Australorps breed Thread

[ronott1]

Great points. I was considering isolating her in a dog crate but away from the flock.

They are only 11 ish weeks old so not sure it is the point of lay. Though she is almost twice the size of the others so she may be older. But that may be she is just fluffy as that breed is.

I am feeding the the starter feed and planned on switching to laying pellets in 5 weeks. I also put down scratch every day and give them meal worms every other day.

I worry that getting one would only double my problem and give me two bullies.... No?

Switch them to a grower or flock raiser feed and hold off on the layer pellets until they start laying eggs. Too much calcium at that age can force them too much for laying. Egg laying problems, like stuck eggs and etc. can happen.

The grower should have at least 20% protein.

Adding another australorp will not add bullies. Quarantine them together for two weeks(to make sure the new one is not sick) and then integrate them at night. If they get too rough, take them out for a day or two and try again. They will integrate but it can take some time.

 

[Gramma Chick]

One more thing, what are you feeding them? The Australorp might need a bit more protein. The lack of protein can cause some aggression.<<---- or lack of space what size is your coop ?
They make little flocks within the big flock. One more Australorp would tip the balance, especially if she were a little bigger
Chickens are very color conscious ... so it might help ..
I would try isolating her & giving her more protein 1st ...
If she is almost twice the size of the others that may be the problem ....She needs more protein than them . She also will probably be a bigger chicken when mature .
You could add black sunflowers seeds , Egg yolk , Milk , Yougurt , peanuts to her diet for more protein

 

[Tjack101]

The pen is 84 square feet. More than enough room for 4 chickens.

I have found my two brown chickens hang out together and the white EE and the Aust hang out. Interesting about color....

I am going to isolate her and give her more protein. I am also going to try to find another one that is atleast 13 weeks to add to the flock with her(they will be 12 weeks Sunday). Its hard to find one around here though. The hatcheries selling pullets wont be able to ship one out for weeks.

 

[hellbender]

The pen is 84 square feet. More than enough room for 4 chickens.

I have found my two brown chickens hang out together and the white EE and the Aust hang out. Interesting about color....

I am going to isolate her and give her more protein. I am also going to try to find another one that is atleast 13 weeks to add to the flock with her(they will be 12 weeks Sunday). Its hard to find one around here though. The hatcheries selling pullets wont be able to ship one out for weeks.

Didn't mean to offend..I was speaking Tongue-in-Cheek. I was coming back sooner with a more practical answer to your questions but my age took me to sleep.

Sorry

RON

 

[chickisoup]

Having a mixed flock (but working toward all aussies) I agree with getting her a buddy. She should hang with her friend and ignore the others. From my personal, and that of my friend and neighbor, aussies in particular are very color aware. I only have my aussie roo at the moment who spends a LOT of time staring at himself in the mirror,

with 3 reds and my white leghorn "mutt" who oddly wound up as my alpha, (lost my older battery rescues over the fall/winter) but my friend has his brother and their 2 sisters. She also has a large mixed group of other hens but the young aussies hang totally to themselves. Unless of course one of the other hens gets too close to the young roo, well then, roos will be roos,

.

(I have new aussie babies arriving by end of this following week, hope it warms up more up here by then and they don't freeze getting here!)

 

[ronott1]

Didn't mean to offend..I was speaking Tongue-in-Cheek. I was coming back sooner with a more practical answer to your questions but my age took me to sleep.

Sorry

RON

You were fine!

It made a good point about Australorps.

 

[iwiw60]

Going to put my query into this thread as it is something that is happening with my 4-week chickies right now. About 5 days ago I moved them into a larger brooder box as they outgrew the original box by leaps and bounds. So now they have more room, but I'm noticing the past few days like I'll hear a great deal of squawking and squabbling going on. I'll peak in and they aren't really "fighting" but pushing each other around, with minor pecking. I know they have a pecking order I'm sure, but it seems they all are trying to be "top dog"! I worry that while I'm at work they might really get into it and I'll have a bloody mess. Are BA's always so 'pushy' (or maybe I've got a roo in the lot that I haven't identified yet?)?????

When I give them their daily 'treat' of maybe mealworms or a bit of hard-boiled egg, they squabble over the treat, which I know is normal. Then they all go to sleep...weird little things!

 

[ronott1]

Going to put my query into this thread as it is something that is happening with my 4-week chickies right now. About 5 days ago I moved them into a larger brooder box as they outgrew the original box by leaps and bounds. So now they have more room, but I'm noticing the past few days like I'll hear a great deal of squawking and squabbling going on. I'll peak in and they aren't really "fighting" but pushing each other around, with minor pecking. I know they have a pecking order I'm sure, but it seems they all are trying to be "top dog"! I worry that while I'm at work they might really get into it and I'll have a bloody mess. Are BA's always so 'pushy' (or maybe I've got a roo in the lot that I haven't identified yet?)?????

When I give them their daily 'treat' of maybe mealworms or a bit of hard-boiled egg, they squabble over the treat, which I know is normal. Then they all go to sleep...weird little things!

You might have a boy but often one of the pullets will be bossy.

It it is sunny, let them out into the grass for an hour or so in the afternoon. They will burn some energy and be calmer.

Also, if using light to heat the brooder, use a red bulb.

Best!

 

[Tjack101]

Didn't mean to offend..I was speaking Tongue-in-Cheek. I was coming back sooner with a more practical answer to your questions but my age took me to sleep.

Sorry

RON

No offence taken!

 

[iwiw60]

You might have a boy but often one of the pullets will be bossy.

It it is sunny, let them out into the grass for an hour or so in the afternoon. They will burn some energy and be calmer.

Also, if using light to heat the brooder, use a red bulb.

Best!

Ah-HA!! I think you've hit on the very problem I'm experiencing! I'm using regular light bulbs, not the preferred red ones....I'm heading to the feed store as we speak! Thank you SO MUCH!!