Ameraucana vs Araucana Chickens

All About Ameraucana Chickens

These Facts About Chickens Will Help You Distinguish Between True Ameraucanas and Other Chicken Breeds

Backyard Poultry Contributor • October 22, 2018

Total: 1.0K

https://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/poultry/chickens-101/all-about-ameraucana-chickens/

By John W. Blehm – To say that Araucana, Easter Egg, and Ameraucana chickens are the same would be like saying Cornish, Brahma and Sex-Linked brown egg layers are the same. The chickens in the first group all possess the gene for blue shelled eggs and the birds in the second group produce brown shelled eggs. Having one or even several traits in common does not make two different breeds the same breed.
Araucana and Ameraucana chickens are completely different breeds just as Cornish and Brahma chickens are different. Each breed is different from all the others and the differences are listed in the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection. We generally refer to it as the APA Standard and it tells what characteristics or traits are needed to classify a chicken under any of many different recognized breed descriptions. The Standard is the final word in the world of exhibition poultry in North America.

Keep Your Laying Hens Strong and Healthy

Our friends from Purina^® wrote this free guide to help you enjoy farm fresh eggs for years. YES! I want this Free Report »

An Araucana chicken has ear tufts (not the same as muffs) and is rumpless, meaning it doesn’t have a tail.  Ameraucana chickens have muffs and a tail. Both breeds have pea combs and lay blue eggs, but have just as many differences as similarities or common traits according to the Standard.
What is referred to as an Easter Egg chicken or Easter Egger is not a recognized breed, but rather a hybrid chicken that possesses the gene for blue eggs. These birds can be of any physical description. As far as “Americana” chickens go there is no such breed. It is just that many commercial hatcheries can’t spell “Ameraucana” and try to pawn off their mongrel chickens as such. When you see Araucana/Americana chicks for sale you can bet they are really Easter Eggers. Generally speaking, these are fine chickens for the backyard but would be disqualified at an APA sanctioned poultry show. Many novice poultry fanciers have fallen for the false advertising of these hatcheries and been very disappointed. Some hatcheries now have disclaimers saying their Araucana/Americana chickens are not for exhibition yet they continue to advertise them using APA breed names.
Araucana and Ameraucana chickens are both relatively new chicken breeds. The APA accepted Araucanas as a breed in 1976 and Ameraucana chickens in 1984. Before Araucanas were accepted and became a standard breed the term Araucana was used interchangeably with Easter Egger to describe all chickens that possessed the blue egg gene. Today some people still mistakenly get it wrong and that is partly due to all the misinformation and outdated information on the Internet and elsewhere.

A Bantam Ameraucana Black pullet. Photo by Michael Muenks, Missouri.

Myth Busting About Ameraucana Chickens

While on the subject of misinformation let’s try some myth busting. For many decades some commercial hatcheries promoted “egg facts” about “Araucana” eggs as being lower in cholesterol and higher in nutritional value than other chicken eggs. Even though those claims were proven false over 27 years ago many people still believe them to be true. Remember that Araucana, back in the day, meant any chicken with the blue egg gene. Heck, those same commercial hatcheries even claimed that “Araucana” meat had a taste similar to quail! Imagine that-chicken that doesn’t taste like chicken.

An attractive basket of blue eggs from large fowl Ameraucana wheaten hens. Photo by Barbara Campbell, Tennessee.

Oh, and how about those pink, green, olive drab and gold colored eggs that the catalogs advertised? The reason the egg colors vary so much is that the birds are of mixed parentage. There are only two true eggshell colors, blue and white. The gene that makes blue egg shells is dominant over the gene for white eggs. Brown eggs are really white eggs with a brown tint or coating. Green eggs are really blue eggs with a brown tint or coating. Just as there are many shades of brown eggs there are many shades of green eggs. You can tell if an egg is truly white or blue when the inside eggshell color matches the outside. Blue chicken eggs are not a robin’s egg blue color. They are a light pastel blue. Getting that good true blue color is still a problem that dedicated Ameraucana breeders are trying to get right especially in some of the large fowl varieties.

