Australorps breed Thread

[DeesHens]

I wish I was a genetics buff but that is not the case and can only surmise that somewhere in the breeding of the past, perhaps the beginning..........the original birds that were used to create the Black Australorp and I seem to remember 3 different breeds (correct me if I'm wrong) may have had different colored eyes other than dark brown.
I have seen Gold, Light Brown, Red and this Greenish Grey and I can also state that these colors could be the intervention of cross breedings to produce size. As many breeders are doing now days using Black Orps and Jersey Giants. Seems that folks are not happy with the size and weights that are required by the "Standard of Perfection".
I have seen this at many Poultry shows, some APA judges like "HUGE" Australorps and that is totally wrong, they need to stick to the standard and not deviate one inch. If the birds don't meet the requirements in size and weight then they should not get awards at shows and should be noted on the I.D. cage tags so the breeder knows not to mess with crossbreeding for the huge desired size they seem to think will win shows.
So that is my soap box for the day and the only answers that I can come up with on the eye color dilemma.

Does anyone know the exact breeds used to create the Black Australorp?

Just wanted to say "I couldn't agree more!" ~Dee~

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Chet at Hupp Farm,
My two splashes have the lighter grayish eyes. Is that normal for the the splashes? If so, will breeding to the the dark eyes of the blacks fix it? All my blues have the dark brown almost black eyes, but not the splash cockerel or the pullet. Also the splashes beaks are real light and not the black or horn color of the blues and blacks. Just wondering?
Kurt

Gramma Chick,
The only red skin under the feathers would be around the face and a little bit high on the neck.The back and rest of the body should be white like Chet said or there was a mix in breeding somewhere. Just because a bird wins at a fair or show does not mean that it is purebred or meets the SOP of a Black Australorp. It just may have been the best example of a BA at that show. It happens far to often!
Kurt

 

[huppfarm]

Orpington, Minorca, White Leghorn, Langshan and Plymouth Rock were used to create Australorps. Hope this answered your question. BTW I like the blue lorps from hupp farms everyone. Keep it up!

WOW! thanks so much, didn't remember that it took so many breeds to make our Australorp...........excellent, that could be a very good reason for the sporadic eye colors popping up now and again. Good Job!

 

[huppfarm]

Do all you breeders that cull wait until 1.5 years to cull? Just curious what others are doing?

Dan

As Kurt mentioned, when there is an obvious defect, cull when its detected................If you have several birds that are very similar and they all look real nice ..........then there is the option of what time YOU think is optimum for you as a breeder of show chickens. How many chickens can you afford to feed waiting for them to be all they can be?
If time and money is not a problem and you don't have any worries then by all means keep them and cull after they molt, you will definitely know what you have and you wont have that gut feeling that you should have not had that "ONE" bird for BBQ.

It is totally up to the individual what he or she is or isn't going to do.

We wait 10 months and longer if needed.

 

[huppfarm]

Chet at Hupp Farm,
My two splashes have the lighter grayish eyes. Is that normal for the the splashes? If so, will breeding to the the dark eyes of the blacks fix it? All my blues have the dark brown almost black eyes, but not the splash cockerel or the pullet. Also the splashes beaks are real light and not the black or horn color of the blues and blacks. Just wondering?
Kurt

Gramma Chick,
The only red skin under the feathers would be around the face and a little bit high on the neck.The back and rest of the body should be white like Chet said or there was a mix in breeding somewhere. Just because a bird wins at a fair or show does not mean that it is purebred or meets the SOP of a Black Australorp. It just may have been the best example of a BA at that show. It happens far to often!
Kurt

Howdy Kurt, after reading about your splash, I went out and checked our one and only splash chick. She is a little older than yours and perhaps that is key or maybe not.............she is now starting to develop horn color at the base of her beak where there wasn't any a week or so ago..............her eyes however are almost all black and never saw any of the grey in the eyes even at a younger age.
Her shanks and toes are a nice light slate color.
Like I had mentioned in an earlier post, I do have a black with the greyish green tinted eyes.
It is just nature and maybe a touch of Murphy's Law, because he has a perfect 5 point comb!
Your birds may grow to have darker eyes or not and they may get a horn beak or not.
These are the first Splash Australorps I have ever hatched or seen, so it will be a mystery until they become full on adults.
As far as eye color in breeding..............with Australorps.............always breed with the darkest eyes, which brings me to the final comment here.
All Our Mature Black and Blue Australorp breeding pens All have dark brown eyes............I cull and breed for that as one of my priorities in the quality of birds I raise and breed. You wont find any other type on our farm!

 

[ocap]

Do all you breeders that cull wait until 1.5 years to cull? Just curious what others are doing?

Dan

I am not a breeder but I can't afford to feed obvious culls for that long, the chicken enchiladas are calling their name

 

[ronott1]

I am not a breeder but I can't afford to feed obvious culls for that long, the chicken enchiladas are calling their name

Yes, the question was for breeders--ones that expect to win in Poultry shows. The answer posted was that obvious culls would be sooner but some should wait until first molt. That could be as long as 1.5 years. Depending on when they molt. Some will molt before a year and others will take longer.

BAs have a tendency to molt out and then grow in White feathers.

 

[huppfarm]

I am not a breeder but I can't afford to feed obvious culls for that long, the chicken enchiladas are calling their name

Funny, I have some already named that!

 

[huppfarm]

Yes, the question was for breeders--ones that expect to win in Poultry shows. The answer posted was that obvious culls would be sooner but some should wait until first molt. That could be as long as 1.5 years. Depending on when they molt. Some will molt before a year and others will take longer.

BAs have a tendency to molt out and then grow in White feathers.

Has that been your experience?
16 years of breeding them and I have never seen white feathers other than when they are very young and turning to adults in the wing feathers.
That is new to me.

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Chet,
I will try to post some new pics of the Hupp 5 this week, close ups if I can pull that off. They will be 10 weeks old at posting.
Kurt

Ron, I have never seen white feathers after a molt either, especially in my adults. However, I have seen lot of white feathers come and go with the babies. It always amazed me that they are born black and white and then turn totally black, with the green sheen!
Kurt