Australorps breed Thread

[cubakid]

Outstanding back line! I have envy!

 

[ronott1]

Thanks to all of the picture posts over the last several days.

They all look so nice!

 

[groche]

The old timers in this book and my original "Hubbard's Poultry Secrets" suggested to not use the birds with Red in their plumage. From my experience by using a Buff Orp with my 1/2 Australorp and 1/2 Ameraucana mix I had tremendous success. I have a hen from the 2nd generation who just glows the electric green sheen from front to back. I also had as another trait from that outcross the tighter feathers.

Hi Bill,
the red hackle thing seems undecided. I sold a few culled pullets to an old lady locally. Gave her one of the cockerels with red in the hackle. Should be able to go back and check the results later. Yours is still the weirdest cross I've ever heard of to create BA's. The results are astonishing. It's gonna be very interesting where you can take them from here. You are either 'Lucky Bill' or 'Brilliant Bill'! I'd claim both, mate.
Cheers Geoff

 

[aveca]

Outstanding back line! I have envy!

X 2 !! Every tail feather is uniform presents such a nice neat over all appearance..the appeal of the face and eye are amazing..

 

[groche]

Is there a song for wishing it was spring without snow and ice? california dreaming probably..

Here is ben last fall .Ben is FAT..I dont feed him that much, he finds tons to munch out in that pasture.including tree frogs, salamanders crickets , plants ect..he is stuffed to the gills in the top pic..the easy keeper...My photography isnt the best and I burned out my stop vid ..Time for a new camera I guess.

Hi Aveca,
what a big boy! He looks a very contented character. Glad I'm not one of his girls though. A heavy load tocarry! See he's wearing some of the ultra fashionable fluffy pantaloons. Unsurprisingly, I think Ross's on the money here. They've gotta come from the Orp. Still reckon ours come courtesy of old Joe Partington's Orp, but the bird I have, supposedly from an old Queensland Utility strain, also has fluffy thighs, so I could easily be wrong here. Whatever, if I were you, I'd follow Ross's advice and add Langshan to the mix. It might need to be more the Aussie form of Langie, rather than the 'improved' version shown in Bill's old text which I guess is more a Modern or German type.
Cheers Geoff

 

[lildinkem]

Hi Bill,
the red hackle thing seems undecided. I sold a few culled pullets to an old lady locally. Gave her one of the cockerels with red in the hackle. Should be able to go back and check the results later. Yours is still the weirdest cross I've ever heard of to create BA's. The results are astonishing. It's gonna be very interesting where you can take them from here. You are either 'Lucky Bill' or 'Brilliant Bill'! I'd claim both, mate.
Cheers Geoff

I know this is an Aussie thread. But, this is how much junk is in this line I made. The ones who look like Aussies will be taken to others that look like Aussies. The best of the ones who look like Orps will work their magic with my Black Orps.
If it means anything, I used my Brown/Red who came from the same line as the Black hen last year with a very average quality Black Orp pullet. Only hatched out a dozen give or take a few. I hatched out 75ish Blacks from my best two pens of Black Orps. And hands down the Brown/Red out preformed quality wise the top quality Black Orp boys. 2 of BYC's best Orp breeder both told me to use the boy from the Brown/Red cock. So, I am with the you, use them if it works.
I had a nice guy from Illinois write me yesterday asking for some help to get a start on BA's. I sent him to Doug Akers. Doug sold me that Dalmation looking hens 2 years ago as layers specials. Their the ones I am taking my oddball line too. IF I was smart I would buy some cockerels from Doug and call it a day. But, then I would not be making a new line of BA's.

Here are 2 Brown/Reds I made with that 1/2 Buff Orp & 1/2 BA/AMeraucana mix cock.

First one is on Feathersite.com. I still think there are a few other breeders who have Brown/Reds aside from me. Frank was my best. He wound up being 11 lbs at 10 months old. I shown him at the Crossroads Show here and had several of the old time breeders come up and ask me about him.



