The main distinguishing feature of chickens belonging to the Araucan breed is their extraordinary color. In addition, some individuals completely lack a tail. What other unusual characteristics are distinguished by breeders and poultry farmers in this breed, what should be fed and in what conditions should non-standard animals be kept – we will talk about this in our today’s material.
Characterization
Araucan chickens are bred in a variety of conditions: these birds are suitable for both large farms and independent poultry farmers. The main distinguishing feature of these animals, due to which many breeders prefer this particular breed, is considered a high level of fertility.
Generally speaking, This breed has a rather interesting history of its passage. Initially, it was bred in Chile (the country is located on the territory of South America). Moreover, historians date the first mention of these birds to the distant XNUMXth century. It is not known for certain who became the progenitor of this breed, but the main opinion of scientists is based on the fact that araucana is the fruit of crossing hens that carried colored eggs and fighting roosters.
With regard to the external description, it should immediately be noted that chickens are quite attractive. A distinctive external feature is the presence of tufts of feathers near the earlobes, and some subspecies are also endowed with a beard. In addition, anatomically, birds are endowed with a rather small head, and their beak has a slight bend. The scallop of the representatives of the Araucans looks very unusual – its shape resembles a pea.
The body is small in size, but at the same time quite dense. The chest is wide, the neck is of medium length. The legs of the animal are distinguished by an unusual color – their colors are blue-green.
If we talk about the general color of plumage, then it can be very diverse: green, blue, golden, white, red or black. However, rarely you will find individuals with a solid color. Most often, these shades are combined and form fancy patterns. This is what creates the unusual appearance of the animal, which attracts many.
As for behavioral patterns, Araucan chickens are quite calm and accommodating. Thanks to this nature of birds, even an inexperienced novice poultry farmer can handle their cultivation and maintenance. However, sometimes negative behavioral patterns can also appear. So, some roosters show aggression and pugnacity.
Pros and cons of the breed
Despite the fact that the Araucan is a chicken breed loved by many breeders and poultry farmers, it has not only positive features, but also some disadvantages. It is with the negative characteristics that you should familiarize yourself first of all if you plan to breed these birds, and also if you are ready to treat them tolerantly and tolerantly.
So, the following characteristics are usually distinguished as minuses of this breed:
- the impossibility of self-breeding;
- pugnacity and aggression of roosters;
- high cost of individuals in the zoological market.
However, these birds have numerous positive features that can overcome some of the shortcomings. Let us consider in more detail the advantages of the breed. Traditionally, they include the following features:
- the ability to adapt to various environmental conditions (including temperature conditions);
- unpretentiousness and pickyness;
- resilience;
- early oviposition;
- aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Thus, before starting chickens of this breed in your farm, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons. After that, you can make a balanced and carefully thought-out decision that will be the most optimal and correct in your particular situation.
Chicken coop equipment
In order to maintain the proper level of health and activity of poultry, it is necessary to provide them with decent living conditions. Primarily this applies specifically to the arrangement of the chicken coop, which will become the permanent home of the birds.
To begin with, remember that Aracuana breed does not require any specific conditions. They can be kept in a wide variety of rooms that are convenient for you. So, chickens adapt and feel good in special poultry cages or on the run. However, in order to maintain the health of animals, it is necessary to carry out constant treatment of the chicken coop.
In addition, it is imperative equip the chicken coop with drinkers and feeders. They also need to be washed and cleaned regularly so that infection or harmful bacteria do not accumulate in the water and food of the animals. Also, a perch should become an obligatory element of the chicken coop. Moreover, it is necessary to carefully calculate the size of the perch: for one individual, this figure should be no less than 30 centimeters.
The place where you plan to carry out chicken walking, must be equipped with a canopy. It will protect the birds from all sorts of negative influences, in particular from the bright radiation of the sun, which is especially typical for the summer period, as well as for areas with a hot and dry climate. In addition, the walking area must be fenced and cleared of debris and poisonous plants.
What to feed?
Among other things, the diet of Araucan chickens deserves special attention. It is necessary to monitor the amount of food eaten by birds, as well as the size of portions, since overeating should not be allowed.
In general, birds eat the same food as any other chicken breeds. At the same time, it is important to take into account that such components as vitamins and minerals, as well as calcium and protein, must be present in the diet of Araucans. To cover this need, animals can be fed with earthworms, beans, bone meal, fish waste.
