Rumpless Araucana
Uses: Coloured Egg Layer / Exhibition.
Eggs: 170-180 Blue / Green.
Origin: Chile / South America.
Weight: Cock: 2.7Kg, Hen: 2.25Kg.
Bantam: Cock: 910g, Hen: 790g.
Colours: Black, Black-Red, Blue, Blue-Red, Creole, Cuckoo, Golden Duckwing, Lavender, Pile, Silver Duckwing, Spangled, White (Standardised).
Useful to Know: What we call Rumpless Araucanas are called ‘Araucanas’ in America. To confuse matters further, what the British call Araucanas are called ‘Americaunas’ in the Americas. When crossed with any other breed, the offspring will lay a green/blue egg.
Stupid as hell In the American Standard of Perfection, Araucanas refer to themselves as “Americaunas,” while Araucana hens are called “Araucanas.” Experts in poultry from America and Europe have been debating the ideal appearance of an Araucana since the 1920s!
The American Poultry Association (APA) and the American Bantam Association (ABA), the two regulating bodies that presently coexist together, are the origin of the disparate names in America. In 1965, the ABA standardized the Araucana and permitted tailed and rumpless
varieties in bantams, both ear-tufted and not. In 1976, the APA began admitting ear tufts and rumpless kinds. When the standards were harmonised in the early 1980s, the tailed types were subsequently standardised as Americaunas.
One extremely unusual breed is the Rumpless Araucana. First, it has feather tufts emerging from the area above its ears; second, it lays blue to green eggs (additional blue/green egg layers have been produced through crosses with the Araucana and Rumpless Araucana); and third, it lacks a tail, making it rumpless.
Originating in South America (most texts suggest Chille, but there are very early records of these chickens in many countries of South America), the Rumpless Araucana.
The Araucana breed page covers the history of the Araucana, so it is not repeated here.
Breeding Advice
Few offspring will hatch if birds with good ear tufts on both sides breed because of the deadly gene combination. To achieve good hatch rates, breed birds with good ear tufts with birds that have little or no ear tufts.
The British Poultry Standard stipulates that rumpless Araucanas must have beards. Beards are acceptable in other nations, however in North America, they will be considered ineligible. Also, the original birds featured single combs, which are now grounds for disqualification in competitions and should be avoided.