Top-of-the-line issues about preserving chickens is seeing simply what number of totally different breeds are on the market. All totally different sizes, all totally different colours, each form of temperament, and from each nook of the globe. It may be a passion unto itself, particularly when you’re one thing of a collector like I’m.
And one other fascinating factor is that the majority home rooster breeds are extremely distinctive. With just a bit little bit of follow and research, you possibly can shortly be telling Rhode Island Reds from Wyandottes and Silkies from Cochins like an previous professional.
Nevertheless, there may be an notorious and confounding downside when evaluating rooster breeds, that of the Ameraucana, Araucana, and Easter Egger. They’re all extremely related, readily confused, and worst of all, share many options with one another, and are sometimes interbred so as to add much more distress.
It’s a difficult conundrum to make certain, however when you hold studying I’ll do my greatest that will help you unravel it so you possibly can lastly name your self a real rooster virtuoso.
What’s an Araucana?
Araucanas are a home rooster breed that hails from Chile, named for the area from whence it comes, Araucania. Or no less than, that is the area that the majority rooster historians consider it to have first come from.
Initially stored for laying eggs and in addition meat, the Araucana is exclusive for its blue eggs, lengthy ear tufts, and in addition its rumplessness, each circumstances being attributable to a set of deadly genes.
Genetically, birds that inherit each units die stillborn, so the presence of each the distinctive tufts and the rumplessness isn’t at all times current even in birds that breed true.
The breed was first acknowledged and standardized by the American Poultry Affiliation in 1976.
What’s an Ameraucana?
A United States-bred variation on the Araucana, above, the Ameraucana is one other medium-sized rooster that lays blue eggs and was developed instantly from the arrow automotive in an effort to eradicate the typically deadly genetics current in these birds.
It appears to be like much like the Araucana in each manner with the exception that it has a rump and tailbone together with outstanding tail feathers, and as a substitute of ear tufts, it has extra typical muffs and a frizzy beard.
Though first developed from the Araucana since no less than the Sixties, they have been solely acknowledged by the APA in 1984. The precise improvement of the breed is sort of storied and fairly exceptional, value an article itself, however that’s a narrative for one more time.
What’s an Easter Egger?
Easter Eggers are usually not a real breed, however hybrids, chickens which have resulted from the breeding of any rooster able to laying typical brown or tan eggs with a rooster that lays blue eggs.
The ensuing birds range drastically in particular person look, however will lay eggs in many alternative colours, together with tan, taupe, brown, blue, blue-green, and olive. Therefore the title: their eggs look very very like painted Easter eggs!
Each our Araucanas and Ameraucana are generally used within the breeding of Easter Eggers. Stored just about as egg layers solely or novelty chickens, their meat is just not identified to be of very good high quality and so they don’t breed true.
As hybrids, what you may name the mutts of the rooster world, regardless of the recognition of the idea and the ensuing birds, they aren’t a real breed and are usually not acknowledged by the APA.
Nonetheless, the terminology is in widespread utilization amongst rooster fanciers, hatcheries and personal breeders. “Designer” Easter Eggers typically have extremely idiosyncratic names.
Measurement
At a look, the three chickens are all medium-sized chickens.
Araucana
Of the three breeds, Araucanas are usually the most important with roosters maxing out at about 7 kilos with hens tipping the scales considerably lighter at round 6 kilos or somewhat over.
Bantam breeds exist, and weigh slightly below 2 kilos on common.
Ameraucana
Usually, the Ameraucana is barely lighter than its progenitor, with roosters weighing round 6 ½ kilos and hens simply 5 ½ kilos.
Additionally just like the Araucana, there are bantams. They’re principally an identical in measurement to Araucana bantams, weighing about 2 kilos every.
Easter Egger
Being hybrids, the scale and weight of Easter Eggers varies, however most of them are additionally medium chickens. Roosters will usually weigh anyplace from 6 ½ to 7 kilos, with hens being considerably lighter and normally maxing out round 6 kilos.
Construct
All three of those breeds are very related in total construct.
Araucana
Probably the most notable attribute of the Araucana is its typical rumplessness. This implies it lacks a tailbone, and subsequently a tail and tail feathers. They positively look incomplete in comparison with most different home breeds you’re used to seeing.
However these birds even have a lean and pretty athletic construct with slender necks, an upright head, and a predominantly vertical posture. The breast is slim and tapering.
Ameraucana
Ameraucanas, in contrast to the Araucana above, at all times have a rump and tail feathers. Their total construct and musculature are very related, and have an upright posture with a slim tapering breast.
Nevertheless, they have a tendency to look considerably thicker, notably across the neck, because of the presence of their muffs and beard which Araucanas lack.
Plus, beneath all of the feathers you’ll discover that the 2 birds are principally an identical in measurement although Araucanas are barely greater on common as talked about.
Easter Egger
Easter eggers all have an identical total construct however enormously totally different look in any other case, together with the presence of such distinguishing options as muffs, beards, and the like. They are going to at all times, although, have rumps and tail feathers.
