Ameraucana chickens: The healthy and hardy (and hilarious) blue-egg layers
Anyone who has Ameraucana chickens will tell you, these are special birds. They are known as prolific layers of beautiful blue or blue-green eggs. But they are so much more than that.
Ameraucana chickens are hardy in both heat and cold. They are cautious and smart. They are excellent at foraging. And man, they are goofy.
With their big, soft, poofy muffs and beards, their endlessly inquisitive nature, and their comical antics, it’s hard to take these birds seriously.
My Ameraucanas never cease to make me laugh. Some like to perch on my head. One likes to press the top of her beak against my nose and gaze deeply into my eyes like she’s searching my soul. And some have figured out (independently from each other) how to use the cat door to get into the house.
These chickens have personality. And lots of it.
But are these goofballs right for you and your flock? In this article, I answer all your burning questions about Ameraucana chickens, such as:
What Ameraucana chickens look like in their many different colors and patterns
Everything you ever wanted to know about Ameraucana egg laying
Ameraucana broodiness (are they inclined to hatch chicks or not?)
Ameraucana meat (how much do they provide and what does it taste like?)
Climate considerations for Ameraucana chickens (are they a good fit for your region?)
Ameraucana temperament (are they right for you and your family?)
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Have Ameraucana chickens?
Ameraucana Chicken Facts
Category: Eggs
Egg-laying ability: Moderate-good
Broodiness: Variable
Cold tolerance: Good
Heat tolerance: Good
Predator evasion: Good
Foraging ability: Good
Toleration for confinement: Good (but they do love space!)
Temperament: Varies—flighty to docile
Aggression toward flock members: Low
Noise level: Moderate
Origin of Ameraucana Chickens
The name, Ameraucana, is a portmanteau (and a way better one than Brangelina), a combination of the words “America” and “Araucana.” The name reflects the origin of the breed, which was developed in America from the blue-egg-laying birds of Chile, once collectively referred to as Araucanas.
In the U.S. today, the name “Araucana” is reserved for only one type of blue-egg-laying chicken, but before 1976, other types were also called Araucanas (including what we now call Ameraucanas). The American Poultry Association (APA) decided in 1976, quite arbitrarily, that what we now call Ameraucanas could no longer be called Araucanas.
For more about this craziness, check out my article, Why Everything You’ve Heard is Wrong: Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, and Arauacanas.
The Araucana chicken as it’s known today is an incredible bird, but the breed comes with a number of problems. The worst of these is the semi-lethal ear tuft gene, which results in the death of many Araucana chicks. The Ameraucana chicken, on the other hand, does not have these ear tuft genes. Ameraucanas were bred instead to have muffs and beards, rather than tufts.
Ameraucanas were also bred to have tails, in stark contrast to the modern Araucana breed. Contrary to popular belief, the Ameraucana was not bred from today’s Araucana. The two breeds were developed simultaneously.
Ameraucanas used to be somewhat rare, but in recent years, blue eggs have become increasingly popular. Now, many breeders and hatcheries are offering Ameraucanas for sale.
For more information on the Araucana chicken breed, check out my article, Araucana Chickens: The Wacky Blue-Egg Layers.
For more information on Ameraucana history, check out my article, Why Everything You’ve Heard is Wrong: Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, and Arauacanas.
What do Ameraucana chickens look like?
Ameraucana chickens come in 8 varieties that are recognized by the APA. They come in a standard size and in a bantam (i.e., miniature) size.
Ameraucana feather colors and patterns
The 8 different feather color/pattern varieties that are recognized are: black, blue, blue wheaten, brown red, buff, silver, wheaten, and white.
In the video below, you can see what Black Ameraucana chickens look like.
In this video, you can see Silver Ameraucana chickens.
And in this video, you can see White Ameraucana chickens.
You’ll also find many Ameraucana chickens with other feather colors and patterns. These aren’t recognized by the APA, but who cares?
Perhaps the most defining feature of Ameraucanas are their muff and beard feathers. These are fluffy feathers that feel more like hair to the touch than feathers.
