Australorps breed Thread

[RoseMarie1]

Hi folks,
glad some found my basic culling advice useful. When working with Utility stock, your first aim should be to select birds without faults that would disqualify them as a BA's. As they were created with laying as the priority, they were/are often crossed with other good laying breeds and many are really just black crossbreeds. From your pics, Juanita, I'd say you have the real deal. Can't pick up anything that suggests otherwise. I like his head as he has less comb points than many American Utilities I've seen on here. Also, he has a cleaner(less hairy), less sunken, wrinkled and mulberry color than many. Put him to girls that will magnify these positives.eg. don't pair him with girls with lots more comb points. Please don't take this as comb points being the priority, it's just that excessive comb points are an issue with numbers of folk on here. A good BA has a clean red face and a head that is roundish when viewed from all angles. The black beak on your bird is another positive to promote. Conformation is the major issue you are dealing with as it is the major difference between Utility and Exhibition lines. I think this is due to early injection of other blood. There seems to be a bit of Leghorn heritage in the conformation of many Utility lines and this cross was the mainstay of our commercial industry for many years. Conformation issues are very obvious if you compare the side on pic in my avatar with that of your bird. I've often bemoaned my birds unwillingness to pose 'properly', and your guy sure aint showing his best side here in the last 2 sideons. Must admit to having a chuckle at his Langshan impersonation! ( the BA is a bird of curves, whereas the Langie is a bird of V's) See what I mean? He poses much better with his bum facing the camera. He's got quite nice width and fullness of tail in this pic. Another positive is that he seems to lack the long, loose sickles (main 2 tailfeathers) so typical of Utility lines. A SQ BA has a tail with no daylight showing when viewed sideon. Sorry I've gone on a bit here. Hope it helps.
Cheers Geoff

yeah the one with his bum to the camera is really wide looking. They sure are pretty and nice red combs and wattles to.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

Hi folks,
glad some found my basic culling advice useful. When working with Utility stock, your first aim should be to select birds without faults that would disqualify them as a BA's. As they were created with laying as the priority, they were/are often crossed with other good laying breeds and many are really just black crossbreeds. From your pics, Juanita, I'd say you have the real deal. Can't pick up anything that suggests otherwise. I like his head as he has less comb points than many American Utilities I've seen on here. Also, he has a cleaner(less hairy), less sunken, wrinkled and mulberry color than many. Put him to girls that will magnify these positives.eg. don't pair him with girls with lots more comb points. Please don't take this as comb points being the priority, it's just that excessive comb points are an issue with numbers of folk on here. A good BA has a clean red face and a head that is roundish when viewed from all angles. The black beak on your bird is another positive to promote. Conformation is the major issue you are dealing with as it is the major difference between Utility and Exhibition lines. I think this is due to early injection of other blood. There seems to be a bit of Leghorn heritage in the conformation of many Utility lines and this cross was the mainstay of our commercial industry for many years. Conformation issues are very obvious if you compare the side on pic in my avatar with that of your bird. I've often bemoaned my birds unwillingness to pose 'properly', and your guy sure aint showing his best side here in the last 2 sideons. Must admit to having a chuckle at his Langshan impersonation! ( the BA is a bird of curves, whereas the Langie is a bird of V's) See what I mean? He poses much better with his bum facing the camera. He's got quite nice width and fullness of tail in this pic. Another positive is that he seems to lack the long, loose sickles (main 2 tailfeathers) so typical of Utility lines. A SQ BA has a tail with no daylight showing when viewed sideon. Sorry I've gone on a bit here. Hope it helps.
Cheers Geoff

Juanita,
need to modify some of my comments as on rereading I just picked up just how young he actually is-16 weeks. This is often the tailend of BA's ugly period. I love 'em but even I fail to see beauty in a 6 - 20 week BA! He will fill out some of the V's into more curve I suspect.
Cheers Geoff

Geoff,
Thank you for critique of my roo. I see exactly what you mean about the "V". It's quite obvious when I compare him to your avatar. In the last 2 shots he was not happy as his girls were outside of the pen and he was in. ! I will try to get some better side shots, and a pic of his front straight on when he's relaxing with his girls !
Thank you again. I appreciate you taking the time to look at him. He's the best I have, so I'll grow him out and see if he improves any. And maybe post some pics for review in a couple of months

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

One more question. What is the proper way to count points ? Does he have 5 points ? Thanks Juanita

 

[groche]

One more question. What is the proper way to count points ? Does he have 5 points ? Thanks Juanita

Good question and something I've found confusing at times. 5 would be my count, with reservations. My understanding is that you don't count the very back point. If you enlarge my avatar you'll pick up 4 clear points. Rear comb faults are quite common and even this bird has a minor issue. In good birds we try to avoid spindly points and the more you have the more likely this is. Note the broad bases to the points in my avatar. A major issue is deformities, including 'sort of' points. Your boy seems a little reluctant to give up his antecedents' multiple points. Note his frilled front compared with my avatar. Important that you put him with a girl with least number. I'd prefer that these obs. were verified by others more expert than I, though.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I just love it that you're taking up time with us to teach us this info. I WISH Ross would chime in as well because we truly would love to learn.

 

[cubakid]

I'd say the same for points. I don't count them when they are part of the blade... As I know that many of my birds have a split blade. Also only count the little front ones if they have that noticable dip right behind them. But like mine also the little nubs at the front are a pain to get rid of. His comb will continue to grow, so I won't comment yet on the flow of the comb near the head. As he ages I think his blade will follow the contour of his head, as it should, without touching. He has growing to do but I think his head may be a little shallow, from top to bottom. Not crow headed but not deep enough in my opinion. Pictures of your females would be nice too. Good luck with your breeding.

 

[cubakid]

Tomorrow is the first early cull on Australorps. There are about 80 to sort through, but we'll maybe only look at the older birds. That should bring numbers into a slightly more manageable state. I've got 500 other chickens and need to space everything out to start choosing my keepers for next year, not to mention school starting in two days. Unfortunately my breeds all mature late and first culls are for head structure and eye color and for any obvious defects. Aussies till be culled on narrow bodies, narrow tail set, and obvious conformation problems, like tails that are above 60 or below horizontal. Sometimes flat backs change so I let low angles above horizontal stay. I try to avoid lazy birds that droop their tails, especially females. If it doesn't change by 6months they are culled. Already culled a cockerel and pullet for white legs an brown eyes. And off to a good season of Australorp showing from what it seems.

Zach

 

[ocap]

at what age do you see the curve in the back line like the avatar on "Groche"

 

[thedragonlady]

at what age do you see the curve in the back line like the avatar on "Groche"

Orp breeders fight the same problems with combs. I've found that if I select for combs that are attached to the skull at least as far as behind the eyes , I will end up with nicely shaped combs that follow the contour of the skull. We fight the skinny, too many pointed combs too, where the blade looks like it belongs on a Leghorn. I have been very lucky to own an English Buff Orp cock who, though he has 7 points, throws great 5 pointed combs. He has vastly improved combs on all his offspring.Constant selection is still very necessary to cement this trait into the line.

 

[Matt1616]

One more question. What is the proper way to count points ? Does he have 5 points ? Thanks Juanita

The bird pictured appears to have a 4 point comb. He does have a point on the blade but that doesn't count. The problem I have in my Orpingtons is to few of points, 80% of my birds have 3-4 points. The other 20% have 5. I have not had a Orpington with more than 5 points. I have 90% 5 point combs in my Australorps. Matt