Australorps Breeding for SOP and Exhibition Thread

[Matt1616]

Although I am going to get flack over this here goes. This is the Australorp SOP and breeding thread. Australorps were never designed to look like big fat Orpingtons and that seems to be the trend with a lot of breeders and judges. I wish people would get out their SOP APA book and compare the pictures of what an Australorp looks like and what an Orpington is supposed to look like. Body shape, back, tail angle, and more are all different between the two. From what I am seeing lately they are way too fluffy in the bottom, flat short backs like an orpington with a big cushion instead of being the "Bird of Curves" like they were intended to be. From my understanding they were created to be a sleeker, egg laying machine, not just the copy of a big orpington. Now if you really want to know what an Australorp is supposed to look like check out the Australian Aussies. The problem is that we received their utility australorps not show quality and that is the crux of the problem. I would also like to state that there is no such thing as show quality eggs, APA eggs, APA birds, etc. Unless a bird has won national shows and has the ribbons to prove it then it is just another bird. I do accept the term exhibition quality if you have shown birds and know what you are talking about. OK I am done ranting!!!
Kurt

No reason for you to get flack about your opinion. It is your opinion and you are entitled to it.


Matt

 

[Kelsie2290]

The Australorp is this weeks featured breed on BYC's new Chicken Breed Focus project, they would appreciate hearing from any owners or breeders about their experiences with the breed. Link to the BYC thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/988347/chicken-breed-focus-australorp/0_20 and it will be up later on the BYC FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/raisingbackyardchickens

 

[MrsBrooke]

Really excited to see how this girl turns out.

MrsB

 

[ronott1]

Really excited to see how this girl turns out.

MrsB

Me too!

What are you working towards in your flock?

 

[getaclue]

Kurt, I think most of us would agree with what you are saying.

 

[getaclue]

I have a question. It seems that the broodiness has been bred out of my line(s) of BA's. While this may arguably be a good thing for showing them, I don't think it's a good thing overall, because they would eventually go extinct without man's intervention by incubating their eggs, or by having to use another type hen that goes broody to hatch out their eggs, when they should be able to do this themselves. From everything I've read, long ago, they were very broody, so I can see why the broodiness was bred out of them, but I think it has been overdone when they can't propagate their own kind. Without totally ruining my lines, is there any feasible way to restore some broodiness, so that they can sustain themselves on their own?

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Getaclue,
I forgot your first name. No one can guarantee broodiness, however I had 6 broody hens this year out of 2 dozen birds. It was a mix of my blacks , blues and splashes, so not one specific color of Aussie. This year was the most i ever had, usually only a couple go broody on me. I do not try and break them I just steal their eggs and get pecked!!! I think you are in Florida so unless you have a road trip in mind fertile eggs is the best I could do for you in the spring. As we speak a member is driving 400-500 miles to pick up some birds from me this weekend.
Kurt

 

[Matt1616]

I have a question. It seems that the broodiness has been bred out of my line(s) of BA's. While this may arguably be a good thing for showing them, I don't think it's a good thing overall, because they would eventually go extinct without man's intervention by incubating their eggs, or by having to use another type hen that goes broody to hatch out their eggs, when they should be able to do this themselves. From everything I've read, long ago, they were very broody, so I can see why the broodiness was bred out of them, but I think it has been overdone when they can't propagate their own kind. Without totally ruining my lines, is there any feasible way to restore some broodiness, so that they can sustain themselves on their own?

I would have to question whether or not Australorps were ever likely to be broody. They were Orpingtons bred to be high production layers so that they could be used in egg laying competitions. The last thing you want in a bird that you want to lay a large number of eggs in a 365 day time period is broodiness. I would not expect any breed that was primarily breed for egg production to be broody.

Matt

 

[getaclue]

Kurt, my first name is Cheryl. Nice to know that you have some that do go broody. I've heard that while rare, a few can, and do go broody. When, and if I get to the point that I'm set up, and ready for a second line, I will contact you.

I pulled this from Wikipedia: It was the egg laying performance of Australorps that attracted world attention when in 1922-23 a team of six hens set a world record by laying 1,857 eggs for an average of 309.5 eggs per hen during a 365 consecutive day trial. It must be remembered that these figures were achieved without the lighting regimes of the modern intensive shed. Such performances had importation orders flooding in from England, United States of America, South Africa, Canada and Mexico. Well looked after Australorps lay approximately 250 light-brown eggs per year. A new record was set when a hen laid 364 eggs in 365 days.[9] They are also known to be good nest sitters and mothers, making them one of the most exceptional large, heritage utility breeds of chicken.

Matt, I agree that being bred for higher production would preclude them from being overly broody, however, it seems unlikely that the breed has been able to survive extinction, especially from the 20's to the 50's without being able to hatch out their own offspring. I'm not sure how reliable the information is in Wikipedia, and some of the other older publications, but if they are to be believed, other than the exceptional one or two that set the laying records, they laid an average of 250 eggs a year, which left time for them to be good broodies, and mothers.
It's my understanding that back in the day, many farmers would grab the best representation of their flock right out of their yard, and take them to show them. Yes, I know things have changed since then, but it still seems less likely that the best lines of the breed will survive the next 100 years if they can't hatch out their own offspring.

The reason I started thinking about this, is that it would be nice that my children, grandchildren, and possibly my great grandchildren could be able to continue successfully with what I've started, which would be a lot easier to do without them having to resort to incubators, or having to keep another breed of hens to hatch out the eggs, yet still be able to maintain the standards.

 

[ClarendonChicks]

Good afternoon, everyone. My husband and I have had a mixed flock for about three years now and we (finally) decided to concentrate on Australorps. We have three beautiful BA hens as well as Orpingtons, Welsummers, a Black Sex Link and a "mystery" hen (given to us by a farmer whose duck was trying to raise her).
I was raised in the suburbs and my husband was a city boy, so neither of us had any experience with chickens before getting some. It is amazing how much fun chickens can be. Some of them have really friendly and funny personalities. The Welsummers are flighty and our little "mystery" hen is a bit wild, but she was a great mother this past spring. We were working on the coop this past weekend to get it ready for winter and the BA and BO hens were right there - underfoot or in our faces - trying to help us. I had to pick them up to move them a few times so my husband could place a few boards.
This coming spring we would like to find a good BA breeder to purchase some fertile eggs from to add to our flock. Any recommendations?