Australorps breed Thread

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:
It is ! plus the cost if you had to ship the bird too . I guess only 2 vets do it in the US . He does sell De crowed Roosters .
As the surgery gets more common I think the price may go down some .

 

[bhaugh]

Those funny australorps......today I re-tarped the coop to keep a frickin neighborhood cat out (who likes to kill birds) and while I was at it decided the old roost would be replaced by something more friendly to the girls feet while they roost and give them more room. Well Miss Jedi (my avatar) wasn't having any part of it and refused to use it to the point of laying on the ground. I could barely get them into the coop since the new tarp now completely covers the top. I sat on one of the sawhorses and talked to the girls. Miss Ruthie decided she would just roost on my shoulder so flew up for a "good spot". Once I finally got everyone on the roosts, Miss Jedi decided that because her roost didn't face the "old direction" she still wasn't going to stay on it. So in the dark with my flashlight, I moved the sawhorses to a somewhat position where the hens would face the same direction while resting.

Boy who knew chickens could be so picky. I knew they didn't like change but this is

. I'm sure once the girls get used to the sawhorses, they will find they can cover their feet nicely to keep them warm AND have a wider space to rest on.

 

[chickisoup]

Those funny australorps......today I re-tarped the coop to keep a frickin neighborhood cat out (who likes to kill birds) and while I was at it decided the old roost would be replaced by something more friendly to the girls feet while they roost and give them more room. Well Miss Jedi (my avatar) wasn't having any part of it and refused to use it to the point of laying on the ground. I could barely get them into the coop since the new tarp now completely covers the top. I sat on one of the sawhorses and talked to the girls. Miss Ruthie decided she would just roost on my shoulder so flew up for a "good spot". Once I finally got everyone on the roosts, Miss Jedi decided that because her roost didn't face the "old direction" she still wasn't going to stay on it. So in the dark with my flashlight, I moved the sawhorses to a somewhat position where the hens would face the same direction while resting.

Boy who knew chickens could be so picky. I knew they didn't like change but this is     . I'm sure once the girls get used to the sawhorses, they will find they can cover their feet nicely to keep them warm AND have a wider space to rest on.

v
Morning!
Yep, you can't mess with their programs! . It's the start of hunting season up here and I went out to open the coop yesterday morning with my orange jacket on with my hood up. They started down the ramp, took o n e look at me, started back peddling right into the coop and refused to come out till I took my coat off :cd.

 

[ronott1]

v
Morning!
Yep, you can't mess with their programs!

. It's the start of hunting season up here and I went out to open the coop yesterday morning with my orange jacket on with my hood up. They started down the ramp, took o n e look at me, started back peddling right into the coop and refused to come out till I took my coat off

.

I moved my Australorps into the Layer pen. They would not go into the big coop so I put them in for a couple of nights. Two nights ago it rained, so they stuffed themselves into the little chicken hutch. It only holds 5 but with them it had 11 in it. They are very silly. I removed 7 pullets to make room for them so there was plenty of room in the big coop.

Of course they did the same thing last night....

 

[jdoane]

So funny! My little BA is my bravest girl!

 

[ronott1]

So funny! My little BA is my bravest girl!

I have one "brave" one. She has already started running for the treats and mixes it up with the others. None of them managed to be pecked on. Of course they are the biggest already in the layer pen. They are right up there with the Bresse pullets.

 

[elkfriend]

Yep...dont mess with their routine!

Here in canada it was a little brisk recently, -20C without windchill.

So to keep some additional heat in the coop, I built them a tunnel over their chickenladder, to keep the wind out and trap heat.

They absolutely REFUSED to go through the tunnel and use the ladder to go back into their coop at night and crawled UNDER the coop in the dark, at absolutely brutal temperatures.

I then had to go out with a flashlight, crawl under the coop myself and put them on their roosts in the coop. They also laid eggs everywhere, instead of going into the coop in their nestboxes.

This happened for 2 days in a row, until I gave up and removed the cardboard tunnel.

Now we are back to normal and they go in and out and sleep there. It was -15 IN THE COOP the other night, but they do not seem to care much...as long as they do not have to use the wind protection tunnel.

 

[jdoane]

I have one "brave" one. She has already started running for the treats and mixes it up with the others. None of them managed to be pecked on. Of course they are the biggest already in the layer pen. They are right up there with the Bresse pullets.

LOL maybe mine isn't zn Australorp! She is littlest and just calmly fearless. Not top bird but usually the first to try new things and least concerned about being handled. She is only 4 months old so not laying yet. But I constantly havd to boot her out of the nesting boxes at bedtime!

 

[chickenboy190]

It takes longer for them to start laying when there are not enough daylight hours(12-14 hours). They will either start late or skip until January.

Are they looking like they are ready to lay eggs?

Squatting
Big Red combs and wattles
ripping up the nest box
Singing: Bok Bok BuhKock!

Post a couple of pictures. Make sure we can see the wattles and comb.

I'm very sorry I haven't replied They have red combs and stuff.I have them in with 3 other chickens.They all lay brown eggs and like 2-3 of them are laying.

 

[RoseMarie1]

lol I had to grin at you guys saying don't mess up their routine because you're so right. I put a cloth doubled over mines door when the temps dropped to 20 at night time and they would NOT go in that door or even go near it. ARG
I did manage to get the most eggs today I have gotten yet though. 9 eggs and got 15 hens. 2-3 more of the Aussies are laying now. Not sure but I think they are all laying now but if I am wrong there is only 1 not laying by the way she is acting. She's very standoffish and heads to the bushes if she thinks I am even coming her direction. The others have chilled out a little about that but still don't want me touching them.