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Ameraucanas are a true American breed known for fluffy cheeks, pea combs, and blue eggs. On our farm, we focus on breed-correct type, steady temperaments, and clean, consistent egg color.
Eggs: Ameraucanas are recognized for laying blue eggs, a defining breed trait retained from their Araucana ancestry. Heritage breed references typically describe production at around 180 to 220 eggs per year under standard conditions, with some well-managed flocks producing more. Eggs are usually medium, sometimes medium-large in mature hens.
Weight: According to the APA Standard of Perfection, standard Ameraucana hens weigh approximately 5.5 lb and roosters about 6.5 lb. Our Ameraucanas are large fowl (LF), not bantams. Bantam varieties are proportionally smaller.
Cold Hardiness: Ameraucanas are generally considered cold hardy and adaptable. Their pea combs help reduce frostbite risk, and they tolerate cold climates well when provided with appropriate shelter and dry footing.
Heat Hardiness: Ameraucanas handle heat reasonably well when given shade, ventilation, and fresh water. Their moderate body size and pea comb help reduce heat stress compared to heavier breeds or those with large single combs.
Broodiness: Ameraucanas are not known for strong broodiness compared to many heritage breeds. Some hens will go broody occasionally, but most are considered infrequent or inconsistent sitters.
Confinement Tolerance: Ameraucanas are active foragers that do best with space. While they prefer free ranging, they generally tolerate confinement reasonably well when provided adequate room and enrichment.
Personality: Ameraucanas are typically calm, curious, and people friendly. They tend to be alert without being overly flighty and usually integrate well into mixed flocks.
Purpose: A dual purpose heritage breed valued for blue eggs, exhibition, and backyard flocks. Ameraucanas are commonly kept for egg color programs, breed preservation, and showing.
Unlike Easter Eggers that hatcheries often sell as Ameraucanas, these are the real deal. We love Ameraucanas for their fluffy cheeks, pea combs, and reliably blue eggs that range from deeper sky blue to paler shades depending on the bird and season.
We focus exclusively on large fowl (LF) Ameraucanas, not bantams, with an emphasis on standard type and consistency. In our breeding pens we prioritize Standard-correct type (muffs/beard, pea comb, slate legs, correct tail and body type), fertility/hatchability, and calm, flock-friendly temperaments.
We originally brought Ameraucanas into our program in 2022, starting with birds purchased directly from APA Grand Master Exhibitor Paul Smith. That foundation gave us strong, standard-correct type, solid feather quality, and consistency across generations.
In 2024, we intentionally added genetics from Rachel Heldermon to address a common challenge in Self-Blue and Black Ameraucanas – managing gold bleed-through. Rachel’s lines emphasize cleaner silver-based coloration, which helps reduce unwanted warm tones showing through in both Blacks and Self-Blues while maintaining correct Ameraucana structure.
Breeding Notes from Our Ameraucana Program
To preserve feather quality and long-term structural soundness, we intentionally rotate our Self-Blue (Lavender) Ameraucanas back to Black Ameraucanas every few generations. In those years, chicks may hatch as either Self-Blue or Black carriers of the lavender gene, typically in roughly a 50 percent split.
Structurally, most of our Ameraucanas are evaluating very close to the Standard of Perfection. The most common traits we continue to monitor in some Blacks and Self-Blues are gold bleed-through and, in a smaller number of Self-Blues, feather banding. Using mixed Black and Self-Blue pens and selectively line breeding only our best birds has helped us steadily reduce these traits over time.
✦ Simple Logic: The Secret Backpack
Think of a Black “Split” Ameraucana like a kid wearing a black t-shirt but carrying a blue shirt in their backpack.
You can’t see the blue shirt (the lavender gene), but they have it! If they meet another kid with a blue shirt in their backpack, they can trade and make a kid who is actually wearing the blue shirt (a visual Lavender chick).
Looking ahead: We are actively interested in adding large fowl Buff Ameraucanas from strong, standard-focused lines. If you raise them and prioritize type and consistency, we would love to connect.
Interested in our Ameraucana chickens?
We offer limited, seasonal availability from our standard-focused Ameraucana breeding program.
