Are you looking for a friendly and beautiful breed of chicken to add to your backyard flock? Ameraucanas are a popular choice for chicken keepers, known for their distinctive blue or green eggs and personable nature.
Whether you’re a seasoned chicken owner or a newcomer to the hobby, this guide will cover all aspects of Ameraucana chicken care, including breed history, physical characteristics, broodiness, laying capabilities, and much more.
By the end of this guide, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to raise happy and healthy Ameraucanas and enjoy their unique contributions to your backyard flock.
Ameraucana Chicken Quick Overview
| Characteristics | Information |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Egg Color | Blue or Green |
| Weight | Hens: 5.5lbs, Roosters: 6.5 lbs |
| Temperament | Friendly |
| Broody | Above Average |
| Eggs Per Year | 180-250 |
| Ideal Climates | Cooler Climates |
| Free-Ranging Capabilities | Excellent |
| Lifespan | 7-8 Years |
Where Did Ameraucana Chickens Come From?
The Ameraucana chicken is a breed of domestic chicken developed in the United States in the 1970s. It was created by breeding Araucana chickens, native to Chile, with other various breeds of chickens. The breed was then recognized by the American Poultry Association as its own breed in 1984.
The Araucana chickens had ear tufts. While cute, this gene is deadly. If both parents contribute to the tufting gene, their chicks will die before they hatch.
During the 1970s, Mr. Keller, a breeder at the Pratt Experimental Farm in Pennsylvania, successfully produced the original Ameraucana chickens. He achieved this by crossbreeding the Araucana chicken with other chicken breeds, with the aim of preserving the blue egg gene and removing the lethal gene responsible for ear tufts.
It’s worth noting that the Ameraucana is often confused with the Easter Egger chicken, which is a mixed breed that also lays blue or green eggs but is not a recognized breed by the American Poultry Association.
What Color Are Ameraucana Chickens?
Ameraucana chickens are known for their distinctive appearance, which includes a small pea comb, muffs and beard, and blue eggs. They come in a variety of colors, including black, blue, blue wheaten, brown red, buff, silver, and wheaten. I’ve included a table below with the specifics!
| Color | Feather Coloration | Leg Color |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Black feathers | Black |
| White | White feathers with pale yellow | Light-colored |
| Blue | Dark grey feathers with small black | Black-grey or black |
| Blue Wheaten | Mostly white with dark brown wheaten | Slate blue |
| Wheaten | Light tan feathers with some darker | Dark blue |
| Brown Red | Brown-red, rust-colored feathers | Light-colored |
| Buff | Yellow feathers with darker brown | Light-colored |
| Silver | Light grey feathers with darker grey | Dark |
How much do Ameraucanas Weigh?
Ameraucana hens generally weigh 5.5 lbs when fully grown. Roosters may weigh slightly more than hens, with an average weight of 6.5 pounds. These weight ranges make the Ameraucanas a medium-sized chicken breed.
Ameraucanas also come in a bantam variety, which is a smaller version of the standard-sized bird. According to the American Bantam Association (ABA) standards, Ameraucana bantams should weigh between 20 and 30 ounces (567-850 grams) for males and 18 and 26 ounces (510-737 grams) for females.
Compared to the standard-sized Ameraucanas, the bantam variety is significantly smaller, weighing roughly one-third of their standard-sized counterparts. However, despite their smaller size, Ameraucana bantams still have the same distinctive appearance and blue egg-laying ability as the standard-sized birds.
Are Ameraucanas Friendly?
In total, Ameraucanas are known for their friendly and sociable personalities. They are often described as being curious and outgoing, which makes them a popular choice for backyard chicken keepers who enjoy interacting with their birds. While they are generally a friendly breed, they don’t particularly enjoy being picked up and can become flighty.
Ameraucanas have also been known to integrate quite well with other breeds. You shouldn’t have many issues putting these chickens with other breeds.
Are Ameraucanas Broody?
Ameraucana hens have been known to go broody more often than other chicken breeds. Although they are not officially recognized as a broody breed, many farmers report their Ameraucanas going broody several times during their lifespan.
Like all other breeds that go broody, Ameraucana hens will make excellent mothers and will raise their young quite successfully. This will make expanding your flock relatively easy!
However, Having a hen go broody can be bothersome for some people, especially those who are focused on egg production, as it can interfere with the nesting area and cause the broody hen to stop laying eggs.
If you’re looking for another broody hen, you should look into my article on Buff Orpingtons! I’ve raised many types of chickens and I’m convinced they are the broodiest breed of chicken.
Are Ameraucanas Good Layers?
In total, Ameraucanas typically produce between 150 and 220 medium-sized eggs per year. This translates to an average of 3 to 4 eggs per week. The eggs are known for their distinctive blue or green color and are prized by many backyard chicken keepers.