Large fowl Silver Ameraucana chicks

Which came first the Araucana or the Ameraucana? Actually, since both are now legitimate names of official APA breeds, let’s say the Easter Eggers came first. They came to this country as mongrel chickens and were bred to other types of chickens. Over the past several decades some breeders bred them to look the way they wanted. Some bred for tufted and rumpless characteristics, some bred for muffs and tails and others bred for whatever they wanted. Araucanas were not developed from Ameraucanas and Ameraucanas were not developed from Araucanas. They were both bred up from Easter Eggers or mixed breed chickens.
The tufted and rumpless breed was officially accepted first into the Standard. They took the name Araucana. There was still a large following breeding the muffed and tailed blue egg layers, so they had to come up with a new name for their breed that they had also referred to as Araucana up to that time. They organized a breed club and chose the name Ameraucana over American Araucana by a 9 to 5 vote.
Bantam Ameraucanas and large fowl Ameraucanas actually add up to two standard breeds of Ameraucana chickens. The big difference between the two is size. Bantams are just miniature versions of large fowl chickens or maybe large fowl are big versions of bantams. Either way the APA recognizes the same eight varieties in each breed. They are: black, blue, blue wheaten, brown red, buff, silver, wheaten, and white. Some breeders are working on new varieties such as lavender and black gold.

Chicks ARE Here!!!

Few changes this year appeared when our first order came in one day early!







NEW! Our COMMON chicks that are listed on the blog (left column) are NOW $3.50.


We have not yet ordered our rare birds, but due to price increase from the hatchery they will also reflect a price change TBA.


NEW! Mount Healthy has changed their Easter Egger breed (lay colored eggs)  from Auracanas to Americanas. Slight difference in breeding but they look much the same.


.******************************************************************************


ALL COMMON chicks we order from Mount Healthy Hatchery are PULLETS, meaning they are 90% female, sexed at the hatchery.


Most Rare chicks are STRAIGHT RUN, meaning they are not sexed at the hatchery. With Straight Run you are more likely 50/50 female to male.




We do not sex chicks here at Woodville Ace Hardware, your guess is as good as ours.

Need a brooder for your new chicks?

How to Build a Brooder

By Brian Barth on April 15, 2015

Apr 15, 2015

https://modernfarmer.com/2015/04/how-to-build-a-brooder/

Shutterstock Photography

Raising chicks is infinitely easier than incubating eggs, but there is still much more to it than just plopping them in a coop. They need a toasty-warm mini-coop – a brooder – to nurture them into toddlerhood. If they had a mother of their own, the chicks would crowd under her feathers at night for warmth, and she would show them how to forage and keep them safe by pecking viciously at any predator that came lurking. There are many ways to build a brooder, but they all have to fulfill the basic needs of an orphan chick for the first six weeks of its life: food, water, warmth and protection.

Step 1 – Build a Container

Build is a relative term here. Many people raise chicks in a cardboard box. Play pens, kiddie pools, rabbit hutches, aquariums, plastic totes and other items likely to be found in a garage, barn or basement will suffice. You can build a custom chick mansion with private bedrooms for each one if you want, but the general rule of thumb is to provide at least one square foot of space per chick. For the first few weeks a small fraction of that space is fine, so one option is to start small and add on later.
The container needs to be at least 12 inches tall for chicks in weeks one to three, but by the time they are six weeks old the walls should be 24 inches high to keep them from hopping out. Or, you can add a lid. A lid is a necessity if there are pets or other creatures that may pose a threat to your baby chicks. Chicks need fresh air, however, so the lid needs to be completely breathable – hardware cloth or window screen stapled to a wooden frame is an easy way to go.
The brooder needs to be out of the elements so the chicks are warm, dry and safe from nighttime predators. A barn, garage or your living room are all fine options. You can also place the brooder inside the chicks’ future home – the coop.

Step 2 – Outfit the Brooder

Pine shavings are the bedding of choice for baby chicks. The essential oils in cedar shavings can cause respiratory distress and newspaper is hard for them to walk on when they’re little.
Spread an inch or two of shavings on the floor of the brooder and set up a watering and feeding station at one end. There are various DIY options for chick waterers and feeders, but the basic models only cost a few bucks at the feed store. Nipple-style waterers are highly recommended because the chicks can’t foul them with feces – good hygiene is critical to keeping chicks healthy.
On the other end of the brooder, set up a heat lamp. If you have your chicks in the living room where it’s 65 degrees at night, a 100-watt incandescent bulb in a clamp-on utility light (the kind with a metal reflector) will provide enough warmth. If they’re in a barn, garage or another location that gets chilly, a heat lamp is in order. These special bulbs can be found at feed stores or ordered online.
The height of the bulb may need to be adjusted anywhere from 12 to 36 inches above the bottom of the brooder to maintain the optimal temperature for the chicks. One easy way to accomplish this is to hang the light fixture by a chain attached to a hook above the brooder.
If hot bulbs in close proximity to a cardboard box filled with wood shavings and baby chicks makes you nervous (it definitely qualifies as a fire hazard), consider an EcoGlow brooder heater, which are also designed to save energy.

