Araucana?

[Jen286]

I bought ten chicks that were supposed to be Araucanas, but after some more research I'm unsure. Most of them looked tufted as chicks, but only one has developed really notable tufts now at about 7-8 weeks old. Most of them look more like the photo below where there are some stunted little feathery bits that are more reminiscent of tufts compared to the very pronounced ones that I'm seeing in most of the Araucana photos I'm finding.



Also, only a few of them really appear to be rumpless. One seems to be pretty much on par with breed standard in color (I think this is considered silver duckwing? There are some nuances to color and pattern that I'll admit I don't fully grasp yet), having (unimpressive, but present) tufts, and being rumpless. That said, this is my first dealing with this breed and I'm less than confident in that. Here's a not so great photo of her, but the only one I snapped while I was in the coop today that shows her face and rump from a decent angle.



The research I've been doing is pointing towards Araucanas being a pretty difficult breed to meet breed standard with, so is it possible that the variation in traits is just part of the tendency of Araucanas to not meet standard, or do I probably just have Easter Eggers that were mislabeled?

 

[ChicKat]

Hi Jen,

Welcome to the forum-- I'm not the one to answer your questions--but there are Araucana experts on BYC.

I think that your idea that the breed standard is difficult to achieve is one insight. I also think that the chickens will have some variations in feathering as they grow. Feathers at 16-weeks will be different from 8-weeks.

From the pictures, to my eyes--they are looking pretty rumpless. Easter Eggers that I have seen have normal chicken tails and tail feathers.

Hope you get your answers soon.

 

[stephanie1992]

could be Easter Eggers. Easter Eggers have ameracana or arucana backgrounds

 

[stephanie1992]

also where did u get them

 

[gg706]

It is my first go round with Araucanas as well. I don't have much to answer your question. However there is an Araucana thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/288425/araucana-thread-anyone/5480#post_8967744 There are MANY VERY knowledgable breeders of Araucanas on that thread and they would DEFINETLY be able to answer your questions.

 

[CarolJ]

I have some Araucanas - and I've hatched some from hatching eggs I've bought from private breeders. The "standard" is rumpless and double tufted. However, many Araucanas don't have tufts - and many aren't rumpless. I think the goal is to only breed the ones that are rumpless and tufted. Although the tufts are tricky since there is a "lethal" tuft gene that causes problems. I've haven't bred them, though - so I'm not sure of the details about that.

There ARE several true Araucana experts on BYC. Go post your photos on the Araucana thread and see what they have to say.

 

[Jen286]

I got them at a local owned feed store that sells chicks from local breeders. They are typically very picky with the origins of the chicks they carry, and I've gotten some show quality birds in other breeds from chicks that I've purchased there in the past. I bought these on a whim though, and my research after the fact looks like it's unlikely for chicks not purchased directly from an established breeder to be true Araucanas.

Thank you for the link to the other thread and the welcome! I'll go check that out.

 

[BooeyBird]

Ok, i just got 3 baby araucana chicks, but one of them ISN'T an araucana, if they have tails, they are AMERACAUNA! Ameracana are just anither close breed to araucana, a true araucana with tufts is in fact supposedly very rare. One of mine has a tail, one has a rump but no tufts, and the other has a rump and tufts. The one with rump and tufts is the true araucana, the others are too but mixed of ameracauna or araucana.

 

[BooeyBird]

One of my 'araucana's', Speck, also has a tail. Therefor he is not a true araucana, but an AMERAUCANA

 

[BooeyBird]

ameracuana and araucana's is what you have, rumps and tufts are araucana, rumps and no tufts are araucana but not fully bred, and with tails are ameraucana