Back to breeds

Chicken breed APA Recognized Medium

Ameraucana

Recognized American blue-egg breed valued for its beard, muffs, and distinct pea-combed utility type.

No variety images yet

Generate the variety images below and they will show here.

Variety gallery

This breed uses variety images instead of one shared breed thumbnail.

Primary use

Egg production / dual purpose

Eggs

180-250 eggs/year

Egg color

Blue

Broodiness

Low-moderate

Notable traits

Blue eggs
Pea comb
Beard and muffs
Slate legs
And a compact clean-tailed utility frame.

Use in a cross

Use this breed as a sire or dam in the public cross predictor.

Open Predictor

Varieties

Ameraucana varieties

Variety-specific images keep the library accurate when one breed name covers several different appearances.

Variety image pending

Black

Color: Solid black with green sheen

Black Ameraucana variety with a compact bearded and muffed body covered in solid black plumage.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, black plumage, and blue eggs.

Variety image pending

Blue

Color: Even blue-gray

Blue Ameraucana variety with even blue-gray plumage on the breed’s compact muffed frame.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, even blue-gray plumage, and blue eggs.

Variety image pending

Blue Wheaten

Color: Blue-gray rooster accents; wheaten hen

Blue Wheaten Ameraucana variety with a colorful blue-gray rooster and a warm wheaten hen.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, colorful rooster, wheaten hen, and blue eggs.

Variety image pending

Brown Red

Color: Black body with brown-red hackles and shoulders

Brown Red Ameraucana variety with dark body plumage and warm brown-red hackle/shoulder accents on a bearded blue-egg frame.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, dark body color, brown-red male accents, and blue eggs.

Variety image pending

Buff

Color: Warm buff

Buff Ameraucana variety with soft warm buff plumage across the beard, muffs, and body.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, warm buff plumage, and blue eggs.

Variety image pending

Self Blue

Color: Soft lavender/self-blue

Self Blue Ameraucana variety with even lavender-blue plumage over the breed’s bearded and muffed body.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, even self-blue plumage, and blue eggs.

Variety image pending

Silver

Color: Silver duckwing-style coloration

Silver Ameraucana variety with cool silver-toned hackles and duckwing-influenced markings on the standard blue-egg body type.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, silver-toned plumage, and blue eggs.

Variety image pending

Splash

Color: Pale blue-white with darker blue splashes

Splash Ameraucana variety with pale blue-white plumage broken by irregular darker blue splash markings.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, splash blue-based plumage, and blue eggs.

Variety image pending

Wheaten

Color: Colorful wheaten rooster; warm wheaten hen

Wheaten Ameraucana variety with a striking wheaten rooster and a warm buff-wheaten hen.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, wheaten coloration, and blue eggs.

Variety image pending

White

Color: Clean white

White Ameraucana variety with clean white plumage and the breed’s signature beard and muffs.

Traits: Pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, clean white plumage, and blue eggs.

Quick stat summary

Weights: Hen 5.50 lb | Rooster 6.50 lb

APA status: APA recognized breed

Sexing traits: None noted

Comb type: Pea

Egg size: Medium

Origin: United States

Planning notes

Genetics and sexing notes

Auto-sexing: None recorded for purebred chicks.

Sex-linked: None recorded.

Temperament: Alert but generally calm. Friendliness is generally listed as Moderate. Activity level is generally Moderate.

Rooster handling: Roosters are often manageable when well handled, but individual selection still matters. Do not keep aggressive males just because they match the breed type.

Reference profile

Breed depth notes

Extra breed details used for identification, breed-library accuracy, cross prediction, and better image prompts.

History and standard notes

History: Developed in the United States from blue-egg stock into a standardized breed distinct from Easter Eggers. The breed was selected for blue eggs, pea combs, slate legs, and consistent beards and muffs. In the RanchOps library, Ameraucana is tracked as a egg production / dual purpose breed with roots tied to United States. Its blue egg profile, body type, and temperament notes help separate it from similar-looking breeds in flock records and cross predictions. For visual identification, focus on Medium utility body with clean legs and a compact, balanced frame. Its carriage is best described as alert but not extremely upright.

APA: Recognized breed with specific accepted color varieties. Hatchery Easter Eggers are often sold loosely as Ameraucana/Americana but are not the same as standardized Ameraucana.

Type and structure

Large fowl: Recognized large fowl in selected varieties.
Bantam: Bantam Ameraucana exist in recognized varieties.
Earlobes: Small red earlobes mostly hidden by muffs
Body type: Medium utility body with clean legs and a compact, balanced frame
Carriage: Alert but not extremely upright

Visual identification

Rooster

Roosters should show a small pea comb, beard and muffs, slate legs, and variety-correct hackle/saddle/tail color without looking like a clean-faced Easter Egger.

Hen

Hens should show a pea comb, clear beard and muffs, slate legs, and variety-correct body color with a practical medium frame.

Chicks

Chick down varies by variety. Do not assume all blue-egg chicks are Ameraucana without beard/muff and leg-color clues.

Common confusions

Often confused with Easter Egger, Araucana, Olive Egger, and hatchery “Americana” birds.

Image guidance

Always preserve beard, muffs, pea comb, slate legs, blue-egg breed type, and avoid a generic clean-faced chicken.

Cross predictor notes

Blue egg shell is a key trait. Crosses may pass blue egg influence depending on genotype; beard/muffs and pea comb influence may also appear in offspring.

Explore more

Related breeds

View all breeds

Ancona

Egg production

Mediterranean layer known for mottled plumage and strong laying ability.

Andalusian

Egg production

Elegant Mediterranean breed best known for slate-blue plumage, refined body shape, and active carriage.

Appenzeller Spitzhauben

Egg production / ornamental

Swiss crested breed with a forward-pointing crest, V-comb, blue legs, and nimble alpine foraging habits.

Araucana

Egg production / ornamental

South American blue-egg breed known for a pea comb, rumpless body type, willow legs, and ear tufts in some lines.

Araucana Bantam

Egg production / ornamental

Compact blue-egg bantam with rumpless and tufted breed character in some lines.

Australorp

Egg production / dual purpose

Australian utility breed famous for heavy brown-egg production, calm temperament, and a deep broad body.