Australorps breed Thread

[CiceroXY]

Hello everybody

Could someone help me understand how to obtain the different colours of this beautiful breed through the crossbreeding between the different varieties? I mean, there are 4 varieties: Black, Blue, White and Splash. (I'm not sure on the Splash one. I know it exist but I'm not sure if it's a recognized variety). However, what colours can I obtain if I have the Black one and the White one?

 

[appps]

Hello everybody Could someone help me understand how to obtain the different colours of this beautiful breed through the crossbreeding between the different varieties? I mean, there are 4 varieties: Black, Blue, White and Splash. (I'm not sure on the Splash one. I know it exist but I'm not sure if it's a recognized variety). However, what colours can I obtain if I have the Black one and the White one? 

I'm going to guess black and white will give you a white birds with a few black spots leaking through here and there. White isn't used to get the other colors and white isn't available everywhere, think the US is still working on it but it's in Australia.

First thing I would check is what colours are already available in Italy (where you are?)
In Australia we have all four but only black, blue and white are included in the standard so can be judged at shows.

If you google blue black splash genetics in google images you should get charts showing what colour each of those combinations give you. On my phone so haven't got it handy.

 

[CiceroXY]

First of all, thank you for the reply

Yes, I'm in Italy and it's not so difficult to find black and blue Australorps here. But you are right, the research is a bit more complicated for the white one. Fortunatly there is a white Lorps breeder who lives in a neighbour city

On the other hands, nobody has got the splash one! I have checked on the Fiav's website (Federazione italiana delle associazioni avicole) and only the black, blue and white Lorps are recognized in my country, that's why no one is interested in breeding the splash one. So Australian and Italian standards are identical

I do not want to partecipe in shows. I mean, it's a hobby for me

However I have googled it and that's what come out:

black x black = 100% black
blue x blue = 50% blue - 25% black - 25% splash
splash x splash = 100% splash
black x blue = 50% black - 50% blue
black x spalsh = 100% blue
blue x splash = 50% blue - 50% splash

White is always absent in charts. Obviously it is useful only to get other white Lorps

 

[appps]

First of all, thank you for the reply  Yes, I'm in Italy and it's not so difficult to find black and blue Australorps here. But you are right, the research is a bit more complicated for the white one. Fortunatly there is a white Lorps breeder who lives in a neighbour city  

On the other hands, nobody has got the splash one! I have checked on the Fiav's website (Federazione italiana delle associazioni avicole) and only the black, blue and white Lorps are recognized in my country, that's why no one is interested in breeding the splash one. So Australian and Italian standards are identical 

I do not want to partecipe in shows. I mean, it's a hobby for me 

However I have googled it and that's what come out: 

black x black = 100% black
blue x blue = 50% blue - 25% black - 25% splash
splash x splash = 100% splash
black x blue = 50% black -  50% blue
black x spalsh = 100% blue
blue x splash = 50% blue -  50% splash

White is always absent in charts. Obviously it is useful only to get other white Lorps   

Not quite right, there is interest in breeding the splash if only because it can be used with black to give you 100% blue.

plus they sure are pretty

 

[CiceroXY]

Okay, I get it

I also know that there are different shades of blue and different crosses in order to get it. What is the best way to get the best shade of blue?

 

[mamatink7]

Nope but it is helpful to know the approximate lay rate and pattern of each bird. Since I have a variety of breeds and each has their own little differences in their eggs, I can tell which bird laid each one. With some of them I never expect more than 2 or 3 in a row and what size they USUALLY are (though Eos has been laying in the 60g range and I found one of her eggs in the run the other day. 12 grams. It happens, they are called "fart eggs"). Others lay many days then take 1 or 2 off.

When I stopped finding eggs from Yuki (Meyer Hatchery White Rock, hatched June 2015) I knew something was up though no idea what. Her laying history is long runs then a day off. She has laid 78% of the days since her first egg and never takes more that 2 days off so no eggs for 2 weeks was WAY unnatural. I found her in the bushes in the front yard one day while I was mowing. Came back later and she was gone but there were 13 of her eggs in a nest. She wasn't acting broody and has never been so. But still no Yuki eggs on the coop nests and nothing in the "yard nest" in the days following.