In addition, it is important to take care of the general condition of the body of the chicken. In order to maintain the health of animals, their diet should include a large amount of carbohydrates, which are found in foods such as grains, pumpkins, carrots, potatoes. To provide the body with the necessary fats, include corn and oats in the feed. It should also be remembered that pets need in quality mineral food, it can be wood ash, shells or gravel.
Generally speaking, there are 3 indispensable foods that you absolutely need to feed Araucan chickens. These include silage, yeast and bone meal.
Chickens need to be fed 2 times a day, but access to water should be unlimited. So, the first meal should be taken 3 hours after getting up. Moreover, it should be remembered that an hour after you filled the feeders, the remnants of food must be removed, and the feeders should be washed. The time of the second meal depends on the season: in winter and late autumn (when daylight is short), animals are fed at 3 pm, and in summer and spring this time shifts – chickens can be fed at 7 pm.
Breeding
First of all, it is worth noting that animals have a fairly high level of fertility. The main reason for this is the motherly instinct that is pronounced in females. Accordingly, egg production is also quite high: a chicken can lay about 180 eggs per year. Chickens of this breed carry very unusual eggs: their shells are painted in a variety of shades (from green to pink). This fact attracts many poultry farmers and breeders, so they often prefer the Araucan breed only because of this original characteristic.
As for the breeding process itself, it should take place in an incubatorsince self chicken unable to incubate eggs. And in order for the chickens to have the opportunity to be fertilized, it is necessary to trim the feathers around the cloaca.
If you are only planning to start the process of breeding Araucan, then it should not start with chickens or adults, but with an egg. Thus, you will be sure of its origin. Such advice is given by experienced farmers and poultry farmers who have all the breeding skills.
However, after the chicks have hatched, their growth and development should not be left to chance. Animals will continue to need increased attention. In general, the rearing of Araucan chicks is similar to the rearing of young chicks of other breeds, with some exceptions, which are especially related to diet.
So, feeding chickens should not be started with a boiled egg (as is customary as a general rule), but with starting feed. In addition, it is forbidden to give babies dry millet – it must be boiled without fail. On the 3rd day after birth, fermented milk products can be introduced into the diet, and on the 5th day – greens. At the age of 7 days, chickens are transferred to regular food, and from 2 months old, young animals must be taught to adult food.
Diseases
According to the information of scientists and veterinarians, Araucan is a breed of chickens that is not prone to diseases, since an important distinguishing feature of animals is a fairly strong immune system. However, in rare cases, ailments can still occur. Parasites that can attack chickens of this breed include:
- feather mite, which can cause baldness;
- lice, destroying rods of down;
- helminths;
- fleas.
The main cause of pests is non-compliance with the rules of maintenance and care. That is why you should follow all the advice and recommendations of experts. In addition, do not forget to conduct regular preventive examinations of animals and periodically treat them from pests.
It should be remembered that if one individual is sick, then it should be kept separately. If she lives with the rest of the animals, then there is a high probability of an epidemic and large-scale infection.
Reviews
The opinions of the owners of Araucan chickens are very contradictory: some breeders are completely delighted with the animals, while others, on the contrary, are disappointed. One way or another, but there is no doubt that the breed has both positive and negative features.
Those owners who sell chicken eggs are completely satisfied with the breed. They report that colored eggs sell out faster and more willingly, and they can be sold at a higher price. This is how some owners of Araucan chickens have organized a full-fledged business.
On the other hand, the dissatisfaction of some causes the breeding process, as it is quite complicated and financially costly. Therefore, if you want to breed animals, then perhaps you should pay attention to other breeds. Poultry farmers are often dissatisfied with the nature of roosters – they are aggressive and pugnacious, they do not get along well with each other.
Summing up, we can say that Araucan is a very unusual and original breed of chickens. At the same time, it has a number of characteristics that greatly complicate not only the process of breeding birds, but also their maintenance. That is why if you are new to animal husbandry, then you should pay attention to simpler breeds. But if you are already an experienced poultry farmer, want to experiment and are ready to take on a difficult challenge, then the Araucan breed in this case will suit you perfectly.
On the features of Araucan chickens, see the following video.