Step 3 – Care for Your Chicks

Chicks need to be at a constant temperature of around 95 degrees for the first week of their life. Mail-order chicks are almost always less than 48 hours old; if you get your chicks at a feed store, ask how old they are before bringing them home. Adjust the height of the bulb and use a thermometer to measure the temperature at the bottom of the brooder to get it into the proper range before the chicks arrive.
Dip the beak of each chick into the water source as you put it in the brooder so it knows where to go when it’s thirsty.
The chicks will tell you if they are too hot or too cold: if they are huddled on top of each other directly under the bulb, move the bulb closer to warm them up; if they are pushing against the opposite wall of the brooder away from the bulb, it’s way too hot. Chicks milling about throughout the brooder is a good sign that the temperature is just right.
Lower the temperature of the brooder by about 5 degrees each week. As the chicks’ feathers fill in, they are more tolerant of cold, but they are also prone to overheating, so it’s important to keep the temperature just right.
Food and water should be available at all times. Chicks need a special ‘starter feed‘ during their time in the brooder. Starter feed has a crumbly texture, but gets clumpy when moist. If this occurs, clean out the feed tray and add fresh food to avoid mold developing.
It’s a good idea to clean out the food tray every few days anyway because the chicks can’t reach every bit and it will start to get stale. Waterers should be cleaned out daily (unless you’re using nipple waterers, which don’t require cleaning), and the bedding should be refreshed every other day by scooping out the top layer and adding shavings.
Once the chicks are six weeks old, their feathers should be filled out and they are capable of tolerating cool nighttime temperatures – so it’s time to transfer them to the coop. To smooth the transition, move the heat source, feeder and waterer into the coop for the first few days, and set up an adult-size feeder and waterer.

Getting started with Baby Chicks

How to Raise Baby Chicks

Chicks Basic needs: brooder (containment) Light (heat), feeder, waterer, chick food, and bedding. Your chicks will live inside, in this brooder up 10 weeks depending on the weather.


Here at Woodville Ace we will help you set up your brooders and get what you need. We also sell full size chicken coops and DIY supplies for the next step.
Come see us, Anice


ttps://happymoneysaver.com/how-to-raise-baby-chicks/

I am so delighted to share all the information I have learned on how to raise baby chicks.  Whether you are dreaming of fresh eggs, learning to be more self-reliant, looking for a great pet or wanting your own home-grown chickens for meat, just about anyone can raise chickens.
I love my chickens.  But growing up I was terrified of them. The drive for learning how to be self-reliant and the desire for fresh eggs helped me to overcome my fears. I live in the city and only am allowed a couple of chickens, so I brought home 4 chirping little baby chicks this past spring.  After learning how to raise baby chicks and watching them grow, I can say they are the most enjoyable pets I have ever raised. They are super easy to care for, can be very loving, inexpensive to feed plus you get super delicious fresh eggs from them too.

How To Raise Baby Chicks

You will need a few supplies and items to care for baby chicks. Here are the supplies you need.





A brooder box or bin to keep them in. You can use a stock tank, swimming pool, your bathtub or even an old kids swimming pool.  I used a plastic tote for my chicks since I already had them hanging around my garage. Some people use a cardboard box as well, but I don’t recommend it.





A Heat Lamp  + Heat Bulb.  When you buy your heat bulb try to get the red light heat bulb. Chickens will peck each other to death if they see blood, so the red light will make everything red thus avoiding any pecking injuries. You could also use a white heat lamp as well and just keep a good eye out for them. Consider also keeping a backup heat lamp just in case one burns out.
A Thermometer – You will be using a heat lamp with a reflector, which you can find usually at the feed stores or even hardware stores. The temperature needs to be around 90 degrees for the first week, then can be reduced by 5 degrees each week until the chicks have their feathers in (usually around 6-8 weeks).  Watch your chicks carefully though as they will show you if they are too hot or cold. If they are huddling in the corner farthest away from the light they are too hot, and if they are huddled in a ball under the light they are too cold. Just keep an eye on how they are reacting. Use the thermometer to get your heat lamp at the right height for the temperature needed. You can find these at your local Walmart or any hardware store for around $1.00.
Some sort of bedding. Pine shavings are what I use, but you can also use pine pellets, straw or other soft materials. Avoid cedar shavings and newspaper shreds as they are not great for chicks. Baby chicks do poop a lot so be prepared to be changing this often.
Feed – get chick starter feed from feed supply stores. This is all your chicks will need to eat. If you want to start giving them treats or bugs, wait until they are one to two weeks old first, and start some chick grit at the same time. I think the first thing I treated my chicks to when they turned a week old was a single shred of cheese, they loved it.