I tried to keep track of her but failed (can't spend your entire day tracking a hen) until late one morning I spotted her OUTSIDE the fence, near the road heading to a pile of 5 eggs. I collected those and kept her from going back to that area. She went NUTS trying to find a place to start a new nest in the bushes but I wouldn't let her. I eventually snagged her and brought her to the barn. She went NUTS wanting to go outside to lay. NUTS going in and out of the 4' long enclosed box, NUTS going in and out of the 4' long open box with 2 dividers. NONE were good enough even though she had been laying in them since last November. On a whim I made her a nest in the "feed room" in a corner grain feeder. KINDA OK but not. So I jury-rigged a cover over it. She decided it was OK, or that egg wasn't giving her any choice by then. It is now covered with a saddle pad over a hoop of black plastic pipe and she has been laying faithfully in that nest ever since. 

All that to say, if I didn't keep track, I wouldn't have known she wasn't giving me any eggs and I would still be down 6-7 eggs per week now. And given about half of my girls are not currently laying, that is pretty significant (and a waste of good chicken feed, vegetation and bugs!).


@duluthralphie
 I probably don't have as many birds as you do! In fact, I am VERY sadly down to 12. I found Athena, an EE hatched June last year, dead in front of the barn last night at 6:30. All 13 were, near as I could tell, looking fine at 6 PM. All out foraging. I don't know what happened, no marks on her and there had been no commotion. I did note that her crop was empty so she hadn't been eating yesterday. Something was likely wrong inside but I have no idea what.

thank you. I know we have one laying breed but we have 4 of that breed same age, golden comet. One different egg so far and that was one of possible 6 black austrolorps. One BA looks she should be laying each day but we've only gotten one BA egg. We have chart and calendar to Mark who and how many that day. I'm going to check real close this week to see as this Wednesday they'll be 20 weeks.

 

[mamatink7]

If I worried if mine missed a day I'd be a nervous wreck

Mine aren't all australorps but I've had months without a single egg at times and even now it's spring and alls going well I'm getting 2-4 eggs per day from 7 birds so lots of missed days from lots of them.

You would have a record breaker if you had one laid every single day without fail.

whew! I wonder why weeks and months with nothing? I know about laying about every other day and I'm not worried about that-or even worried at all-its the fact we've got possible 10 layers (2 breeds have laid) so why only 2 eggs a day still and why skip? (Will have 19 layerd total) I'm just new at the laying eggs. Thank you

 

[appps]

whew! I wonder why weeks and months with nothing? I know about laying about every other day and I'm not worried about that-or even worried at all-its the fact we've got possible 10 layers (2 breeds have laid) so why only 2 eggs a day still and why skip? (Will have 19 layerd total) I'm just new at the laying eggs. Thank you

It's pretty common, they aren't egg machines so eventually their bodies need a break from all this laying we have bred into them. Normally winter is their slow down period (just as other birds don't hatch in winter) so as you head into autumn it's common to have a reduction.

They also stop when they go broody and as they age production slows down. They also slow down or stop when they molt in autumn.

Individual birds, just like humans, will have individual cycles, some more productive than others. Your birds quality will also affect it. Favorolles are supposed to be great layers but mine have been below average and prone to illness. Now know they were a brother sister breedings offspring so suspect that may have influenced their vigour.

 

[bruceha2000]

thank you. I know we have one laying breed but we have 4 of that breed same age, golden comet. One different egg so far and that was one of possible 6 black austrolorps. One BA looks she should be laying each day but we've only gotten one BA egg. We have chart and calendar to Mark who and how many that day. I'm going to check real close this week to see as this Wednesday they'll be 20 weeks.

20 weeks is REALLY early for most breeds to start. I understand that sex links tend to be on the earlier side, sometimes are early as 16 weeks. My 2015 BAs didn't start until they were 28 weeks plus. The EARLIEST of those 7 birds were at 23+, one EE and one White Rock. The one that took the longest to start was an EE at nearly 31 weeks. She just died 2 days ago. I did an autopsy today and the verdict was Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome. Really sad to lose her at 14 months of age.

 

[mamatink7]

20 weeks is REALLY early for most breeds to start. I understand that sex links tend to be on the earlier side, sometimes are early as 16 weeks. My 2015 BAs didn't start until they were 28 weeks plus. The EARLIEST of those 7 birds were at 23+, one EE and one White Rock. The one that took the longest to start was an EE at nearly 31 weeks. She just died 2 days ago. I did an autopsy today and the verdict was Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome. Really sad to lose her at 14 months of age.

very true. That's why I thought day before 18 wks was amazing in itself. That's why I didn't have oyster shell, omega 3 or ceramic eggs ready yet