Beard ~ Muffs ~ Blue Eggs

Standard bred Ameraucanas are a hardy bird with a solid build, pea comb and no wattles which make them hardy in cold climates. They have a beard and muffs making them one of the most adorable chickens (our kids love our Ameraucanas).

Ameraucanas were created in the 1970s and 1980s  in the United States. Eight Varieties were admitted into the standard in 1984, the Self-Blue variety in 2020 (Large Fowl) and the Splash variety (Large Fowl) in 2023. They are well known for their friendly, calm and underfoot type temperament. Hens and roosters are both easily handled, great with our kids and do not mind sitting on our kid’s laps or being picked up. They are also very alert and predator savvy. It is because of these traits that they are a popular choice for families and backyard flocks, they even make great companions and pets.

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The standard bred Ameraucana chicken is often confused with the Araucana or the hatchery variety “Ameracana or Americana” or easter eggers. The Standard bred Ameraucana is a popular choice and favourite among many poultry keepers and fanciers. Here at Birch Acres we are focused on heritage breeds and only offer APA standard bred Ameraucana. We breed the following varieties, though not all varieties are available every season. Blue, Black, Splash (Mixed Pen), Self-Blue (Lavender), Wheaten, Blue Wheaten (Mixed Pens), Straight Black, Chocolate/Khaki/Mauve (Project Colours some seasons we offer them as sex-links). 

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Blue Ameraucana chickens are named for their beautiful blue-coloured plumage, they have a solid blue colouring over the body with dark blue/black lacing. Many lines do not show true lacing and are either lacking lacing altogether or have a slight edging of dark blue. We are working on breeding laced birds within our lines, results will vary and some especially pullets will have minimal lacing. We have mixed Blue, Black. Splash pens which means you will either hatch or pickup chicks that are blue, black, or splash. Splash (2023) is now recognized by the APA which is a white to light ash feather speckled with either blue or black feathers giving them a spotted appearance.  

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Wheaten and Blue Wheaten Ameraucana are gorgeous birds with males displaying colours of orange and red on their heads, backs, hackles and saddles with either Blue or Black breasts and bodies. The females equally as beautiful with their creamy wheaten tones with wings and tails which are stippled with either blue or black. We are not currently breeding for Splash Wheaten within our flock. 

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Self-Blue more commonly known as Lavender Ameraucana are a medium shade of clear blue. The feathers are to be free of lacing, shafting or mealiness and there is to be no contrast in colour resulting in one even shade cast over the entire body from head to tail. Males will display a slightly metallic sheen over their hackles, backs, saddles and mid wing section. We breed our self-blues back into black splits yearly. 

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Black Ameraucana display a black feather throughout the body with a lustrous green sheen, they have black shanks and toes, black beaks, muffs and beards, a bright red face and comb which is a striking and beautiful contrast to be seen.

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Chocolate/Khaki/Mauve Ameraucana are a project colour. We breed these colour varieties to the APA standard for Large fowl Ameraucana but these colour varieties are not recognized by the APA. 

The Chocolate variety is as it sounds, a bird with rich chocolate plumage from head to tail with chocolate coloured shanks and toes. Some of our chocolate males do display a greenish sheen within the wing and saddle feathers especially in a first generation split from the black colour variety. The khaki is a pale chocolate tone which is the result of a chocolate Ameraucana split into a blue Ameraucana and a mauve Ameraucana is the result of a Splash Ameraucana split into a Chocolate Ameraucana. This colour variety can be sex-linked as well. We have limited availability for the 2026 season. 

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We have sourced our breeding stock from breeders across Canada to ensure genetic diversity among our Ameraucana varieties.  We keep a minimum of two bloodlines per variety we breed and have our 2 straight black lines to add in genetic diversity when needed. We keep these bloodlines in separate pens and we follow a strict closed flock breeding program for all of our current varieties.   

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Standard bred Ameraucanas lay 200 – 250 medium to large size blue eggs a year. The shade of blue can vary from a lighter pale blue to a richer shade of blue. They generally take a little longer than most breeds to start laying but when they do start, they lay prolifically. We have recorded most of our pullets laying around 21 weeks of age.  ​​

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We breed and offer when available the following large fowl varieties - Black, Blue, Splash, Wheaten , Blue Wheaten, Self-Blue (Lavender), Straight Black and Chocolate/Mauve/Khaki (Project Colours). 

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Standard Bred Large Fowl Blue (1984), Black (1984), Splash (2023), Self-Blue (2020), Wheaten (1984), and Blue Wheaten (1984) colour varieties of Ameraucana fall under the “All Other Standard Breed” (AOSB) class of chicken and are recognized by the American Poultry Association.