Look
Every of those breeds is available in many distinctive colours, and within the case of Easter Eggers, it may be very troublesome to inform what you’re going to get within the first place.
Araucana
Araucanas are available in many, many colours worldwide, though solely 5 of them are acknowledged by the APA. Within the US, the accepted plumage colours are golden duckwing, silver duckwing, white, black, and black-breasted purple. Buff can be formally acknowledged, however just for the bantam selection.
Elsewhere on this planet, Araucanas are available in black, blue, black purple, blue purple, cuckoo, lavender, pile, crele, and spangled.
As talked about above, two of probably the most distinctive traits of the Araucana are its rumplessness and whole lack of tail feathers, together with its distinctive ear toughs that stick off of both aspect of its head like a handlebar mustache.
Nevertheless, one or each of those options could be lacking within the breed, so whereas it’s dependable it’s not a very sure figuring out issue.
Ameraucana
In the USA, Ameraucanas have 9 totally different colours of plumage, together with white, black, blue, blue wheaten, wheaten, buff, silver, brown purple, and silver.
A simple solution to determine them is to search for the presence of outstanding muffs and beards which make their necks seem significantly thicker in comparison with Araucanas, and in addition the truth that they may at all times have a tail and tail feathers.
Easter Egger
Easter Eggers have a very dizzying array of potential colours and patterns that they might be, because it’s completely depending on their parentage.
Bear in mind, an Easter Egger outcomes from the crossbreeding of any fowl that lays blue eggs with any fowl that lays brown eggs. Crunch the numbers on these potential permutations, and you’ll and can discover Easter Eggers and almost any shade you possibly can dream up.
Additionally, do not forget that this rooster doesn’t breed true, which means that when you breed two Easter Eggers collectively any ensuing younger that hatch gained’t seem like their mother and father as a rule.
These birds can also have muffs or beards, or each, relying on their parentage.
Temperament
There are some variations in temperament between the three breeds, however typically not sufficient to make identification by itself.
Araucana
Araucanas are identified to be usually pleasant, inquisitive, and exploratory. They’re good with folks and kids usually, and even the roosters are usually fairly laid again and mild-mannered. They do greatest when given loads of room to roam and discover, however can tolerate shut recorders for restricted durations.
Ameraucana
In comparison with Araucanas, Ameraucanas are usually pleasant, docile, and mild, however they’re noticeably extra skittish and standoffish.
They’re most snug in flocks of their very own type, and although they are often pleasant and amenable to folks they often don’t make good pet chickens and don’t wish to be held or petted.
In addition they profit from having loads of room to roam and discover, however they don’t seem to be as inquisitive as Araucanas.
Easter Egger
Easter Eggers even have variable temperaments owing to their parentage, however like many hybrids, one way or the other handle to normally prove fairly delicate method and people-centric. I suppose that cross-breeding leaves out the worst behavioral quirks typical of another breeds!
Most Easter Eggers are identified to be pleasant, and greater than desperate to work together with folks and kids. However, as at all times, by no means go away kids alone with chickens and haven’t confirmed themselves to be trusty.
Laying Capability
The excellent news is that each one three of those breeds are reliable, excessive output layers and may actually serve in working flocks of chickens which are anticipated to provide.
Araucana
Araucana hens which are within the prime of their life will normally lay round 250 blue or green-blue eggs yearly. They don’t have a tendency to put by way of the winter, however could be induced to take action by including gentle to the coop.
Ameraucana
Ameraucanas are additionally good layers, however not as excessive output because the originals above, and so they don’t stack up in comparison with “superlayer” breeds of our period like Australorps.
You may anticipate, although, a wholesome Ameraucana hen to crank out anyplace from 180 to 200 eggs per yr which are a pleasing, medium blue shade. Once more, don’t anticipate them to put by way of the winter with out including gentle to the coop.
Easter Egger
Easter Egger chickens are additionally, usually, wonderful layers, cranking out round 250 eggs yearly. They are going to lay by way of the wintertime when you make applicable modifications to the coop to assist market it, though they have a tendency to undergo extra from winter layoffs, you may say.
Additionally, your Easter Egger can lay eggs which are just about any shade relying on their parentage, together with a really fairly speckled olive inexperienced.
Well being
In life, all of those breeds are usually pretty strong, however Araucanas, as talked about, undergo from distinctive genetic defects related to their tufts that may trigger basically 100% of chicks that inherit a pair of genes to die stillborn.
Araucana
Araucanas are usually fairly wholesome and hardy total assuming they make it to maturity, and are usually not identified to undergo notably from any standard rooster ailments, parasites, and the like.
Nevertheless, they’re notorious for the genetic defect I alluded to above, the one that’s related to the genes that give them these charming tufts. It’s known as, very actually, a deadly gene: Any chicks that inherit two copies of it are virtually sure to die whereas incubating. That signifies that, with treasured few exceptions, there are not any residing chickens which have two coffees of the tufted gene which might assure that the breeding of two tufted mother and father would produce tufted chicks with certainty. As a substitute, you possibly can solely breed two mother and father collectively, every having one copy of the gene, and hope for the very best.