Many chicken experts will tell you that if your chicken doesn’t have muffs and a beard, then she’s not an Ameraucana. This isn’t necessarily true. Your chicken won’t qualify to be shown at bird shows as an Ameraucana, but she still may be an Ameraucana.
Muffs and beards are autosomal dominant traits, which means that some chickens may be born without them. These chickens are called “clean-faced.” Clean faces are a recessive trait, but many Ameraucana breeding programs will produce some clean-faced birds.
For more on this topic, check out my article, Why Everything You’ve Heard is Wrong: Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, and Arauacanas.
What is else notable about the Ameraucana chicken’s appearance?
Aside from their muffs and beards and their beautiful plumage, Ameraucana chickens are also known for:
Small pea combs
Small (or missing) wattles
Small red earlobes
Reddish-brown eyes
White on the bottoms of their feet and toes
Below is a summary of some of their other features, which vary depending on the plumage variety.
| Ameraucana variety | Beak | Shanks |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Black | Dark slate to black |
| Blue | Horn to dark horn | Slate |
| Blue Wheaten | Horn to dark horn | Slate |
| Brown Red | Horn to dark horn | Slate |
| Buff | Horn to dark horn | Slate |
| Silver | Horn to dark horn | Slate |
| Wheaten | Horn to dark horn | Slate |
| White | Light horn | Slate |
How big do Ameraucana chickens get?
Roosters: 6.5 lbs
Hens: 5.5 lbs
Bantam roosters: 30 oz
Bantam hens: 36 oz
What do Ameraucana chicks look like?
Ameraucana chicks come in all different colors and patterns because there are so many different varieties.
Below is a video showing 2-day old Silver Ameraucana chicks:
Below is a video showing Lavender Ameraucana chicks. This is a variety that is not recognized by the APA, but has become popular with backyard keepers over the past several years. They are beautiful!
Ameraucana Chickens and Egg Laying
Egg color: Blue or blue-green
Egg size: Medium
Age of lay: 5-10 months (depends on the strain)
Eggs/week: 2-5 (depends on the strain)
Eggs/year: 100-250 (depends on the strain)
Egg-laying ability varies for different Ameraucana strains. Hatchery chickens may lay earlier and better than private breeder chickens because most hatcheries focus on egg production, whereas breeders focus on appearance. Some Ameraucana chickens from breeders may take 10 months or even a year before they start laying.
Ameraucana chickens have long laying seasons. Some will lay well into the winter.
The shade of eggs your Ameraucanas will lay varies, depending on the strain of chicken you buy. Some will lay pale blue eggs. Others will lay blue eggs with a greenish tint.
Broodiness: Do Ameraucana hens want to hatch their eggs?
Many Ameraucana hens do go broody, and they make very attentive mothers.
However, some hatchery strains are less likely to go broody than breeder strains. Many hatchery strains are bred for egg production and this can lessen the broodiness trait. Out of my 13 hatchery Ameraucana hens, I’ve only had a few go broody over the years, and I was able to dissuade them fairly easily.
Below is a video of an Ameraucana chicken sitting on newly hatched chicks.
Meat Production of Ameraucana Chickens
Some breeders classify their Ameraucana chickens as dual-purpose, meaning the chickens can be used for eggs and for meat.
However, because Ameraucanas aren’t very large birds, you won’t get as much meat from them as you would from other dual-purpose breeds. Regardless, many chicken keepers do kill their roosters and say they make excellent soup or crock pot dishes.
One chicken keeper said that the meat is actually very flavorful if you kill your chickens at 14-16 weeks of age.
If your Ameraucanas are as delightful as mine, though, you may not have the heart to take this approach.
Ameraucana Chickens: A Hardy Breed
How do Ameraucana chickens do in the heat?
Ameraucana chickens tend to do well in the heat. They don’t tolerate the heat as well as Mediterranean breeds (very few non-Mediterranean breeds do), but they can handle it. They will need cold and clean water at all times during hot days, and they will need plenty of shade.
