Araucana

The Araucana or Spanish: Gallina Mapuche is a breed of chicken originating in Chile. This chicken has been a subject of controversy regarding the possibility that the breed was developed from birds that arrived prior to Old World contact, which would make it the only chicken breed native to the Americas. It is well known for its blue eggs, which is caused by a DNA retrovirus that occurred sometime early in domestication. In the United States it may be known as the South American Rumpless, and may be confused with other fowl, especially the Ameraucana and Easter Egger.

Tailed vs Rumpless

While the Araucana comes both with tails and without (rumpless) there are differences in international perceptions of the accepted physical description of the bird varies with the North American varieties being rumpless, the British standards accepting both tailed and rumpless and the Australian standard accepting only tailed.

History

The ancestors of the modern Araucana chicken were purportedly first bred by the Araucanians (Spanish exonym for the Mapuche) of Chile—hence the name "Araucana". The Araucana is a hybrid of two South American breeds: the Colloncas (a naturally blue-egg laying, rumpless, clean-faced chicken) and the Quetero (a pinkish-brown egg layer that has a long tail and prominent ear-tufts). The males of the Quetero have loud musical voices. The Colloncas male and female are very similar, with very few secondary sexual characteristics like comb, wattles or tail coverts to distinguish them.