While their egg production isn’t enough to be considered for the commercial egg industry, many farmers enjoy their blue eggs!
To see a list of the 15 best egg-laying chickens, check out my article on The 15 Best Egg-Laying Chicken Breeds! Spoiler alert, Ameraucanas made the list!
Are Ameraucanas Cold Hardy?
Ameraucana chickens are known for their excellent cold hardiness and ability to thrive in cooler climates.
Unlike larger combs found on some other breeds, the Ameraucanas pea comb is less exposed and has a lower surface area, which reduces the risk of frostbite. This characteristic makes Ameraucanas well-suited for colder climates where temperatures can drop significantly.
In addition to their combs, their thick plumage provides good insulation against cold temperatures, allowing them to maintain body heat even in chilly conditions.
While there are quite a few breeds that can handle cold weather, always make sure to provide all chickens with adequate shelter and protection from extreme weather conditions to ensure your flock stays happy and healthy through the winter months.
I wrote an article on the 10 best chicken breeds for cold climates, check it out to see if Ameraucanas made the list!
Are Ameraucanas Good in Hot Climates?
Ameraucanas can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, but they may not be the best breed for extremely hot climates. Their thick plumage, which provides insulation against the cold, can make them susceptible to heat stress in warmer weather. Additionally, their relatively small comb and wattles may not provide enough surface area for efficient heat dissipation.
Farmers have reported their Ameraucanas starting to pant around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. While the Ameraucanas are great cold-weather birds, if you live in a hot climate, you may look for a different chicken breed.
Although Ameraucanas aren’t the best in hot climates, there are many measures you can take to keep your chickens cool in the summer. If you live in these climates, be sure to provide them with shade, plenty of cool, fresh water, and a well-ventilated coop to help them stay comfortable.
If you’d like to get a chicken breed for hot climates, check out my article on the Top 5 Chicken Breeds for Hot Weather!
Are Ameraucanas Good Free-Range Chickens?
On average, Ameraucanas are known to be good free-ranging chickens. They are active birds that enjoy foraging for their food, and they are also good at fending for themselves when left to roam.
As long as you provide them with a safe and secure area to free-range, they will happily spend their days exploring and finding food on their own. Free-ranging is quite healthy for them and allows them to get plenty of sunlight and exercise. Chickens are natural free-rangers and it’s good for their physical and mental well-being.
Additionally, because Ameraucanas are excellent foragers, they can help to reduce the amount of feed you need to provide, which can save you money in the long run. However, it’s important to keep in mind that free-ranging chickens are more susceptible to predators and diseases, so you’ll need to take steps to protect your flock if you choose to let them roam freely.
Some things to strongly consider are when, and how long you should let your chickens free-range. To see a guide on this, check out my article on How Long You Should Let Your Chickens Free-Range.
What’s the Lifespan of an Ameraucana?
On average, Ameraucana chickens usually live for 7-8 years. The lifespan of an Ameraucana can vary depending on factors such as diet, living conditions, and overall health. However, with proper care, some Ameraucanas have been known to live for 10 years or more.
To keep your chicken happy and healthy, consider a high-quality laying pellet or layer crumble. To help you decide on pellets vs crumble, check out my article on Laying Pellets vs Layer Crumble!
Where to Get Ameraucana Chickens
On average, the best place to get Ameraucana chickens is through an online hatchery such as Hoovers or Mcmurray. These sites are trusted and have a great selection of chicks for you to choose from!
Generally, you can buy chickens locally but you’re at the store’s mercy on what breeds they have at the time. I went to my local Tractor Supply and they had 4 breeds available at the time. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any Ameraucanas and weren’t sure they were going to get any this year.
The store representative instructed me to go online to their website and buy them there. Their website just redirected me to Hoovers Hatchery!
Although Ameraucanas are a popular breed, there are even more popular breeds, such as the White Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds. It may be difficult to find Ameraucanas at your local farm and ranch stores, and it’s possible that you may never be able to acquire them.
If you can find Ameraucanas locally, I recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity and acquire as many as you need, as purchasing them online could result in a minimum shipping fee that varies per online hatchery site.
Incubating Ameraucanas
Incubating is a fantastic way to get an Ameraucana flock started. If you know someone near you with some Ameraucanas, ask if you can buy some eggs from them (provided they have a rooster in with their hens). You can then buy an incubator and hatch as many as you want! Simply raise the hens and roosters from your first purchase, then once they start laying, use their eggs to keep hatching more hens.
However, if you start looking for an incubator to purchase, I’ve written an article on Still air vs Circulated air to help pick out which type would be best for you!
Conclusion
I hope this guide helped you learn about Ameraucanas, and determine if they’re right for your flock. If you liked this guide be sure to check out some of my other articles!
This article was originally published on farmapt.com. If it is now published on any other site, it was done without permission from the copyright owner.