Australorps Breeding for SOP and Exhibition Thread

[ronott1]

Hi All!

I am so happy that BYC is allowing us to focus on SOP and breeding for Showing!

This thread is for Standard Bred Australorps.

I will be adding to this post so if you have suggestions for the first post, Let me know!

 

[CB and CG]

Hi everyone just thought I would post on this thread so I could subscribe. I have posted these pics before on the other Australorp Thread but I will post them on this thread anyway just to get a few pics up. Most of mine are moulting at the moment so I will post new pics when they get their new lovely feathers.

 

[alexa009]

Here is my australorp.
3 Days old

18 weeks

 

[sewandgrow]

Oh my!!! those ladies are amazing!!! Thank you for showing what those of us who are seeking to produce a better bird can aspire to!


Thank you Ron for taking on the task of separating the amateurs and backyard flocks from the pros and in the process creating a safe place for all to post and learn. Someday I might post on here but for now I will post my pics on the "other" Aussie thread and roost h ere quietly and learn

I had a light bulb moment recently. I was at the Fresno Show in California & was poring over the SOP with another chicken lovin' friend of mine when Walt Leonard (an APA judge) happened by. We called him over for some insight. He was not judging that show & was kind enough to help us out with our query. Having had both Black Australorps & Black Orpingtons I was comparing the descriptions in the SOP trying to note the differences. They seem to read the same to me & I was not convinced I could tell them apart if I ever got them all together (which I never did). I always kept them separated. Walt pointed to the SOP for the answer, not the printed descriptions that I was studying & comparing but the pictures (drawings). That was my Ah ...ha.... moment. When comparing the pictures the difference was apparent.........................I was always disappointed that they didn't have pictures instead of drawings but now I understand. You can have an artist draw the perfect bird in each breed but it is probably impossible to find a perfect bird in each breed & gender to photograph...Thank you Walt.......................

 

[CiceroXY]

A couple of days ago, I started a new thread on this section, in which I posted two photos of my roo in order to have advices and comments on how I can improve the standard of my BA flock but I've not had many answers. Then I saw this thread and I realized that posting here would have been the most reasonable thing to do

This is my BA rooster ( white reflections on his neck are caused by the flash, he is completely black

)
Does he have any standard defects (body shape, tail etc)?



Anyway I want to share a personal thought. I've discovered that there are few but important differences (like the size of the tail) depending on the standard of reference. In fact Australian standard is different from the North American and Italian ( and other European ) ones . Instead the latter two are similar.
Australian standard says ( from http://www.australorps.com/4.html ) : "Tail full and compact, rising gradually from the sickles gracefully curved but not long and streaming"

Australian Standard ( not long and streaming tail ):





Italian Standard according to FIAV - Federazione Italiana delle Associazioni Avicole - (same of the North American one):



According to an article that I found online, in Europe the tail evolution started with the Dutch breeders and then with the Germans. Dutch breeders wanted to 'beautify' the Australorp and they crossed them with Rhinelanders and Barnevelders, then Germans made other crosses with German Langshans and Barnevelders. Therefore the tail became more and more large and long.
Nowadays Australorp is still a popular breed in Germany and, as far as I know, many Italian breeders often buy eggs and good subjects and bring them here.
However what I meant is that I don't like the fact that a breed standard has so many variants.
The original standard should be the only one.
I wonder if the Australorps have retained their original utilitarian peculiarities in Australia?

 

[ronott1]

I have some eggs from mine in the incubator right now that are due to hatch on July 17th. I did the first candling on them already and seen the spider veins in some. I had one that had a bloodring in it though, so I tossed that one. I'm using a blue Australorp rooster this time. He is the son of the Splash one in my avatar.

I hope you get a good range of colors!
Do you plan on using a black cock bird in the future to brighten up the blue?

 

[BlueBaby]

7 of my 11 eggs have hatched out now. I'm waiting to see if the other 4 will hatch too. It looks like I'm getting mostly the blues in different shades of it. Some are a lighter blue, and some a darker blue. I have one splash chick that I plan to keep and grow out. I'm hoping that it will be a pullet though.

 

[ronott1]

7 of my 11 eggs have hatched out now. I'm waiting to see if the other 4 will hatch too. It looks like I'm getting mostly the blues in different shades of it. Some are a lighter blue, and some a darker blue. I have one splash chick that I plan to keep and grow out. I'm hoping that it will be a pullet though.

Congratulations!
That is very good news!

 

[BlueBaby]

Well, when my 7 chicks hatched out on Friday, I still had 4 more eggs left. (They were supposed to hatch on Sunday) I left those 4 eggs in the incubator, and another chick just hatched out yesterday. So, that's now 8 out of the 11 eggs that made it to lock-down that have hatched. I ended up with 4 Blues, 3 Blacks, and 1 Splash.

 

[BluRoo Farm OH]

I was about to mention that only Blacks are APA. But several on here had started with Blues, and were really getting good with their lines, then things happened. I don't think there are many out there, but if you get any from Chet Hupp's line (AZ), they are really some nice looking blues. The ones from Rattlesnake Ridge W. VA., are really good looking too.

Rattlesnake Ridge is where I got my birds. Great birds!