Australorps breed Thread

[Hillbilly Hen]

I agree with cubalaya, sounds like you might have gotten some black sex links with those.

 

[Ritavale]

Finally read the whole thread!

Amazing how different ours (Australian) look to yours. We don't have Chocolate Australorps either, there are rumoured to be some Choc Orpingtons in the making, but the true Choc gene has been missing in the great land of Oz for many moons!

I must get my finger out and get some pics up of my guys, I have those "mut" blues, standard here of course, blacks and white that arn't quite right yet. I will dig up the pics I have of the Russian Australorp too, hopefully still have it, theres a freaky looking Lorp if ever I saw one! The South African one I havn't seen, they have a Golden Australorp, from what I can tell its some sort of wheaten, the University won't send me a pic, they only have a small flock left and its derived from sports from the original strain of Australorps. I do have some articles that are interesting reading though. My apologies if it takes a bit to get these up, small baby + farm doesn't leave alot of internet time these days!

 

[aveca]

The australorps in Australia arethe best.
too bad we wernt able to get some but its tougher today than it was many years ago.

there are a lot of us trying to catch up to them and work out the problems right now cause its prettyuch our only choice.

here is my australorp pullet on the left, the cockeral on the right of her was under one of the broodies and we dont know who the mother was , probably one of the pet australorp hens we keep, they on occasion junp up on the side roof and into the rooster pen and I have to go get them out of there..the one on the left was planned. i was taking the eggs away from the broody but found that one developing so lmarked it and let her keep it..I will probably give that one away.

this is the rooster

 

[Ritavale]

You are doing a good job then, yours look like ours, thats a big credit to you! I've been looking through an old copy of your standards just to compare, but they must not have been introduced back then. I've started uploading some pics I took this morning will post them when they are done, this one is the Russian Speckled Australorp, nothing like ours at all!

Come to think of it, nothing like yours either, but you can see that their tails are pointing up as well, our "commercial" Australorps tend to have tails that point up too, but what feed stores and hatcheries here call "commercial" I think is more like a hybrid layer, they really arn't Australorps. If anyone wants a read on the buffs in South Africa etc let me know and I will email you the articles, would get everyone cranky if I posted them!

 

[Ritavale]

Okay I just took pics of the blues, I figured you've seen blacks! Excuse the red in them, thats just sun bleaching, I also have a darker blue boy but he decided to be very camera shy, so he will have to keep for another day!

This one you can see a young white pullet in there, they were very camera shy too, you can see a bit of black ticking in the front, this is a fault and I'm beeding that out by putting them back to blues.

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Thanks for the replies. I also noticed that all my "Australorps" have light brown eyes.

I think I will order some so I can be sure to have some that are closer to the real deal. I'd like to raise some chicks of that breed.

I really like those blue Australorps, Ritavale. I'd like to have some of those!

 

[aveca]

Quote:
that is really facinating stuff.
thanks for sharing, hope you have more like it..we all learn interesting facts that are useful.
I have seen old pics from the US standard but the birds in america kept the important "curves" they were called the great bird of curves, from beak to tail, but you could clearly see the leghorn - barred rock influence , but most still had that gentle curve throughout.
I think the hatcheries put a lot of the foundation stock together and tried to re-create the bird but didnt seem to work on it past the very basic things..you will sometimes see yellow soles on the feet of hatchey birds and the molt out with barred rock feathers here and there..some careful breeders still use the best of those because numbers are so low with pretty good results..I have some pet australorps that people have given me over the years that have as the post above says eyes that are too light brown..but they are nice laying hens so they have thier own pen and grazing yards.they are not bred..
The strain we have is from a very old show line from mass...they were some of the origional import lines..in ray connors book the australorp..he said when australorps were setting record after record in egg laying, some people in america with deep pockets bought and imported thise top birds..they were all of the rage for a little while, then when women left the farms for the work force, many of these breeds including the delaware nearly dissappeared..how sad that the best australorps were imported then nearly lost to time..the legend is, a few of those were in calif and some were in mass..different dedicated breeders kept them going and have been working on improving..ray connor also said that one or 2 counties in australia held out on having the australorp included in thier standard unless the birds keep a tight feather...they got thier way and it is written that way in your standard..so we follow that..we might breed back inot blk orps to correct tail issues ect. but breed right back out to retain the reqired tight feathers..ray connors book is a must for beginners and experts alike, everybody picks up useful info from his book..he is 17 time world champion aussie breeder..I ordered a copy from australian web site abd got it fast.
The australorps is my nreed of choice, and I care about what I am doing as well as most everyone on this thread..the true australorp in america is on the endangered list..so while a lot of us are quietly working along out here , you have to realise it takes years and years of dedicated work..and finding a good foundation to work in. I have been at this for aroubd 25 years, there are a couple other breeders in this site that you dont often see as they are busy bees, but one of them has national champion stock , just stunning birds..once in a blue moon he posts a picture , but hes so busy selecting stock and showing that we dont see him often..the guy is a genious..he used german new hampshires and recreated delaware stock that just blew me away..he is a true master breeder..his australorps are just fantastic..I dont think any of us are quite ready for international show, but we are determined...

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Thanks to everyone who helped me speculate about the gender of my straight runs.
I ended up with 5 roos in 8.

But, I have a beautiful Daddy for my future fluffy butts and we are probably going to have a BBQ we will never forget!
Thanks again!!!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Rachel'sFlock :

Thanks to everyone who helped me speculate about the gender of my straight runs.
I ended up with 5 roos in 8.

But, I have a beautiful Daddy for my future fluffy butts and we are probably going to have a BBQ we will never forget!
Thanks again!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/58241_chooks_again_003.jpg

Pretty flock!

I hatched out 11 BA last wk, sadly 3 died so I now have 8. Hoping for 7 hens and 1 roo...I know I'm dreaming right!

~ Aspen​

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

Rachel'sFlock :

Thanks to everyone who helped me speculate about the gender of my straight runs.
I ended up with 5 roos in 8.

But, I have a beautiful Daddy for my future fluffy butts and we are probably going to have a BBQ we will never forget!
Thanks again!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/58241_chooks_again_003.jpg

Pretty flock!

I hatched out 11 BA last wk, sadly 3 died so I now have 8. Hoping for 7 hens and 1 roo...I know I'm dreaming right!

~ Aspen​

Fingers crossed for your & hens and a roo plan, MrsFluffyPuffy!!!
Thanks for the kind words about my lot. I love 'em!

Bright Blessings!​