About the Lavender Araucana

The Araucana is a distinctive light breed best known for laying naturally coloured blue to green eggs. Australian Araucanas are active, curious and confident birds that enjoy free ranging and are generally good foragers. They can hold their own well within a mixed flock.

The Lavender variety has an even, soft lavender-grey appearance produced by the lavender colour gene. Combined with the Araucana’s characteristic features and coloured eggs, it makes for a particularly attractive heritage bird.

History & Origin

The Araucana has its origins in Chile, with its name derived from the Arauca region. Blue-egg-laying fowl were present in South America long before the modern breed was standardised, and these birds ultimately provided the distinctive blue-egg characteristic for which the Araucana is now known internationally.

The blue shell colour is produced by a dominant genetic trait. Unlike a surface coating of brown pigment, the blue colour extends through the shell itself. Crosses carrying this gene may consequently produce eggs ranging from bluish to greenish shades.

Araucanas in Australia

The Araucana found in Australia developed into a distinctly Australian form. The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia credits Gerry Coady and Barney Hackney with creating the Australian Araucana through selective breeding.

Because the Australian form has its own breeding history, descriptions of overseas Araucanas do not necessarily apply directly to Australian birds.

Characteristics

Egg colour: Blue or green. The blue pigment carries through the eggshell rather than occurring only on its surface.

Egg size: Medium.

Average egg production: Approximately 150–200 eggs per year, averaging around 3–4 eggs per week across the year.

Weekly egg figures are annual averages. Actual laying varies with age, season, daylight, nutrition and individual bird.

Day-old sexing: Araucanas are not a sex-linked or autosexing breed, so males and females cannot be reliably distinguished by colour at hatch. They can remain difficult to sex even as juveniles. The most reliable method for sexing very young chicks is vent sexing performed by a suitably trained and experienced poultry sexer. Otherwise, sex generally becomes clearer as the birds mature, particularly when the pointed hackle and saddle feathers characteristic of cockerels begin to develop.

Temperament: Active, curious and confident. They are good foragers, enjoy free ranging and generally cope well in mixed flocks.

Broodiness: Variable. Some hens will become broody, while others show little inclination to sit.

Notable features: Their most famous characteristic is their blue to green eggs. Australian Araucanas have a pea comb, and the Lavender variety has the soft, even grey-lavender colouring characteristic of the lavender gene.

Hardiness: Generally considered a hardy breed.

Rare Breed Status

The large Araucana is currently classified as WATCH by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia. WATCH identifies breeds approaching the Of Concern category, or breeds where recent increases in numbers need to be sustained.

Current Availability

See what’s currently available from Deb’s Heritage Hens.