It is official now, the hatchery is now closed to the public as of July 4th 2025. I will still sell my Book here and maintain my NPIP certification status. I am returning to the “Hobby Protocol” again while maintaining my goals of keeping these “Mapuche Race Chickens” from South America pure bred. Saving them from extinction for the future interests and maintaining them with the Kollonka and Ketro traits they need to be viable to help avoid their lethal traits is important. I have sponsored some hatcheries with the same goals. One is in Southern California, one is in Iowa and one is in North Carolina. I will post their information as soon as they become NPIP certified for U.S.A. export to other states, Puerto Rico and Samoa. I will refer people to them for hatching eggs and stock and also my Book “Araucana Experience” by Edward Sheppard as it is not available at Amazon or in stores, “My Book” is very popular and recommended by veterinarians and poultry experts.

I will continue to support these sponsored hatcheries until they get established with plenty of stock, hatching eggs and Books. I expect it will take a full year of preparation and support with hatching egg supply and consultations. I will always have and maintain “My Strain” of Mapuche Chickens as I have done for 52 years now, (So far). Their huge genetic potential is still offering unique opportunities for anyone with “My Strain of Araucana Chickens”. Inbreeding is not a problem due to their extensive genetic pool. They have never been inbred for thousands of years like the Roman Fighting chicken types including most commercial chicken breeds to predict outcomes. Unique “One of a Kind” chickens are common with Mapuche Chickens so personal goals will not end in our lifetimes. I appreciate all my communications with people interested in these birds and I wish you all the best of luck. Take care, be well, ,,, ( : > ),,, edd Sheppard

Hatchery For Sale

I would sell the hatchery, website and several cases of my books with 8 or 10 flocks of birds per agreeable arrangement. You will need to become a certified NPIP provider for National sales. I will be a consultant for a year and I will want my goal of keeping them purebred to continue. Shipping Birds is not included, local pickup or some other way to transfer Birds by me or you is possible. I will always have some Birds as a hobby but no shipping, no competition or sales by me. I will refer requests to you. Be a farmer, keep the faith, Yours Truly,,,( : > ),,, Edd Sheppard awesomearaucana.com website.

To order hatching eggs or purchase our new "Araucana Experience" book click here:
https://www.awesomearaucana.com/shop/

Thanks to all for your interest in these birds. Please be safe, enjoy our Planet and let me know if I can help with these chickens.

edd   (  : > )

2025 Recap and 2026 Updates - Awesome Araucana

Please know that I am still closed to the “Public” for general hatching egg sales and not using a click and purchase system for the 2026 hatching season. However, hatching eggs are still available by private contract arrangements. This means that buyers expectations may not be met for flock formation guarantees as hatching events cannot be monitored or confirmed by me. My Book will still be included even if you already have one because specific knowledge is necessary to maintain these awesome birds. Email or phone communication to arrange hatching egg purchases will be honored. Prices will start at $80 per dozen of hatching eggs with a three dozen egg minimum and no guarantees of hatch rates. This is because I have reduced my flock sizes and I am not getting as many hatching eggs so egg availability is affected and three dozen eggs usually provides enough chicks to get a good breeding pair or trio. Shipping egg trauma and delayed shipping times cannot be avoided. So if these terms are acceptable please contact me for hatching eggs using private contract arrangements.

Now for the 2025 recap….. New things are learned every year. Since I have mostly young hens, from March and April 2025 hatches, they are maturing now in December and January this year. Being 8 to 9 months old for normal egg laying to occur has encouraged them to lay eggs in the coldest season of the year here. This has never happened before here. Usually no eggs are laid by mature hens around new years and in the coldest weather with the short daylight hour events.

