Ameraucana

Ameraucana

A Blue Ameraucana cock
Country of origin United States
Standard APA (abridged)
Traits
Weight Male: Standard: 5.5–6.5 lb (2.5–2.9 kg)[1]
Bantam: 26–30 oz (740–850 g)[1]
  Female: Standard: 4.5–5.5 lb (2.0–2.5 kg)[1]
Bantam: 24–26 oz (680–740 g)[1]
Egg color Blue in various shades
Comb type Pea[2]
Classification
APA All other standard breeds
ABA All other comb clean legged
EE yes[3]
PCGB not listed[4][5]
Chicken
Gallus gallus domesticus

The Ameraucana is an American breed of domestic chicken developed in the United States in the 1970s. It derives from Araucana chickens brought from Chile and was bred to retain the blue-egg gene but eliminate the lethal alleles of the parent breed.[2][6] The breed has both large fowl and bantam varieties.

History

The Ameraucana was developed in the United States in the 1970s from Araucana chickens brought from Chile.[6] It was bred to retain the unusual blue-egg gene of the Araucana, but eliminate the tufted and rumpless lethal alleles of the parent breed.[2] It was added to the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association in 1984.[7] The name derives from "America" and "Araucana".[2]

The Ameraucana is recognized in the United States as a separate breed from the Araucana. In some other countries, including Australia and the UK, both the tailed and rumpless variants of the Araucana are considered a single breed.[6]

Characteristics

The Ameraucana is one of the few chicken breeds to lay blue eggs.[6] It shows many similarities to the Araucana, including the pea comb and the blue egg gene. It is tailed, muffed and bearded, whereas the Araucana in the United States has earmuffs and is rumpless.[8] The earlobes are small and round, the wattles small or absent; earlobes, comb and wattles are all red. The shanks are slate-blue, tending to black in the Black variety.[2]

Eight color variants are recognized in the American Standard of Perfection: Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten and White. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ameraucana Breed Standard. Ameraucana Breeders Club. Accessed August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Carol Ekarius (2007). Storeys Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing. ISBN 9781580176682. p. 38–39.
  3. ↑ Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013). Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Accessed August 2014.
  5. ↑ Victoria Roberts (2008). British poultry standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Gail Damerow (1 March 2012). The Chicken Encyclopedia: An Illustrated Reference. Storey Publishing, LLC. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-60342-776-0. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  7. 1 2 APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties As of January 1, 2012. American Poultry Association. Accessed August 2014.
  8. ↑ John W. Blehm (2007). Ameraucanas. Backyard Poultry June/July, 2007. Accessed August 2014.

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