A Waterer and a Feeder – I used these little plastic ones you can find at feed stores for a couple of bucks each. Make sure and change out their water every day as they often poop and kick shavings in them.
Netting or chicken wire to put above your brooder box. Little chicks will fly up within a few days usually to get out, so put netting over the top to keep them from escaping. You can use a little piece of chicken wire or fine hardware mesh that covers it.
The big Chicken Coop they will be using when they are older. It’s best to get this figured out early so they are not giant chickens in a little bin while you are trying quickly & frantically to build a coop for them.

Where to get baby chicks

I called the feed store in my town to see when they have their “chick days.” Turns out most feed stores have a day where they will get in a huge lot of baby chicks where you can choose to pick up just a few or a large lot of chicks. Some even offer free deals where if you buy the feed you will be able to get a free chick. Make sure when you call you ask what breeds of chicks they will be getting in. Do some research on the kind of chickens you want to raise – whether for meat or for laying, fancy or bantam, temperments and more.
I had my kids go online and google pictures of which breed of chicken they would like to raise. They chose by color pretty much. We went down to our local feed store on “chick day” where they each brought home the kind of chick they wanted. Going the feed store was perfect for us since we are only able to have a small amount of chicks and we were able to get a variety of chicks. It was so much fun and the kids had a blast (read about it here).


 Caring for your baby chicks at Home



Whether you just came back from the post office or the feed store with your new baby chicks in hand, make sure all you have their nice little brooding box all ready to go. Make sure you have read all about how to raise baby chicks so you are prepared.
The first thing you need to do is dip their little beaks into their waterer for a second so they knew where the water is.





Then they will chirp around, eat their feed, poop and sleep.  They will just be running one minute and then drop like they are dead the next.





The drop-dead-look is normal, it’s just how they sleep. They are so adorable.
If you find your chicks are constantly kicking their pine shavings into your waterer, add a book covered in a ziplock bag or a weight underneath. It helps a little. But still check the waterer often for poop and shavings. Wash it in soap & water periodically also to keep them healthy.

 Chicken Poop & Pasty Butt

Keep an eye out for a condition called Pasty Butt with baby chicks during the first week. If the chicks get their poop stuck to their bums, it can seal it up and will kill them if they can’t go. So if you start seeing any poop stuck you gotta wash it off. Only one of our 4 chicks had this.  Sorry if you are grossed out by this, but farming ain’t all flowers and fresh milk. 

Oh yeah, I am making you look at a chicken’s butt.  Tee hee..

So when your chick gets Pasty Butt you just need to take a warm wash cloth and wash the poop off gently. No picking it off, it can hurt them. We had our baby chick sit in some warm water (in a bowl) and gently washed it off.

Problem is when they have wet feathers, the others will peck at them so you will want to separate them until dry. My son held our chick with a wash cloth until she was dry. He loves doing things like that.

How often do you change their pine shavings? It all depends on your preference. I had my chicks in the house and once I could smell it I would be changing it. This was usually every 3-4 days. During the first two weeks it seemed like their poop was out of control, but as they got older their poop changed to a different consistency and I was able to change it once a week.

THE COST

I spent around $50-$60 for all the supplies I needed for my baby chicks including feed and bedding for 2 months. But the real expense can come with the big chicken coop you need to buy or build. If you are super thrifty you can use scrap wood, pallets or other materials and create for a really low cost. I will update this post after my chickens are a year old so we can really see how much it costs to raise them.
We have LOVED having baby chicks. They are very entertaining. Just for fun try scratching your finger to the bottom of the pine shavings bin and see if they copy you (its so cute seeing them learn to scratch for the first time.)  After a few weeks we offered them a few treats (you can buy freeze dried worms and they go nuts…). But our favorite thing is when they just fall asleep in our hands, it is the sweetest thing ever.

Chicks are coming Jan 24th 2019!

!!2019 CHICK SEASON!!

Get your brooders ready! Time to start planning for your new flock. Dreaming of a summer with beautiful chickens running around your yard and lots of eggs?

Our first chicks have been ordered and soon the big brooder will be in the center isle of our store.

Check the column to the left of this blog for Hatch Dates. Chicks arrive one day after Hatch Date, normally arriving every Thursday, depending on weather.

WE ARE NOW TAKING PRE-PAID SPECIAL ORDERS! CALL 850-421-9000 TO PLACE YOUR ORDER OR COME INTO THE STORE.
Please read our policy and procedures for how we do chicken business here
 at Woodville Ace Hardware.

Our main hatchery is Mount Healthy. We have used them for several years and have a wonderful working relationship with their team.
 I am excited to share this video (below) featuring Mount Healthy.

Stay posted on this blog for more information on how to get started with your chicks and what they need, chicks that fit your wants and need and more.

Hope to see you SOON,

Anice ChickenLady