BREED OF THE MONTH

Attractive-looking Araucanas are available in 12 colours including lavender, crele (barred golden brown, black and grey), cuckoo and spangled. Many hen-keepers choose them not for their plumage but for their eggs – the blue-green shades of the shells look wonderful in an egg box. Originally from Chile, the hens can be ‘rumpless’ (thought to have evolved to make them harder to catch by predators) or with a tail. They have a triple pea comb and some have quirky ear tufts, too.