(Mediterranean breeds include Leghorns, Anconas, and Blue Andalusians.)
How do Ameraucana chickens do in the cold?
Ameraucana chickens do well in the cold. This is largely because they have small pea combs, and their wattles are either very small or absent. So, unlike many other breeds, their risk of frostbite is incredibly low.
I do still hang Sweeter Heaters over their roosting bars, which they very much appreciate on the freezing cold winter nights.
You can find small Sweeter Heaters here on Amazon, medium Sweeter Heaters here, and large Sweeter Heaters here. I hang Sweeter Heaters in all my coops, and I can’t recommend them enough.
Ameraucana chickens vs. predators
Ameraucanas are an alert and active breed, which makes them effective at evading predators.
However, the muffs on Ameraucana cheeks can be so large that they block some of the birds’ peripheral vision. So, while they are good at evading predators, this trait does put them at a disadvantage compared to other predator-wary breeds.
Ameraucana chickens: Good little foragers
Ameraucana chickens tend to be good foragers and will eat a decent amount of their food from foraging if they are given the option.
Ameraucana chickens: Can they handle confinement?
Ameraucana chickens can handle confinement—they are pretty versatile birds. However, they will absolutely thrive if given the space to do so. These are incredibly curious birds who love to explore, so the more space you can give them, the better their lives will be.
Ameraucana chicken temperament: Just what kind of birds are they?
As I mentioned in the introduction to this article, Ameraucana chickens are curious, intelligent, and smart. They have very distinct personalities that vary from chicken to chicken.
My Ameraucana chickens have a broad range of personalities. On one extreme is Graygayle, a Lavender Ameraucana who gets upset if you even look at her. She is an incredibly flighty and fearful chicken. And she gets MAD!
She’s not afraid of me because she knows me so well, but if I have to pick her up for a health check, she makes noises I’ve never heard a chicken make. It sounds like she’s cussing me out and wants to murder me. She never stops talking when she’s got a problem. She’s got big feelings, and she lets everybody know it. I adore her.
On the other end of the spectrum is Hooter, my Blue Ameraucana. Hooter loves to be handled, loves to be held. If I have too many other hens on my lap or if I’m busy doing something (like refreshing their food or water), she’ll perch on my shoulder or head.
Hooter is a bold and adventurous chicken. She likes to do her own thing, separate from the flock. And she has a Rhode Island Red rooster boyfriend, Rufio, who accompanies her everywhere, no matter how far she strays. Maybe I should say husband. They have been together for two years, after all.
Below is a YouTube video of a friendly Ameraucana chicken that reminds me a lot of my Hooter:
When it comes down to it, you never really know what you’ll get with an Ameraucana. Overall, they tend to be friendly and active, but each is unique.
How are Ameraucana chickens around children?
If you want cuddly chickens for your children, Ameraucanas are a gamble. You may get the sweetest chickens you’ve ever known, or you may get flighty, fearful chickens that don’t want anything to do with you.
Make sure before you purchase Ameraucanas that you are able to accept them however they turn out.
How well do Ameraucana chickens get along with other chickens?
Ameraucana chickens get along well with other chickens. I’ve only had one hen, Hooter, act very aggressively toward another, Speck. I ended up moving Speck to another flock (for a different reason, but it also solved this aggression problem).
However, you may find that some of your Ameraucanas get picked on by other breeds. I’ve had this problem in my flocks. Nobody has been seriously hurt—the aggression is minor, but it breaks my heart.
My Ameraucana hens are smaller than my other chickens and they avoid confrontation. Most of them don’t stick up for themselves, so they get bossed around a bit.
Are Ameraucana roosters aggressive to people?
Because Ameraucana chickens have such varying personalities, roosters may have any temperament. It’s a gamble.
I have an Ameraucana rooster, Perly, who’s flighty and doesn’t like to be touched, but he’s never been aggressive in any way. I have another Ameraucana rooster, Quiggles, who can be a real punk.
