Australorps breed Thread

[Gramma Chick]

That first egg is very special!

Thank you!! Yes, it was a special occasion!
Congrats I usually do a a little egg dance

 

[MonicainAZ]

"Accidentally" huh? 

I bet you were saying/thinking "!@#$%^&" as it slid out of your hand. My girls have laid 4,600   eggs since Nov 2012 and I've dropped only one. I don't remember exactly when but I was seriously bummed to have wasted even one egg.

Yes! I felt so stupid! But I was so relieved that it was only cracked and not broken so I could eat it and not waste it!

 

[blueclip]

Can anyone send a pic of what a 4-5 month old lorp pullet looks like? Thinking about ordering 2 from one of the hatcheries to add to my existing flock. Thanks.

 

[Avisius]

Hi,

Should Australorp hens have "hairy" faces?
Like my hen from the first and second pictures (the other black hen from the second picture is a black egglaying hybrid, NOT an Australorp)? Also, the hen is very big. Almost as big as a Brahma.

P.S. The rooster is an Australorp X Brahma cross.

 

[appps]

How is your end of summer going Down Under? People need to consider that astaraa lives in Australia and has REAL Australorps Note the flatter back all the way through the tail. As such the size of comb and wattles might also be different than those we have in the US of A. I would THINK that a 21 week old rooster would have been crowing for some time now. I would say those birds are pretty darned close to laying given how red their faces are. Do they go back to the coop on their own? I assume the nest boxes are inside. The first of my 2012 girls to lay laid a tiny egg out by the waterer. I'm sure she figured she just had to poop. After that all the girls went to the nest boxes in the coop. ALL of my heat lamp brooded 2012 girls squatted before their first egg. Non of my broody raised girls from last June squat but I saw several checking out the nest boxes and hitting the oyster shell feeder before they started to lay. I am ASSUMING they didn't get a "facts of life" talk from the older girls and just instinctively know where to put their eggs. I do have bi-colored plastic eggs (with a rock inside to approximate weight) in each nest since they prefer to lay where another chicken decided it was safe to do so. This is Echo on Dec 13, 2012, she hatched June 13, 2012. She laid her first egg on Nov 26th so around 23 weeks.

Yes I do think ours look very different when young. I remember everyone being positive beyond doubt my splash girl was a boy when little. It's really almost like two different breeds in a lot of ways.

 

[ronott1]

Yes I do think ours look very different when young. I remember everyone being positive beyond doubt my splash girl was a boy when little. It's really almost like two different breeds in a lot of ways.

I said she was a pullet. For some reason, a lot of people are confused by the combs and wattles on BAs.

There are different standards between the US and Australian standard. We have the Utility line here. Sadly, it is very hard to import and export between the two countries.

 

[Blackbetty39]

Does anyone know of some upcoming poultry shows where one can see some excellent SOP Australorps and have opportunity to talk with the breeders?? Or if there is anyone on here that shows their Austra Beauties, I would love to have the opportunity to speak with you if possible

I have fallen in love with this breed and would like to gain more knowledge of them. Thank you for your time!

 

[boazdriver913]

I have several Australorp Hens and I am looking for a couple of Australorp roosters to breed them to. I have a large incubator and will be setting the eggs in a couple of months. I am looking for roosters from lines that are excellent egg layers. These hens are special as Ohio is very cold and because of the frostbite problem I have started some genetic breeding to breed the Australorp with a pea comb. These hens are second generation and are 3/4 Australorp and 1/4 Buckeye. I hatched around 100 eggs last August and kept the best 20 hens that have the pea comb. We then sold the roosters and are now looking to replace them to get new genetic material.

 

[appps]

Does anyone know of some upcoming poultry shows where one can see some excellent SOP Australorps and have opportunity to talk with the breeders?? Or if there is anyone on here that shows their Austra Beauties, I would love to have the opportunity to speak with you if possible

I have fallen in love with this breed and would like to gain more knowledge of them. Thank you for your time!

What state etc are you in? Not point recommending a show on the other side of the country

They are easy to fall in love with

 

[Blackbetty39]

I live in Kentucky. Lol! I believe we may have some distance between us

I bought my first Australorp hen(Peacock) about 5 years ago and even thought she was a Roo bc of her large red comb but once I got her settled in and she proved to be such a prolific layer, I was just amazed by this breed and their abilities. To this day, with the exceptions of molt, she lays None Stop and has the biggest light brown eggs I have ever seen!! However, becoming more familiar (almost obsessed) with this breed I have discovered that she is not SOP qualified, hence why I have searched the country far and wide to find some breeders with excellent conformation and the ideal characteristics of the Australorp. This has taken me years to do so but im determined to produce an excellent quality breed, in which the Australorp deserves! I'm just so intrigued with this breed and I would appreciate any input you may have that I could use to improve my flock and the continuing project of the beautiful breed

Thank you! Cindy
And I will speak for most Australorp breeders, we are all striving for the characteristics of the Australian Australorp, which has proven to be almost impossible