Araucana

The Araucana is best known as a blue-egg breed, laying eggs in shades of blue to blue-green from a pigment that runs right through the shell rather than sitting only on the surface. The British type is a tailed bird with a pea comb, and its most distinctive feature is its face furnishings, with ear tufts and a crest or muffling that give it a characteristic bearded, whiskered look. It is a hardy, active breed that does well with room to forage.

Araucanas are generally alert and lively, and while not as placid as some heavy breeds they settle well and can become quite tame with regular handling. They are kept both for their attractive blue eggs and for their unusual appearance, and they are available in a range of plumage colours as well as in large fowl and bantam form. Their steady laying of coloured eggs makes them a popular addition to a mixed flock.