So, when breeding Araucanas you get a combined bag in the case of inheritance of the tufted gene amongst chicks. You may even say it’s a lottery, one you don’t need to win! Out of any given clutch of eggs, about half of the chicks can be tufted, 1 / 4 of them can be regular, minus the tufts, and the rest can be stillborn.
Very unhappy, however that’s simply the way in which it’s with this previous heritage breed. The good problem of guaranteeing excessive survival charges in our Araucana chicks is probably going why these birds are nonetheless fairly uncommon in the USA and why the Ameraucana has supplanted them virtually solely.
Ameraucana
Mercifully, Ameraucanas are freed from the devastating genes which have so plagued the birds they have been developed from. They’re usually wholesome, do nicely in most circumstances, and are pretty proof against sickness and damage.
Nevertheless, like all such birds which have tufts and beards these thick, voluminous, and frilly feathers make a fair higher hiding place for exterior parasites like mites, fleas, lice, and the like. You’ll want to remain on prime of those areas and hold them inspected to forestall infestation from taking maintain. Ameraucanas additionally present a considerably elevated vulnerability to scaly leg mites, however that is nothing extraordinary.
Hold them checked, deal with as wanted, and don’t fear about it.
Easter Egger
Easter Eggers may be a very combined bag in the case of look, however there may be one good factor you possibly can say about their well being: it’s uniformly strong. Like most hybrid birds, or mutts when you favor, they are usually freed from the worst of genetic defects and vulnerabilities attendant with purebred birds, particularly ones which are extra not too long ago developed for productiveness to the exception of all the things else.
Local weather Tolerance
Like most chickens, every of those three breeds do fairly nicely in numerous climates, however none of them are notably excellent in very popular or very chilly climate.
Ameraucana vs Araucana
The most important “tells” between the Ameraucana and the Araucana that it’s descended from is the presence of the rump and tail feathers on the Ameraucana. They are going to at all times have it, whereas Araucanas will normally be rumpless with no tail feathers, though not at all times.
Additionally, Ameraucanas have beards and muffs, not tufts, which look extremely distinctive. Distinction this with Araucanas which have tuffs, a lot of the time, however even missing these they may by no means have beards and muffs.
Ameraucana vs Easter egger
Telling Ameraucana from Easter Eggers could be difficult particularly as a result of they’re so typically used to breed Easter Eggers and so they may look extremely related. Each chickens have tails and tail feathers, and Easter Eggers may, or may not have muffs, beards or each.
The simplest manner? Search for non-standard colours: when you see what appears to be like like an Ameraucana however not in one of many plumage colours detailed within the related part above, you recognize it’s doubtless an Easter Egger- or no less than another breed!
Easter Egger vs. Araucana
When evaluating Easter Eggers to our Araucanas, search for the tufts. When you see a fowl with tufts, it’s not an Easter Egger. Likewise, Easter Eggers at all times have rumps and tail feathers. No tail feathers, no rump, not an Easter egger.
Find out how to Inform Araucanas from Ameraucanas from Easter Eggers?
I’ll stage with you; it may be very, very troublesome to kind out a combined flock containing every of those breeds. Taking a look at bodily traits alone it’s a tedious strategy of elimination by deductive reasoning, and the three breeds do look very related. Add the truth that our Araucanas might or might not have their most distinctive bodily characteristics- the tufts and lack of rump- it might be hopeless with out a genetic take a look at.
Watch out for Tough or Duplicitous Advertising and marketing Regarding These Breeds!
There’s one final thing you want to pay attention to if you find yourself coping with, buying, or looking for any of those breeds.
You’ll run into a variety of weasel phrases once you’re coping with Easter Eggers. It seems that terminology is essential and that is one thing you need to take into accout in case you are ever attempting to promote your individual.
I’ve virtually completed it myself a half dozen instances simply writing this text, however you need to by no means combine up the names of Ameraucanas: It’s not Americana and it’s not Americauna. A easy sufficient spelling mistake, proper?
Not precisely: each of these phrases, which aren’t formally acknowledged by any governing poultry affiliation, are sometimes slapped on Easter Eggers that will or might not have been bred with Ameraucanas or Araucanas.
Worse but, some of us promote Easter Eggers straight up as both of the 2 birds once they patently are usually not. This confusion is just facilitated by the intense similarity within the names of the above two birds, and the truth that the Ameraucana is instantly descended from the Araucana.
If you would like my recommendation? When you care very a lot concerning the lineage of your fowl, and particularly if you’d like a purebred of both, you need to hunt down, vet, and buy solely from respected hatcheries or breeders of those chickens. In any other case, you’ll be coping with an ocean of fly-by-night yard hatchers.
Doesn’t imply they don’t care, and it doesn’t imply they don’t do job breeding birds responsibly. However I do know for a undeniable fact that an entire lot of individuals on the market know higher and nonetheless swindle folks simply to make a buck. The rest may be harmless, however solely harmless by the use of ignorance.
Armed with this information, I hope you possibly can minimize by way of the static and make good, knowledgeable selections…