This is Frank's brother Harold. I am using Harold as if he was a pure Black Orp. I have learned that when you cross a Brown/Red like these two boy all daughters will be jet black with that green sheen we all like.
Harold produced 2 very nice young cockerels that have a Red feather or two. Like I said two of the USA's best orp breeders (Alan Ammerell & Harry Shafer) both encouraged me to ignore the red leakage and breed the heck outta him.
I think you can see how much Green is pouring outta this line. And you said to go for the clean face look. Truelly worth working with.

 

[aveca]

Hi Aveca,
              what a big boy! He looks a very contented character. Glad I'm not one of his girls though. A heavy load tocarry! See he's wearing some of the ultra fashionable fluffy pantaloons. Unsurprisingly, I think Ross's on the money here. They've gotta come from the Orp. Still reckon ours come courtesy of old Joe Partington's Orp, but the bird I have, supposedly from an old Queensland Utility strain, also has fluffy thighs, so I could easily be wrong here. Whatever, if I were you, I'd follow Ross's advice and add Langshan to the mix. It might need to be more the Aussie form of Langie, rather than the 'improved' version shown in Bill's old text which I guess is more a Modern or German type.
Cheers  Geoff

I am looking at some clean legged langshan.. so we will see.

 

[WVDan44]

Lildinkem,

these brown cross breed roos of yours look great. Years ago when I bred Modena pigeons, we had planned breedings of red to black to enrich the black. When we took black to black too many times, the black primary feathers in the wings would start to get "washed out" with white. Red to red was not good either, nor was yellow to yellow. We often took yellow to red and vica versa, some of those breedings created sex linked offspring. I think you are on to something here especially with body type and strengthening the beetle green sheen. If you can keep a tighter feather within your offspring with the body type you are showing here, I think that would make a great looking bird.

 

[groche]

I know this is an Aussie thread. But, this is how much junk is in this line I made. The ones who look like Aussies will be taken to others that look like Aussies. The best of the ones who look like Orps will work their magic with my Black Orps.
If it means anything, I used my Brown/Red who came from the same line as the Black hen last year with a very average quality Black Orp pullet. Only hatched out a dozen give or take a few. I hatched out 75ish Blacks from my best two pens of Black Orps. And hands down the Brown/Red out preformed quality wise the top quality Black Orp boys. 2 of BYC's best Orp breeder both told me to use the boy from the Brown/Red cock. So, I am with the you, use them if it works.
I had a nice guy from Illinois write me yesterday asking for some help to get a start on BA's. I sent him to Doug Akers. Doug sold me that Dalmation looking hens 2 years ago as layers specials. Their the ones I am taking my oddball line too. IF I was smart I would buy some cockerels from Doug and call it a day. But, then I would not be making a new line of BA's.

Here are 2 Brown/Reds I made with that 1/2 Buff Orp & 1/2 BA/AMeraucana mix cock.

First one is on Feathersite.com. I still think there are a few other breeders who have Brown/Reds aside from me. Frank was my best. He wound up being 11 lbs at 10 months old. I shown him at the Crossroads Show here and had several of the old time breeders come up and ask me about him.

Hi Bill,
interesting pics and it seems that the oldtimers might have had a point with the red hackle/green sheen link. Have no idea where the red in the hackles of some of my boys came from. There was nowhere near the amount of red that your boys have and the color was more Harold hackle than Frank. I toyed with the idea of doing an experimental breed from the best of the three, but I don't have a green sheen issue and was afraid of overdoing it and getting purple. Must go back and check on those birds I sold to the old lady when they breed though.
Cheers mate - Geoff

This is Frank's brother Harold. I am using Harold as if he was a pure Black Orp. I have learned that when you cross a Brown/Red like these two boy all daughters will be jet black with that green sheen we all like.
Harold produced 2 very nice young cockerels that have a Red feather or two. Like I said two of the USA's best orp breeders (Alan Ammerell & Harry Shafer) both encouraged me to ignore the red leakage and breed the heck outta him.
I think you can see how much Green is pouring outta this line. And you said to go for the clean face look. Truelly worth working with.

 

[groche]

I am looking at some clean legged langshan.. so we will see.

Hi Aveca,
maybe Ross can correct me on this as a Langie breeder, but D'Uccle and d'Anvers Belgian bantam breeders tell me that footfeathering is one of the easiest things to breed out, so I wouldn't be inclined to reject the 'right Langie just on the basis of that.
Cheers Geoff