘. Ameraucanas are still sometimes relatively rare birds, so if you’re paying $5-10.00 for the bird the cool thing is not just a pure breed.
True, pure Ameraucanas sell approximately $20.00 for the hen and $18.00 for the rooster. In this post . i will explore the Ameraucana’s temperament, egg laying, color varieties and more. Chicken breeds involve three blue egg layers: the Araucana, the Easter Egger, and the Ameraucana. AnimalSake will furnish interesting facts about Ameraucana chickens.
#8. Did You Know ?
Tidbitting is really a dance performed by roosters on discovery of food, they generate sounds and move their head top to bottom, collecting and dropping food. Researchers claim that hens are attracted more towards those roosters who perform tidbitting.
Just what exactly reaches your head when you approach chicken? For meat-eaters, delicious chicken recipes especially vegetarians, cute little chicks. The word Ameraucana is combining the lyrics American and Araucana. According to the APA (American Poultry Association), the Ameraucana chickens and, the Araucana are thought as pure-bred, blue-egg breeds.
In particular the Ameraucana contains 2 kinds of chicken: Ameraucana Bantam and Ameraucana large fowl. Ameraucana chickens are better known for their docile and skittish nature. Previously, the poultry industry considered that blue eggs had reduced cholesterol and nutritional value than white eggs, however,many recent researches have stated otherwise.
#9. History of Ameraucana Chickens
The Ameraucana chickens is a quite recent breed. According to certain sources, in the late’70s, the usual American chicken and therefore the Araucana were bred to get rid of certain shortcomings in the Araucana chicken breed.
Thus, the Ameraucana chickens breed was given birth to, as well as in 1980, this name was officially accepted through the American Poultry Association (APA) and through the American Breeders Association (ABA). The Ameraucana Breeders Club was established to provide members or breeders with information about these chickens.
Since 1984, attributes about these chickens and eight varieties have already been identified by both APA and ABA. These eight color patterns are black, blue, blue wheaten, brown red, silver, white, and wheaten, and these colors are applicable to both large fowls and bantams.
#10. Ameraucana Chickens Appearance
- Ameraucana hen
- Ameraucana with a peacomb and a distinct tail.
- A comb is usually a fleshy growth on top of a chicken’s head. Ameraucanas have a very pea comb, also it acts being a engine cooling system so it helps them to protect yourself from frostbite.
- Their beak is known for a slightly downward curve, reduced piece of their face is covered with feathers which looks being a beard.
- They need full-fledged tails unlike the Araucanas and, their tail lies at a distinctive angle of 45 degrees over the horizontal pattern.
- Their earlobes are red in color, and females tend undertake a pale appearance.
#11. Ameraucana Chickens Size
- This breed is actually small as opposed to and the second breeds.
- Consistent with the Ameraucana Breeders Club, standard weight for bantams have to be:
- Cocks – 30 oz. Hens – 26 oz.
- And standard weight for large fowl have to be:
- Cocks – 6.5 lbs. Hens – 5.5 lbs.
- Color
- Ameraucana chicken head
- Ameraucana eyes by having a brown tone.
Can decide on many various colors like black, blue, blue wheaten, brown red, silver, buff, white, and, wheaten, which makes it hard identify the purest breed of all and many breeders state they have Ameraucanas on their backyard, nevertheless,you they have Easter Eggers. Males generally have more of an orange tint to your potential customers, their feet are white in color, shank is blue and gray, even though the eyes have a very red and brown tone.
#12. Ameraucana Chickens Behavior
- Many owners describe their chickens as sweet, docile, good-natured, and shy.
- Male dominance is affecting this breed, wherein the roosters shout towards hens right after they discover food, plus they protect female chickens from trouble.
- Roosters are renowned for their aggressive nature, so they should be kept separate from hens unless these are breeding. Keep in mind, proper food, water provision has to be taken care of.
#13. Ameraucana Chickens Eggs
The hens’laying age starts after getting 5 or 6 months old, many hens lay eggs even during the winters, but they must be fed properly, especially proteins, because egg laying depletes protein and calcium, so their diet have to be abundant calcium and protein. Eggs laid are blue in color, in order that it sometimes provides the eggs an Easter eggs-type of appearance. Ameraucanas have already been recognized to live for upwards of 10 years, yet, this depends upon their diet and living conditions too.