Sponsoring new hatcheries has not produced NPIP certified hatcheries yet so I am sill looking for people to carry on with my same goals of maintaining “Purebred Mapuche Race Chickens” for the future. Many “One of a Kind” Birds were hatched in 2025 and because I have now returned to the Hobby status goals, I am using many of these unique Hens and Roosters. Quality traits like good combs, body confirmation, ear tufts and some feather color preferences are the goals. Mixing these traits is now my goal again and feather color alone is not the reason for flock formation. Genetic diversity is their natural benefit and I am glad to compliment those traits again. My Mapuches are of the “Ward Brower Jr.” heredity Bloodlines and I have kept them purebred. His September 1948 National Geographic Magazine article documenting his experiences from imported South American stock has great value. A fellow that knew Mr. Brower calls me every once in a while and reinforces my goals and stock awareness. Since he lived in the same area as Mr. Brower for many years and knew his strain of Birds well, he recognizes their traits and tells me many interesting stories about Mr. Brower’s eccentric ways and dedication to these Birds. He is very glad someone is keeping them purebred and says they still look like some of Mr. Brower’s chickens. I have many Chilean Mapuche Chicken flock owners and friends with these Birds and I am glad to see that they have the same goals and value the Ketro and Kollonka traits that I also maintain. Many of my Birds look like they came straight out of their flocks. We exchange pictures and information often.

I will again talk of their lethal traits and reasons for low hatch rates at times. I have done much research with Universities and the lethal traits persist. Having one double tufted parent reduces the hatch rate by 25% and sometimes more and non-tufted birds for many generations will produce some double tufted chicks. The ear tuft trait has been extensively studied. Since us complex life forms start out as a bag of “Stem Cells” that change into organ specific cells later in development things can go wrong. Chickens have many cell types in a small area so skin, feathers, nerves, vascular, soft beak, hard beak, throat anatomy of both digestive and respiratory anatomy can be affected and often they are affected, Add missing spinal column anatomy of tail-less birds and the odds increase. These birds are not for unaware non-farmer, non science oriented people with commercial chicken knowledge only, they are a new species just 100 years or so old from two strains of “Polynesian Jungle Fowl Heredity Chickens”. I thank you for your time and interest in these awesome Chickens. Please let me know if I can help. Best Regards,,, ( : > ) edd Sheppard

Hatchery Information and Araucana Book!

My new book published in 2020 called “Araucana Experience” has been very well received. Please help these birds by learning why they are so awesome and how all chickens have their special needs to consider.

Every bird and hatching egg that comes from here has incredible potential that can fill the needs of all modern chicken goals if you know what to look for and get some from birds from our two Araucana Chicken strains. Each strain is kept separate here. Tailed “True Araucana Chickens” are called Ketros or Quetros, they are the same genetically with the tailed trait presenting and helping to maintain their hardiness by reducing the tail-less birds missing anatomy lethal traits. My 48-year strain has always had Ketros. Tails have been bred back into the Black Show Araucana Chicken Strain that have many modern commercial hybrid chicken traits, they are very different.

Please learn the differences as they cannot be raised together because the Modern Hybrid Show Chickens mature at 4.5 to 5 Months age and True Araucana Chickens Mature at 8-12 Months old, usually closer to 12 months of age. One generation per year compared to almost three generations per year is just the beginning of their differences that would make them another separate species, if chickens were truly classified like other species.

Keeping “True Araucana Chickens” from South America Pure the way they still do there with Ketros and the Tail-less types called Kollonkas has always been my goal of saving them from extinction and further genetic dilution. Keeping the Modern Show Araucana Strain pure and using their commercial traits offers many options also. Both offer Tail-less, Tufted, Blue Egg laying traits and the Ketros also lay 95% plus Blue Eggs.

I will sponsor new hatcheries with all the options that I provide. I will also sell my hatchery and reduce to Hobby status again.  HATCHING EGGS ARE FROM A MIX OF ALL FLOCKS with NO GUARANTEES DUE TO UNKNOWN FACTORS. We know the percentages from near 100% feedback.  I will also grow the hatchery, with help, on my 120-acre Ranch in Cottonwood, California. I want people to have these birds.

 PLEASE get a “Araucana Experience” Book by Edward Sheppard because you can learn something from everyone, if you want to.  Good luck with your Araucana Chicken Goals. Let me know if I can help. Best Regards.

edd   Sheppard   (  : > )

These South American Araucana Chickens are enjoying their first free range experience and able to show flying abilities with instincts and desire that are necessary to survive in the jungle where their "Polynesian Chicken Heredity" relatives do so well.