2023 Brown County Fair – Open Poultry Show
Black Ameraucana Pullet – 2nd Place
Bred by us | Owned and shown by Ashley VandenBush
Self-Blue Ameraucana Pullet – 3rd Place
Bred by us | Owned and shown by Ashley VandenBush
(Photos courtesy of Ashley VandenBush)
History & Genetics Overview
Ameraucanas are a standardized American breed developed in the United States in the late 20th century. The breed traces back to South American blue egg chickens (especially Araucana-type birds) and the wave of blue egg imports and look-alikes that showed up in North America in the mid 1900s.
People loved the blue eggs, but those early blue egg birds varied wildly in type, temperament, fertility, and consistency. Breeders who wanted a healthier, more predictable blue egg chicken began selecting hard for a consistent body type, beard and muffs, pea comb, slate legs, and dependable reproduction while keeping the blue egg trait. That practical, multi-generation selection is what created the Ameraucana as a true breed instead of a blue egg mix.
The Ameraucana was recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) in 1984, and birds bred to the Standard of Perfection reproduce those defining traits consistently from one generation to the next.
Ameraucana exists because a group of breeders did the unglamorous work for years: selecting for type, documenting traits, organizing clubs, and pushing varieties through the formal Standard process. If you want the deep-history version with names and timelines, the Ameraucana breed clubs maintain some of the best primary-source writeups.
Two places we recommend starting:
For Self-Blue naming history and why people still argue about it, this is the classic reference:
In plain terms, an Ameraucana is not just a chicken that lays blue eggs. It is a breed with a defined standard. When you breed two standard-correct Ameraucanas together, you should get predictable offspring that look like Ameraucanas.
That predictability is the whole point of a breed. It is also why hatchery Easter Eggers and true Ameraucanas are not the same thing, even if both can lay blue eggs.
Ameraucanas are recognized in both Large Fowl and Bantam forms, and this matters because people mix the two up constantly when talking about varieties, timelines, and availability.
Throughout this page, we are referring to Large Fowl Ameraucanas unless we explicitly say Bantam.
Ameraucanas are not a rainbow mix. In the APA Standard of Perfection, only specific color varieties are recognized, with defined color requirements. Those recognized varieties are one reason true Ameraucanas breed much more predictably than Easter Eggers.
Variety recognition and timing can differ between Large Fowl and Bantams. For the official current list, refer to the APA Standard and breed org resources linked below.
Right now, our program is focused on Self-Blue (Lavender) and Black split-to-lavender birds. Black splits are not “random extras” in our flock. They are part of the plan, and they help us protect feather quality and structure while we select for correct Self-Blue color over time.
Black splits are part of a long-term Self-Blue program, not “extra” birds. They let us keep selecting for correct Ameraucana type, feather quality, and structure while we build and maintain Self-Blue lines responsibly.
Buff is a future goal for us and we are actively searching for some.
Ameraucanas lay blue eggs because they carry the blue egg trait (often called oocyan). The important detail is that blue pigment is deposited as the shell forms, so the shell is colored through, not just painted on the outside.
One common point of confusion is green or olive eggs. In mixed blue egg birds, green often happens when a bird has the blue egg trait plus genetics for brown pigment that adds a brown top coat over the blue base. That is common in Easter Eggers. In standard-bred Ameraucanas, the expectation is blue eggs, even though the exact shade can vary.
Real-world note: We select for blue eggs, but exact shade can vary by line, season, bloom, and lighting – photos can be misleading even when the egg is truly blue.
A lot of Ameraucana confusion traces back to Araucanas. Araucanas are also a blue egg breed, but they are defined by different traits, especially ear tufts (and in many standards, rumplessness).
The practical breeding point is that tufted genetics can be difficult to stabilize. The ear tuft gene is associated with reduced hatchability because embryos that inherit two copies of the tuft gene typically do not survive incubation. That challenge is one reason many breeders who wanted a dependable, standardized blue egg chicken selected for a different set of defining traits over time.
Ameraucanas were developed as a practical, standardized blue egg breed with consistent type and better overall breedability, without relying on tufted genetics as a defining feature.
