Are Araucanas related to ducks, which also lay blue eggs?
A. No. Araucanas are chickens which have descended from the Red Jungle Fowl. Ducks are water birds which are a separate species in their own right. Q. Are Araucanas a tough breed? A. They are hardier to changes in environment, and can survive conditions that other fancy breeds will often become ill and die in. They have extra feathering on their head which helps to conserve body heat in cold weather. The bushy “eyebrows” also provide added sun protection enabling them to identify food particles in bright conditions. Their reduced wattles and combs also reduce the common problem of frost bite found in many other full combed breeds. Q. Do Araucanas make good broody mother hens? A. Yes. But not always. Depending on their genetic lineage, the trait of stopping egg production every now and then, while wanting to sit on eggs for a month has been bred out in some flocks. This was done deliberately to increase annual egg yields. The selection by breeders of birds that lay up to 250 eggs a year
