Australorps breed Thread

[BayouPoules]

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Oh yes!

When you told me how they would lay we just hoped our would be close to that. Well, we culled three pullets a while back because they weren't the best SQ but real nice girls and gave them to the lady down the street. They started laying at 5 months and she calls all the time to tell us that they lay so much and such nice eggs that she feels guilty taking them from us. She had never heard of an Australorp but now they are all she wants, she says they lay better than her RIR's and they are sweeter too. Mom says we made a convert!

Mom says we get so many eggs from her for free that the 3 hens have paid her back for the time they were here. I think everyone should have BA's!
Olivia

 

[jmc]

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thanks, yes, i know about that record aussie hen. impressive. does seem like something has 'happened' over time.

Leghorns............funny..............NO attraction for those crazies!

 

[jmc]

Quote:
Oh yes!

When you told me how they would lay we just hoped our would be close to that. Well, we culled three pullets a while back because they weren't the best SQ but real nice girls and gave them to the lady down the street. They started laying at 5 months and she calls all the time to tell us that they lay so much and such nice eggs that she feels guilty taking them from us. She had never heard of an Australorp but now they are all she wants, she says they lay better than her RIR's and they are sweeter too. Mom says we made a convert!

Mom says we get so many eggs from her for free that the 3 hens have paid her back for the time they were here. I think everyone should have BA's!
Olivia

i am not interested at all in SQ birds, only laying machines. i would like to get some, but from a hatchery. i assume these could be good layers.

where have you gotten yours???
thank you!!!!!!!!!

 

[BayouPoules]

Mom got our my first BA's from Southern Farms Hatchery and we went to pick them up. Then we got some from a breeder in Mississippi because he retired from showing and raising chickens. So the hens we had that are laying so much are the babies from both. Mom said that when we bought BA's from the hatchery, the lady said hers lay every day and that's why we could still buy some in winter.
Olivia

 

[jmc]

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thanks, kiddo.

i imagine that these BLACK birds somehow are able to cope even with your southern heat............interesting. i was wondering how they might fare up here in ma with our several 90 degree days in summer...................

I wonder how the BA s are in foraging............hopefully they are not 'coop potatoes'. i have a nice little fenced in pasture that i wanna be sure they are gonna get some exercise in. if they are just ploppers on the ground i wouldn't be too attracted, y'know???

 

[jmc]

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i am a latecomer to this thread. but MAN that is one gorgeous roo!!!!!!!!!!!!

looks like i'm gettie aussies this year. it's all your fault, you guys and dolls

 

[jmc]

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i have heard good things about Cackle, fwiw

 

[BayouPoules]

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thanks, kiddo.

i imagine that these BLACK birds somehow are able to cope even with your southern heat............interesting. i was wondering how they might fare up here in ma with our several 90 degree days in summer...................

I wonder how the BA s are in foraging............hopefully they are not 'coop potatoes'. i have a nice little fenced in pasture that i wanna be sure they are gonna get some exercise in. if they are just ploppers on the ground i wouldn't be too attracted, y'know???

OH wow,.. I wish you could see them go,. ours free range all day and they are such good foragers that I have to sort of remind them to eat their regular feed.
They are friendly, happy birds that live to eat and lay eggs. They are happy in the open yard "mowing" the grass and in the wood digging through the brush,. gotta say,.. they are one of our favorites.
Olivia's MOM...
(Olivia is back working on her geometry and I better not see her on here again until schoolwork is finished!)

 

[jmc]

thank you, Mommy! poor kid, how i hated geometry as a kid..................

now you are really getting me on to aussies!!!

i have to look and see if you have posted pics earlier on..........

 

[Eglyntine]

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I am telling you, once you get them you will never regret it. My girls and guy are so friendly, they are already laying at 15 weeks, they free-range in my yard and they are always the last ones in the coop at night because they just cannot give up the scratching and composting they love to do so well. Whenever I go out to feed and collect eggs they are the first ones at my feet, rubbing up against my legs for attention and some snuggle time. My very first pet chicken was an Australorp. She literally followed me everywhere. The unfortunate part is that she was so used to playing (and yes literally playing) with our cats and dogs that when a fox showed up one day she just walked right up to it and that was the end for her. But she was really spoiled and loved so she had a good life.

I have owned RIR, Leghorns, Orpingtons, pretty much every heavy breed out there and growing up we owned them all together and by far the Australorps out egged everyone. They also taste really good barbecued for the 4th of July.

Sorry for those that do not eat their birds but one of the reasons I love Australorps is that they are the perfect dual-purpose bird. Lay great, taste great.

Growing up we always got our birds from two hatcheries, Murray McMurray and a hatcher in South Carolina that is no longer in business. Everyone we got were great birds and Murray used to have a good ratio of sending out SQ birds but it has been about 20 years since I ordered chicks from them so I do not know what their quality is like now. Ideal Hatchery out of TX is where I got this new batch from and I could not be happier. All of the birds are exquisite looking and like I said, we are at 17 weeks and they are laying everyday for me. Ideal has amazing customer service and when I had a few chicks die on me from overexposure from my boys they sent me replacements and then some at no extra cost on my next order.

I love love love chickens, they make great pets, they are fascinating to be around but I am a "justification" person. Everything I own has to have a purpose besides just being pretty or snuggly. So when I picked my flock I got the best producers of eggs and meat with the gentlest temperaments. Australorps, Wyandottes, Orpingtons are my main breeds and then I have some miscellaneous breeds that came along for the ride, BR's, Black Stars (sex-links), two leghorns and three White Crested Polish. I love the Black Stars a lot, they produce almost as well as the Australorps I have had experience with so I am going to continue adding those throughout my flock.

I think you will be very happy with the Australorps. I do not know anyone that has ever regretted getting them. Pretty much anyone that I have run across that did not like them were ppl that did not like "black" chickens but they never actually owned an Australorp nor had they been around them before. They were more into blues, or puff balls or bantams. To me the Australorp's colouring is just out of this world beautiful. But then Green is my all time favourite colour and green on black is just breath-taking.