Ameraucana chickens: Are they noisy?
Ameraucana chickens are average as far as noise level is concerned. They aren’t particularly loud or quiet. They love to sing their egg song (a cackle song they sing before, during, or after laying eggs), and some can be chatty.
Ameraucana chicken health problems and life expectancy
There is one problem Ameraucana chickens and Easter Eggers (other chickens with blue-egg genes) have. They are more susceptible to cross beak than most other breeds.
Cross beak is a condition where the upper and lower beak are misaligned. It’s actually caused by deformation in the skull. The skull is squished a bit and so the upper and lower beak don’t line up.
You cannot cure cross beak, and the severity of it varies case-by-case. However, these chickens can be a lot of work to keep alive. They tend to have a hard time eating and you need to make special arrangements for them.
Pictured here is my cross beak hen, Edy Bea. Today, she is thriving. I figured out a system to keep her well-fed and healthy, but it wasn’t easy at first. It has been a lot of work keeping her healthy.
Edy Bea is a wonderful, funny chicken and sassy as heck. I adore her. We have a special bond that comes from the struggle we had to figure out how to get her fed, and the inordinate amount of time we’ve had to spend together.
But cross beak chickens are a commitment.
Another thing you may need to watch out for is wet beards or muffs. If you are watering your Ameraucana chickens from a bowl, you may find that they are getting their beards and possibly muffs wet. This is not ideal in the cold months, so you may need to consider using a poultry nipple watering system, like this waterer on Amazon. Wet beards and muffs can lead to frostbite.
I have personally never had this problem with my Ameraucanas, but some chicken keepers have.
As far as lifespan goes, Ameraucanas can be expected to live as long as the average chicken. In ideal conditions this is around 5-8 years of age. However, lifespan can vary broadly for any individual chicken.
Breeds you may want instead of Ameraucanas
Easter Eggers: Amazing hybrids made for the backyard
If you like Ameraucanas, you may also be interested in Easter Eggers. Easter Eggers are a category of chickens, not an official APA breed. Many strains are hybrids of sorts (but, contrary to popular belief, not all strains are hybrids). Some call them “mutts.”
Easter Eggers are any chickens that have blue egg genes in their heritage, but they aren’t purebred Ameraucanas or Araucanas, or at least aren’t a variety of Ameraucana or Araucana recognized by the APA. (The APA does, after all, get to decide, rather arbitrarily, which birds get to be designated a breed and which don’t.)
This means that Easter Eggers may have genes from any breed of chicken out there as long as they also have genes from a blue-egg breed. This doesn’t mean that they’ll lay blue eggs. They may lay eggs of any color (hence their name, Easter Eggers), depending on the strain or the parentage.
For a better understanding of Easter Eggers—there is a lot of incorrect information out there—check out my article Why Everything You’ve Heard is Wrong: Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, and Arauacanas.
Like Ameraucana chickens, Easter Eggers have every personality under the sun. They are incredibly smart, inquisitive, and entertaining. They’re hardy birds and a joy to keep. They’re great birds for the backyard.
Cream Legbars: High-producing blue-egg layers
Another excellent layer of blue eggs is the Cream Legbar chicken. This breed was developed by crossing Brown Leghorns, Barred Plymouth Rocks, and Araucanas to varying degrees.
The Cream Legbar breed has these traits:
Excellent egg production (thanks to the Brown Leghorns)
Autosexing characteristics (i.e., the ability to tell male chicks from female chicks by their appearances, thanks to the Barred Rocks)
Blue eggs (thanks to the Araucanas)
Because Cream Legbars are a British breed, this means British Araucana chickens were used. These Araucanas were bred for different characteristics than the American Araucanas. They actually have more in common with Ameraucanas than they do American Araucanas. Strange, I know.
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Ameraucana Sources
Blehm, John W. “Ameraucanas.” Backyard Poultry, June/July 2007, p. 58-59.
Damerow, Gail. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2017.
Ekarius, Carol. Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2007.