Australorp/Buff Orpington Crosses

[toofoul]

Hi there

I have the option to purchase some Australorp/Buff Orpington Cross baby chicks. Does anyone have any familiarity with this type of crossbreed - am i right to assume that it will have the characteristics of both the Australopr and Oprington? it follows therefore that they should be a friendly and docile bird that lays good eggs? Should i buy them?
cheers
Adrian

 

[19hhbelgian]

I have one hen that is a BA/BO cross. She is very pretty, friendly, and lays great eggs for me. I say go for it as long as they are healthy and the right price

 

[Cynthia12]

I would go for it too. I love both breeds. I'm sure you would get some great eggs.

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
I guess the real question is, what do you want from these chickens? IF you like a large fluffy friendly bird that you can turn your back on and not get hit. I like em! You can take these birds back to a Black or Blue and get Blacks and Blues. BUT, they will have Red Leakage. A solid colored bird with some Reddish feathers poppin up. However, you can hatch out 10 chicks and get a few who have no Red feathers.
Here is a boy from a Buff Orp hen and a Black Australorp cock. I really like his size (12 lbs at one year old). And he is a great boy with his three girls. I did have one test breeding with him back to a Buff, and that bird did not come out a solid Buff. Better taking him to Blacks and Blues. The ONLY reason I am breeding him is cause he is part Akers Buff Orp. And it shows in his body. I like to have a Blue and some Blacks that look like him. So I am breeding him for that reason. Plus he will make VERY HEALTHY LARGE babies. He is BUSTOFF, the "BUS"

 

[aveca]

Quote:
The origional australorps was created by breeding coopers black orpingtons with different birds like leghorn to deveope a dual puropse bird , for what ever reason the australorps set more than one world record for egg laying...the australians continued to work on thier home breed...america got away from them for quite a while in favor of RIRs and leghorns and worked more on some american breeds so it fell by the wayside here...if black orps and decent quality australops are crossed , you get a much better bird...


Hes an interesting color .nicley built bird..maybe you could start an entire new line..back around the turn of the centurey they created new breeds all of the time...not many new breeds have been entered since the 1940s.. I think hes very interesting

 

[Cynthia12]

Oh that is one beautiful roo!