Ameraucana chickens have been around since the 1970s.
These are prolific, blue egg layers with an array of long, beautiful feathers.
This is an interesting breed not only because of their looks but also their personalities.
Key Takeaway:
Ameraucana chickens’ temperaments vary widely but are not considered overly aggressive. Each individual bird is different. There are reports of Ameraucana chickens who are aggressive and attack humans. Yet, many chicken keepers claim they are sweet and calm.
Read on to find out the details about these curious birds.
Table of Contents
ToggleAmeraucana Chicken Personality
Ameraucana Chickens are a modern chicken breed.
These hardy birds have thick, long feathers and stunningly full tails.
The winter hardy Ameraucanas’ feathers protect them during cold months.
These chickens come in many colors.
These chickens come in many colors.
Ameraucana sports various black, blue, white, and brown patterns.
They have characteristic bright red pea combs and wattles.
These chickens have curved beaks like hawks.
They have intimidating bay red eyes alongside beards and muffs.
This gives them puffy cheeks.
Ameraucanas are average chickens and weigh about 5-6 pounds.
This standard size makes them better as egg layers rather than meat birds.
True Ameraucana chickens are genetic offshoots of Araucanas.
In a marketing ploy, some hatcheries label any mixed breed chicken as Ameraucana.
Temperament
Breed standard Ameraucanas are a friendly breed.
The hens are especially docile.
However, many mixed-breed chickens fall under the Ameraucana label, so there are various personalities.
Some Ameraucana owners describe these chickens as aggressive and easily provoked.
Other owners describe them as shy and fearful.
Most people can agree true Ameraucanas are fiercely independent.
These lovely birds prefer free range to confinement.
Yet, they are adaptable and will tolerate a chicken coop fine.
Chickens are prey animals, so they are naturally suspicious.
Ameraucanas are the first in a flock to alert others of danger.
These are intelligent birds who are keen and observant.
Many chicken keepers enjoy having these beautiful birds around.
They have adventurous and curious natures.
Roosters
Most Ameraucanas are docile.
Still, some Ameraucana roosters are aggressive.
Individual chickens have their characteristics.
An Ameriaucana exhibiting aggressive rooster behavior cannot train to be calm.
Roosters are aggressive for many reasons.
First, they become aggressive when they are competing to mate.
For each rooster, there should be plenty of hens to mate with.
This will reduce the competition and encourage better relations between roosters.
Another reason roosters are aggressive is that they defend their homes.
If a dog or other farm animal is harassing them, they will be on edge.
This will encourage more aggressive tendencies.
Removing the threat will reduce these aggressive behaviors.
Roosters are aggressive by nature.
Nothing will correct this behavior.
If your Ameraucana rooster is suddenly aggressive, check he has enough hens to mate with.
Also, see if there are any predators or other chickens stirring up trouble in the coop.
If your rooster is still aggressive and you cannot find a root cause, you may need to separate your rooster from the rest of the flock.
Sometimes you might be able to rehome an aggressive rooster to get him away from triggers.
But, if their aggression gets out of control, you may need to cull your rooster.
Culling is selectively choosing to slaughter an animal to control certain genes or behaviors.
How Are Ameraucana Chickens With Other Animals?
Most Ameraucana chickens get along well with other chickens.
Of course, each chicken is different.
Ameraucanas, but do not like other farm animals.
Ameraucanas can act defensively around other farm animals.
They prefer to remain with other chickens in a secluded area with plenty of space to roam.
Are Ameraucana Chickens Good With Children?
Ameraucana chickens are not the best pet chicken option for children.
They are not cuddly chickens and do not like sounds and quick movements.
They do not like people picking them up or petting them.
But they do enjoy human companionship.
They like establishing routines, relationships, and boundaries with their humans.
They prefer quiet living to the bustle of large families.
Of course, there are the outliers who are wonderful, charming birds.
Since their personalities are a mixed bag, it’s hard to know whether you’ll get a sweet bird or a stand-offish one.
Commonly Asked Questions
Are Ameracauna Chickens And Easter Eggers The Same Breed?
Ameraucana chickens and Easter Egger chickens are often mistaken for each other.
This chicken breed did not exist until the 1970s.
Breeders created the Ameraucana to remove a lethal gene found in Araucana chickens.
This gene led to the death of Araucana chicks.
Easter Egger chickens share genetics with Ameraucanas. Easter Eggers are a mix of Ameraucana (or the Araucana) and a brown egg layer.
Distinctively, Ameraucana chickens have the blue egg-laying gene.
Meanwhile, Easter Eggers lay various egg colors ranging from green to lavender.
Are Ameraucana Chickens Noisy?
Ameraucana hens are quiet birds.
They only get noisy when they feel threatened.
Many chicken keepers claim these are quieter than most chickens.
Since they are quiet, they are a good fit for backyard chicken keepers.
Of course, individual chickens may break the mold and be louder than usual.
Further Reading: Are Ameraucana Chickens Noisy And Loud?
How Many Eggs Do Ameraucanas Lay?
This breed of chicken has excellent egg production.
These versatile chickens begin to lay from around 5-10 months old.
Then, they will produce around 3 to 4 eggs per week.
This amounts to about 200-250 eggs a year.
They begin to lay later than other chickens but are faster egg producers.
Ameraucanas are popular for their blue egg gene.
They will lay eggs ranging from light blue to greenish blue.
Blue eggs have the same nutritional value as other colored chicken eggs.
Yet, they were once marketed as having less cholesterol and more protein.
This was a marketing strategy to gain more interest in blue eggs.
Ameraucana hens do not usually go broody.
These hens tolerate cold temperatures well.
They will continue to lay throughout the winter.
Further Reading: Ameraucana chicken egg questions and answers
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