Araucana Bantam

The Araucana Bantam is a small, rumpless chicken with a well-rounded body and a somewhat upright posture. They display some game fowl characteristics, including an alert and challenging expression.

Key Features:

• Weight: Roosters typically weigh around 1.9 lbs (850g), and hens are slightly lighter at 1.7 lbs (750g).
• Head: They have a rather small, short head with a rounded, broad skull. Their face is lively red.
• Comb: The comb is an irregular pea comb, compact and low-set on the head.
• Ear Tuft Adornments: Araucanas are famous for their unique head adornments, which can appear in several variants:
  • A. Ear Tufted: Feathers (1.2-2.0 inches or 3-5 cm long) grow from wart-like protrusions near the earlobes, curving backward to form compact tufts. Both tufts should be of equal size and shape.
  • B. Ear Tufted with Muffs: Ear tufts combined with a small throat beard (muffs) are permissible.
  • C. Muff-only: Tuftless but with muffs/beard present.
  • D. Tuft- and Beardless: Lacking both ear tufts and beard.
• Legs and Feet: Legs are clean (unfeathered) and medium-long, smooth with four toes. Leg color is typically willow green.
• Plumage: The feathering is normal, tight-fitting, and well-developed.
• Temperament: These are lively and active birds, known for being excellent foragers. Their game fowl ancestry gives them an alert and sometimes flighty nature.

Araucana Bantams are notable layers, not just for their production numbers but primarily for the unique color of their eggs. They are a good choice for those seeking to add novelty to their egg basket.

• Egg Production: Hens lay a respectable 150-180 eggs per year.
• Egg Size & Color: They are famous for laying small to medium-sized blue-green eggs, typically weighing around 1.4 oz (40g).
• Broodiness: Araucana hens are known to be good mothers and frequently go broody, making them suitable for natural hatching.

Beyond the general size difference, the appearance of the Araucana Bantam hen and rooster is quite similar in terms of core characteristics, especially the unique head adornments. However, there are some distinctions.

• Rooster: The rooster is larger and typically carries his body with a more upright posture. His hackle and saddle feathers are more developed and vibrant in color, particularly in wildtype chickens, featuring deep orange-red hackles and dark reddish-brown body plumage with glossy black breast and tail. The ear tufts and any beard are black.
• Hen: The hen has a slightly less upright body carriage and a fuller abdomen, indicative of a good layer. Her wildtype plumage is a reddish-brown with delicate black peppering, and her breast is a deep salmon-colored reddish-brown. Her ear tufts and any beard match her breast color.

Originating in South America and further developed in varied climates like Germany and the USA, the Araucana Bantam is a hardy breed. They are robust and can adapt to different weather conditions, tolerating both moderate cold and heat.

Their active and flighty nature means they benefit greatly from ample space to free-range. Secure fencing is important to contain them, as they are capable flyers. A well-ventilated, dry coop provides sufficient shelter, and they do not have excessive demands regarding housing.

While the Araucana is celebrated for its ear tufts and blue eggs, a variety of plumage colors are recognized. The primary focus for this breed is often on its unique type and the presence of ear tufts rather than intricate feather patterns.

Wildtype is a common variety. A wildtype rooster has dark reddish-brown head, shoulders, and back, deep orange-red hackles, and a glossy black breast, abdomen, thighs, and tail. The hen has a reddish-brown head and neck hackle, with a reddish-brown body, shoulders, back, and tail showing fine black peppering. Her breast is deep salmon-colored reddish-brown. Ear tufts (and any beard) are typically black in roosters and match the breast color in hens.

Other recognized color varieties for the Araucana Bantam include Black, Blue, Silver Duckwing, Golden Duckwing, White, and Blue Silver.

The Araucana chicken breed is named after the Mapuche people (formerly known as Araucanians) of Chile, who are credited with originating this unique fowl. Known for its rumplessness and blue eggs, the breed's history is somewhat complex, with different lines developed in various regions.

The Araucana Bantam (Araucana krielen) was developed in Germany and the USA around 1910, originating from the larger Araucana fowl and crosses with other game fowl bantams. Early exhibitions took place in Germany, where the breed's distinct characteristics, such as the ear tufts and rumplessness, were carefully selected and refined. The breed's unique blue-egg gene quickly made it a popular choice for enthusiasts seeking something different from traditional brown or white egg layers.