Araucana Chicken, also known as Mapuche Chicken, is a native chicken in southern Chile and Argentina. This bird comes from the union of two races, the Kollonca characterized by the absence of tail and the Ketro which has a kind of earrings formed of skin near the exit of the ear canal and covered with feathers similar to the chest. It has physical properties that are recognizable by their loose feathers and in some cases for its mix of colors black and white.

It is also common that the Araucana chicken is completely covered by black feathers, blue or white dotted with black. Also can be recognized by having a triple Crest, Chin with small feathers, red tabs, legs olive and earrings of similar to the one of the breast feathers.It is a unique species, raised in the Chilean fields with medicinal herbs in the diet to maintain his label of "rampart".





According to historical data from 1850 are discovered the special features of these animals bred by the Mapuches, his name is adopted from there. It is also known between 1920 and 1930, these animals were brought to the United State and Europe, for its peculiarity of lay eggs on color, where until today are raised and where there are associations and breeders of this race.





Characteristics of the Araucana breed:

• It has three varieties "Kollonca", "Earrings Kollonca" and "Ketros".

• Rooster size medium (weight of 2.5 kg up to 2.7 kg).

• Small size (weight of 2 kg to 2.2 kg) chicken.

• Green legs olive rather short.

• Clean tarsi, without feathers.

• Small head and very yellow skin.

• Type of small pea Ridge.

• Long-necked, long-wing and short beak. The Araucana hen is the only one that lays the eggs whose external shell color is sky blue. This occurs due to an enzyme that secretes the oviductoque transforms the hemoglobin in biliverdin, a pigment which is embodied in the egg to form the shell, said color varies depending on the hen sunset, i.e. If you put every day the color will be more pale, that if you put every two or three days the color will be more intense.





Araucana chicken usually lay an egg day by half, so they are collected annually between 120 and 130. The average weight of an egg is 59.5 grams and presents no major differences with common eggs.





The Araucana chicken egg is characterized by a larger yolk and a shell more hard, what makes that you can be kept longer inside content.





With an excellent flavor, these eggs are highly demand in Gourmet shops, are ideal for pastry, for athletes by its high content of protein and not affect cholesterol, due to be raised in rural conditions. At the same time, the action of carotenoids helps protect the organism like cancer, diabetes or falls degenerative processes, as well as cardiovascular diseases.





Apart from these benefits, it has nutritive characteristics similar to the chestnut in terms of glucose and solid eggs with a greater intake of carotenoids.













Greater consistency (lower fragility and thicker shell)

The rate of egg yolks blue (ratio between the height and the diameter of the yolk expressed in percentages): is an average value of 46.9%, greater than the brown eggs. This would indicate a higher egg quality, associated with the largest blue egg shell decreases water loss, preserving the fresh egg for longer.





Also the index and height of Clara (major and minor in pouring egg relationship between dense albumen height and average diameters) presented higher values to compare it with brown eggs, with an average of 7.5%. This index is also an indicator of higher-quality egg, since the index has a direct relationship with aging. Again, associated with the greater thickness of the egg shell, blue egg would be a slower aging.





Nutritional balance of the organic araucana chicken egg:

• 13% protein

• 9.1% highly digestible fats

• 12.2% of minerals (phosphorus, iron and sulfur) and vitamins contained in the egg and egg yolk (A, D, B1 and B2).





You can try to raise this chicken at your home, and get all of its benefits.