Anyone have an Australorp

[ThinkingChickens]

Did your Australorp lower their tail before laying? My girl is close to 18 weeks and it hasn't been hot. She is active and eating and has good coloring. However, she keeps her tail lowered. Poops are normal. Is this her laying sign? Just thought it might be a breed thing since my other girls haven't done this.

 

[sheila3935]

I really never noticed. All I know is they or at least mine are broody machines. 18 weeks is a little early for her to be laying yet but it can happen. I have one thats gone broody 2 times this year.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

Yep, I thought it was early too. My earliest did lay at 18 weeks, but I figured that was a rarity.

 

[klmclain1]

Tail down doesn't sound right to me - any other "symtoms"? I had 5, now 4, australorps. Lost one last week... she went fast after her tail was down. However, she was also quietly resting in the grass which was unusual. I had one two weeks before that who was acting lethargic - her tail was down. I decided she probably had egg yolk peritonitis and the vet gave us penicillin. She's running around fine now although I don't think she's laying again yet. Mine all started laying around 20 weeks.

 

[goldtopper]

Mine's tail is always erect.
When I had a wyandotte with a lowered tail, it wasn't long before she passed away. Internal layer and peritonitis.
I pray you don't go through this.

 

[RedDrgn]

Mine is only 10.5 weeks now, so not anywhere near laying. However, whenever she's not roosting, her tail is almost always just about vertical. The only exception to this that I've noticed is on very cloudy/rainy days, particularly if she ventures into the rain, her tail will be lowered to horizontal or even droop below that.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

She's very active so it's super hard to guess why her tail might be down. I thought maybe she was overheated, though it's not that hot. Or I thought perhaps she is afraid of me? She is the most shy of my girls.