Black is one of the foundational Ameraucana varieties and remains one of the most useful colors in real breeding programs. In many lines, black birds are where you go to reinforce consistent type, feather quality, and overall breed stability.
Black is also extremely practical in Self-Blue programs. Even when you love lavender color, you still have to protect things like tail quality, wing strength, and overall feather structure. This is why you will see serious breeders intentionally working with black splits alongside Self-Blue rather than running a closed lavender-only flock forever.
The Self-Blue Ameraucana, often called Lavender, gets its soft, uniform pale blue-gray feather color from a recessive dilution gene commonly written as lav. Because it is recessive, chicks must inherit one copy from both parents to visually express self-blue.
Important note: Self-Blue refers to feather color only. Like all standard-bred Ameraucanas, Self-Blue birds should lay blue eggs.
One challenge breeders sometimes see in lavender-based varieties is weaker feather structure in some lines, especially tails and wing primaries. This is not automatic in all self-blue birds, but it is common enough that responsible programs select against it on purpose. Our own approach is simple: we do not chase color at the expense of long-term structure.
These issues are not inevitable, but they do require intentional selection. We prioritize long-term structure and breed type first, and color second.
This is where the “poultry people drama” lives. Genetically, the mutation is commonly referred to as lavender. In the Standard, the variety name is Self-Blue. Some breeders strongly prefer one term, some prefer the other, and the debate has been going on for years.
Our practical approach: we use Self-Blue when we are speaking Standard language, and we also say Lavender because that is the word most normal humans recognize.
This is a simplified overview of the color genetics questions we hear most often. These examples assume no additional modifying genes are present.
Self-Blue Ameraucanas are newer than the original recognized colors. They were developed through intentional breeding to introduce the lavender gene while keeping correct Ameraucana type front and center.
Multiple breeders worked on different foundation families over time, and you will sometimes see different details referenced depending on whether the discussion is Large Fowl, Bantam, or specific early lines. That is normal for newer varieties that were stabilized through multiple parallel projects rather than one single closed foundation flock.
If you want the deeper breeder-history and naming debate details from the community, this is a worthwhile read:
Ameraucana entered the APA Standard of Perfection in 1984 with a defined standard and accepted varieties. Self-Blue was added later after years of stabilization work and the required qualifying meets, which helps explain why it is “newer” and why line consistency varies so much between sources.
This is also why we do not treat Self-Blue like a shortcut color. The best Self-Blue programs are standards-first and patient.
This mix-up happens constantly. Here is the quickest way to tell them apart:
| Feature | True Ameraucana | Easter Egger |
|---|---|---|
| Egg Color | Blue (Consistent) | Blue, Green, Pink, or Brown (Variable) |
| Breeds True? | Yes. Chicks look like parents. | No. Chicks are a mix of traits. |
| Leg Color | Slate Blue | Green, Yellow, or Willow |
| Recognition | APA Recognized Breed | Mixed Breed / Hybrid |
| Typical Source | Breeders & Specialty Lines | Farm Stores & Large Hatcheries |
Kind but firm truth: We’re not saying Easter Eggers are bad chickens – they’re wonderful pets! They just aren’t Ameraucanas, and they won’t reproduce a consistent look generation after generation.
Ameraucanas bred to the standard should lay blue eggs, though the exact shade can vary by bird and line.
No. Self-Blue refers to feather color, not egg color.
No. Both can lay blue eggs, but they are different breeds with different standards. Araucanas are known for ear tufts, while Ameraucanas are defined by beard and muffs.
Many hatcheries use the name for Easter Eggers. Ameraucanas are a standardized breed with defined traits and consistent breeding outcomes.
Like most chickens, laying usually slows when daylight is short. That is normal and not specific to Ameraucanas.
Not special, but good nutrition matters. During growth, feathering, and active laying, adequate protein helps support body condition and feather quality. For our exact approach, see our Chick Care & Feeding Guide.
Comparing breeds?
If you want the longer history, breeder notes, and primary-source discussions (including the Self-Blue vs Lavender naming debate), these are solid starting points:
For breed standards, variety details, and breeder education, we recommend these organizations:
Want to learn more about raising Ameraucanas?
Our care guides reflect how we raise and manage our own birds, from brooding through adulthood.
