Keeping chickens in the Andes

Cockerel of 'mapuche' breed in Chile, chickens in the AndesTypes of chickens in the Andes: trintre in ChileLiving in the Andes of Chile has various advantages. You can keep horses easily and at a less prohibitive cost than in Europe or the States; you can keep chickens in your garden and the neighbours don’t complain about the cock crowing just before dawn, because they probably have some too. The other delight is the colours and feathers of the chickens. Also the eggs are coloured, either blueish or brown, not white.We have a marvellously grand cockerel and his favourite wife, Miss Frizzy, or the Hat as she is also known. After laying a great many eggs Miss Frizzy lay down and died but fortunately we have succeeded in rearing a baby from her clutch of eggs. This is good as she was quite the most distinguished of our chickens in the Andes.

Types of chickens in the Andes

These types are referred to as ‘Mapuche’ although I think that just means old-fashioned, or perhaps even ‘rare breed. The Mapuche people in Chile are some of the original inhabitants, ‘pre-colombino’ or living here before Christopher Columbus and the Spanish conquistadores arrived. They have been keeping these kinds of chickens in the Andes for hundreds of years.

Sorry, comments are closed for this post.

Where we are:

We are based on a small parcela - small-holding - just over an hour's drive out of central Santiago, in the Cajon del Maipo. The administration is English, while the ride is operated by local Chilean 'arrieros de la zona'. We ride up into the Fundo El Toyo, a mountain estate of 20,000 hectares, with permission of its owner, Don Pedro Guillon.

How to get here:

There are several options. The best way is if we pick you up and take you back using a local chauffeur from the Cajon del Maipo. It is also possible and slightly cheaper to come half way by metro and we can meet you at the station. If you have your own transport we will send directions how to find us.

Who we are:

We are a British family working in partnership with a Chilean Family of arrieros (horsemen) taking tourists and Santiago day trippers on tours into the Chilean Andes that surround Santiago.

Telephone enquiries & bookings (569) 93095574

Horse paintings: Australian artist Ros Goody
Keeping chickens in the Andes
Victor – Horseback arriero guide
Angelo – Chilean rodeo rider
Chilean mountain horseman – our guide Leo
Octavio – Cajon del Maipo arriero
Old-fashioned tickling for trout
Rigo, our head guide
Chilean horses at our parcela or small-holding
Night ride, full moon horseback trips
Making hay in Chile
Horseback winter rides
Photograph a Condor
A classic Chilean country rodeo
how to win a Chilean rodeo
Inca mummy, boy child frozen in Chile
Cajon Lo Valdes, the air crash valley
Crossing Rivers on horses
Arriero in the mountains
Valle engorda on horseback