Australorps breed Thread - Page 71

I just ordered my chickens and my order included 3 Australorps.  I am excited.  They sound like a great breed.  Your rooster Dundee must be pretty well behaved. 

Yep, Dundee is one pretty boy as seen on youtube in my signature. My latest hatch of 7 looks like two boys, time will tell. Tomorrow I am getting rid of 6 boys from another hatch out of 13. They are 9 weeks old. As of Wed. the 1st of Feb I have 11 due to hatch in the bator now. Guess what? Hatching is a disease with nooooo cure!!!

Our BA's lay the most frequently and largest eggs out of all my birds.  My Roo, Midnight, is a great, friendly, HUGE guy.  Best birds I have owned.  

I finally have a cockerel who would be ideal to use with my "Layers Special". 

I bought a pair of Australorp pullets who have great type but needed to be bred back to Black to make nice type Aussies.  I am very reluctant in purchasing outside my comfort zone of quality breeders.  But I do raise Orps.  And have used in the first year a hatchery Black male who had Australorp in him.  Three years later that Aussie gene has resurfaced in time for this upcoming season.

Here is Larry

Hello! It's been a while.  My girls are now 20 weeks old.  No eggs.  My runt has now become the big girl and I'm pretty confident she's a she.    I'll post pictures later.  They are by far the biggest of my five chickens.  I do think they are a tad of a mix breed.  One of them is pretty yellow on the bottom of her feet.  They fade from black to yellow.  But because of that, I can tell Ethel and Greta apart.  For a while there I thought they were going to become Ethel and Ethel. 

I'm just amazing at their personality.  One of them is so calm, if she were a dog I'd describe it submissive.  If I go to pet or scoot her, she immediately squats down.  I was trying to guide her into the coop last night so I could close the door and she sat instead.  It's kind of nice as people who haven't been around a chicken can easily pet her.  "Wow, she's so soft" is the common comment.  I'm glad I chose to get two of them.  I'm excited for when they start laying.  Hopefully very soon!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadameDork 

Hello! It's been a while.  My girls are now 20 weeks old.  No eggs.  My runt has now become the big girl and I'm pretty confident she's a she.    I'll post pictures later.  They are by far the biggest of my five chickens.  I do think they are a tad of a mix breed.  One of them is pretty yellow on the bottom of her feet.  They fade from black to yellow.  But because of that, I can tell Ethel and Greta apart.  For a while there I thought they were going to become Ethel and Ethel. 

 

I'm just amazing at their personality.  One of them is so calm, if she were a dog I'd describe it submissive.  If I go to pet or scoot her, she immediately squats down.  I was trying to guide her into the coop last night so I could close the door and she sat instead.  It's kind of nice as people who haven't been around a chicken can easily pet her.  "Wow, she's so soft" is the common comment.  I'm glad I chose to get two of them.  I'm excited for when they start laying.  Hopefully very soon!!

Congratulations

My BA's started laying at 22 to 24 weeks. They are submissive too! At the same time, they are independent and don't demand that I handle them all the time. Yes, they are very soft compared to to my Golden Comets and Hatchery Rhode Island Reds. The Bard Plymouth Rocks are soft though. Of course the rocks don't like to be picked up.

Do you want to join the First Egg Count down? http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/524071/first-egg-countdown/1260

Ron

I plan on uploading some pictures and updating my blog tonight so I may just join in on the first egg countdown.  I'm just hoping they lay them where I can find them.  They roam on 1/2 acre of land with lots of hiding spots. 

Here are my girls taken today.  Greta is in the back.  She was the one I was worried about.  Ethel is the closer one and my super submissive one.  You can kind of see the yellow on Ethel's feet.

i love that rooster.. keep in touch with me let me know when you go out showing, jeepers you would have done well at crossroads with that one.

L.O.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by lildinkem 

I finally have a cockerel who would be ideal to use with my "Layers Special". 

I bought a pair of Australorp pullets who have great type but needed to be bred back to Black to make nice type Aussies.  I am very reluctant in purchasing outside my comfort zone of quality breeders.  But I do raise Orps.  And have used in the first year a hatchery Black male who had Australorp in him.  Three years later that Aussie gene has resurfaced in time for this upcoming season.

Here is Larry

 

 

thanks for the pictures !

The nice thing about Black Australorps is that their egg laying and behavior seems to stay the same from Hatchery quality to Show Quality. Yours are nice looking Hatchery BA's, but will be great chickens for you. The  legs may still darken up. It looks like yours don't have as many curves as required and the tail is a bit long. conversely, I don't see any white, there is already good red around the eyes and the one has a very nice black eye. Ethel looks like she is a good weight too.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadameDork 

Here are my girls taken today.  Greta is in the back.  She was the one I was worried about.  Ethel is the closer one and my super submissive one.  You can kind of see the yellow on Ethel's feet.