Chickens have made the leap from farms and pens to more than one home, being appreciated as a companion animal for their great sensitivity and their special character. Among the many breeds of chickens that exist throughout the world, the Araucana chicken or Mapuche chicken is one of the most appreciated for its peculiar characteristics.
This hen, of controversial origins, is very special, both for its history and for its peculiarities, among which we find the color of the eggs, which are truly unique. Do you want to discover everything about the Araucana hen? Stay with us and you'll find out thanks to this article on our site.
Origin of the Araucana or Mapuche hen
The Araucana or Mapuche hen takes its name from the tribes that populated the current territories of Chile and Argentina These tribes, the Mapuche Indians, raised these hens for their great nutritional value and, also, for the he alth benefits that were popularly attributed to them. It is stipulated that they come from the mixture between hens of the quetro breed with colloncas, both typical of that territory.
Although the existence of these birds was not recorded in any document before 1500 A. D., it is firmly believed that they were already present in the aforementioned territories since ancient times pre-Columbian Therefore, the Araucanian chicken breed is truly ancient.
Despite being a breed with a long history, these hens did not reach Europe and the United States until the second decade of the 20th century, when they became very popular due to the special nature of their eggs.
Habitat of the Araucana or Mapuche hen
The Araucanian hen began inhabiting only those territories where the Mapuche Indians lived, which included different regions of Chile and Argentina. Later, the Araucanians reached other parts of the globe, such as Europe or the United States, although this did not happen until less than a century ago, which compared to its long history is not too long.
Araucana chickens are very independent, so they need to enjoy a certain amount of freedom to be happy. This implies that they have a land or space large enough to move, to be able to incubate their eggs and graze peacefully. They are typical of rural areas, fields and farms
In addition, there are wild populations of Mapuche chickens, which are located in areas of southern Chile, as well as on the Island of Easter, that is why they are also called Easter egg hens.
Characteristics of the Araucana or Mapuche hen
The Araucana hen or Mapuche hen is a small to medium-sized bird, with an average body weight of approximately 2.2 kilograms in hens and about 2.7 kilograms in roosters. There are marked differences between specimens, although they should never be large. In addition, these hens lack a tail, something due to the presence in their genome of a non-harmful gene that causes this peculiarity, and they have longer plumage in the area of the chin and/or in the ears, so that they present a sort of beard and earrings
There are different varieties of Araucana chicken, such as the black, red or white Araucana. The color of the Mapuche hen depends on its genetics, mixing the colors and giving rise to barred or painted patterns very frequently. For this reason, it is common to see red Mapuche hens, for example, with black spots.
Differences between Araucanian rooster and hen
Both the rooster and the Araucana hen can present the previously described color patterns. The differences between them lie in size, with the largest males being, and in the crest. As with most breeds of chicken, the rooster has a more pronounced comb than the hen.
The eggs of the Araucanian hen
Despite the above, the most peculiar characteristic of the Araucanian hen and perhaps the most relevant when it comes to recognizing it is knowing that its eggs are unique. These eggs are special since they have a rather atypical color, being usually blue thanks to a pigment called biliverdin.
The color of the eggs can vary considerably even from one clutch to another of the same hen, since it depends not only on genetics, but also on meteorological and nutritional factors, among many others. In this way, eggs may appear greenish, light blue or green In all cases they must be medium in size. Due precisely to the color of the eggs, this hen is also known as the hen that lays blue eggs.
Do blue eggs have more properties?
Although there is a myth that nutritionally blue eggs are more beneficial, these are just that, a myth, because the only thing that makes these eggs different from white or brown is that the yolk is proportionally larger and harder, as well as having a more exotic shell. Except for those details, not nutritionally relevant, the properties of one and the other are exactly the same
Feeding of the Araucana or Mapuche hen
The Araucanian hen presents an omnivorous diet, consuming both foods of plant origin such as grains or seeds, vegetables, fruits, grass and grass, or insects, arthropods and very small vertebrates.
Wild chickens often graze and peck and scratch the ground for grain or insects to feed on. If they are in a pen or farm, it is essential to ensure that their food is balanced and of good quality. Many farmers make the mistake of feeding them only on grains, which leaves them with significant protein deficiencies, since they need those proteins normally obtained from insects and others.
Reproduction of the Araucana or Mapuche hen
The Araucanian hens present a sexual reproduction, that is, for there to be fertilization there must be copulation between the rooster and the female. chicken. Only in this way will the eggs be fertile, otherwise there will be no embryo inside and a chick will not hatch from the eggs laid by the Araucana hen.
As we have already mentioned, the eggs of these hens have a unique color, no other hen has eggs that are the same. The blue color of the eggs of the Araucana hen is due to the presence of an enzyme secreted in the oviduct (the channel where the eggs are gestated inside the hen before laying), which makes the hemoglobin turns into biliverdin, a pigment that is transferred to the shell, giving it that blue color.
It is interesting to know the fact that the more laying a hen lays in a short space of time, the less biliverdin there will be in her eggs, so their shells will present a paler color than those of those hens that lay less. In this way, having an Araucana hen in order to subject her to very consecutive layings to obtain her peculiar blue eggs is neither the right thing for her nor the best option, because the effect will be just the opposite.
Care for the Araucana or Mapuche hen
If you have Araucanian hens, either as a farm animal or as a pet, you must bear in mind that these animals have specific requirements. It is true that their needs do not differ from those of the rest of the chickens, except for the fact that they need slightly more space than other breeds. This space must have an outside area, where they can air out and sunbathe, it must have feeders, drinkers and a place to lay the eggs, incubate them and also sleep.
Likewise, it is interesting that they have an area with sand or mud, because they use them to take sand baths, thus cleaning their plumage and keeping it in good condition. These baths are typical of other animals, such as chinchillas.
Regarding the diet of the Araucana hen, as we have said in previous sections, it must be balanced, containing a large amount of vegetables, based on the consumption of grass, fresh grass, fruits and vegetables, combined with the consumption of sources of animal protein such as insects or arthropods. This feeding must be accompanied by good hydration, being vital that they have drinking fountains with fresh and clean water available.
He alth of the Araucana or Mapuche hen
The Araucana hen does not present many congenital anomalies, although there is a disease that for years threatened Mapuche hens. This disease is caused by a dominant gene, the gene that determines the presence of earrings in the ears of Araucana women. The problem arises if two hens with this gene are crossed, because in these cases having two copies of said gene causes a mortality of practically 100% in the embryos before hatching, being brutally lethal.
The only way to prevent the spread of this condition is by only crossing hens without earrings or one with and one without earrings, since those with earrings already have a dominant gene, a fact that can lead to the death of all chicks if two with earrings are crossed.
Furthermore, it must be taken into account that the specimens that have sideburns must receive cuts of them periodically, otherwise they can hide the eyes or even get inside, causingeye conditions such as conjunctivitis.
