The colors gained in popularity, and so did their authors–Araucana chickens. The Araucana, called in Spanish the Gallina Mapuche, is a breed of domestic chicken from Chile. Its name derives from the Araucanía region of Chile where it is believed to have originated. It lays blue-shelled eggs, one of very few breeds that do so.

The Araucana varies from country to country. It may have unusual tufts of feathers on the ears, and may be rumpless, without a tail and tail-bone. Both ear-tufts and rumplessness are caused by lethal genes, so not all birds display these traits. The Ameraucana breed and "Easter Egger" hybrids of the United States, which also lay blue or green eggs, both derive from the Araucana.

Many home chicken breeders own Araucanas, or their various hybrids; these blue, green and beige (aka pink) eggs can be found at farmer’s markets and roadside stands.

There appears to be a lot of variability among these eggs as to the depth of coloration of the shell.  True Araucana shells, I am told, are tinted all the way through.  Those of the various hybrids are more like brown chicken eggs, with an outer layer of color and a white shell underneath.  And then there are various permutations between the two.  Thus etching can give variable results, depending on which type of blue or green egg you’re actually working with.  The only way to know for sure, I am told, is to etch and see.

The shells take dye well, similarly to chicken eggs.  The base color affects the color the dye will produce--you won’t get pure yellows for instance. It is often best to stick to colors within the spectrum of the base color. But the base colors are pretty light in most cases, so won’t look that pronounced against dyed shell. 

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