Chicken breed
Ameraucana
The Ameraucana is a true American breed that lays blue eggs, with a beard, muffs and a pea comb. It is a separate breed from the Easter Egger, which is often sold under similar names. Hens are friendly and lay at a moderate rate.
At a glance
150–250eggs a year
3–6eggs a week
18–30weeks to first egg
5.5 lbhen weight
6.5 lbrooster weight
Mediumegg size
Traits
- Cold hardyhigh
- Heat tolerantmedium
- Goes broodymedium
- Egg colour
- blue (some sources say blue to green)
- Temperament
- friendly, curious; can be flighty
- Noise
- quiet
- Origin
- United States (developed from Araucana ancestry from Chile)
- Comb
- pea
- Bantam size
- Available
- APA standard
- Recognized
- Purpose
- eggs, dual
Good for
- colored eggs
- cold climates
Watch out for
- often confused with Easter Eggers, which are not the same breed
- moderate egg numbers compared with production layers
Looks and feathers
Muffs and beard, tail present (unlike Araucana), slate legs. APA varieties include Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Self Blue, Silver, Wheaten, White.
Our drawing shows the most common US variety; colours vary.
Similar breeds
All breedsSources
- 1Ameraucana (breed page)My Pet Chicken
- 2Blue Ameraucana Chicken (product/breed profile)Cackle Hatchery
- 3Accepted Breeds & VarietiesAmerican Poultry Association
- 4Blue Ameraucana Day Old Chicks (product/breed profile)Meyer Hatchery
- 5Managing Chickens From Chicks to Peak Egg ProductionUtah State University Extension (J. Okoh, E. Perry; October 2025)
- 6Chicken Breeds & Varieties (A2880), incl. APA standard weightsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
Hatcheries often disagree on eggs a year; ranges span every source we read. How we check the facts.