Australorps breed Thread

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Howdy y'all!

Wow, this thread has been active in the past two years since I posted! I was wondering if anyone has tried crossing BAs with Black Jersey Giants? I had to rehome my roo and stop breeding because my BA flock was getting inbred (bent toes and low hatch rates). As I'm not breeding to SOP, I thought some Jersey Giant genes in the pool would add some genetic diversity and make the large size birds I prefer down the road.

I just picked up my Meyer order of 7 Jersey Giant pullets and 8 straight-run BAs, and couldn't tell them apart right away. Then I remembered the bottoms of the feet are black or yellow so when I get off work I'll check again. I'm hoping for at least one good BA roo to replace Karl, who was just awesome (and still is, according to his new owners) but he was the only roo for four years, and I hatched eggs all four years.

I have 15 BA hens now, ranging in age from 3-7 years. Two are constantly broody but the others lay almost every day. Also two RIRs and three Seabright bantams that my wife adopted.

Cheers!

Bryan

Bryan, are you just trying to increase size? That cross will have crazy offspring. BA's have white skin and JG's have yellow skin. BA's have pinkish white soles and JG have yellow soles. As far as your problems with inbreeding, did you know how to breed fathers to daughters and sons to mothers. Never breed brothers and sisters or you will end up with the problems that it sounds like you had. Willy nilly flock breeding always has problems, especially loss of size. My advise is to start over with decent stock, breed correctly, and forget your current idea, but you live in America so you are free to do what you want due to mine and many others sacrifice.
Kurt

 

[informative]

I do like that they are not broody generally but it may be possible they are feeling "outcompeted" for the bugs because the red stars can forage for bugs like crazy - they are fast and scratch like mad.

I worry about the red chickens because they like the forest a lot. Too much even. The black chickens tend to stay near the house more this includes the Black Langshans.

 

[Happy Feathers]

My BA chicks just turned 9 weeks old yesterday. My DH lets them out into the run early in the morning just before he leaves for work. He told me the little rooster is trying to crow! Mighty young I think. He was still laughing as he told me the roo made a sound much like dragging a heavy piece of furniture across an old wood floor

This is him one week ago.
And, as to roosting...last night 6 were up on the 2x4 wall rail above the roost and 6 were cuddled together on the floor under the roost. Tonight - only 4 on the rail and 8 on the roost! Making progress.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Hello, my name is Matt. Swore I wasn't going to join or post until I had read this whole dang thread. My birds are about 11 weeks old. I'm a first timer and have 6 BAs and 6 BOs.

Kind of lucked out and bought them at 4 weeks for hatching prices at the local feed store. They are birds from Privett originally. Got behind on construction with a bad case of shingles so they just got moved to their coop and run yesterday from the brooder pen. Though I let them range almost daily cleaning up the weeds in my garden and eating grubs and worms.

I promise pictures and to update in the coming days. On page 227 of this thread after 6 weeks of reading. Still got 2/3 of it to go. Sad to see folks like Groche,Aveca, Cuba Kid and VA-Kurt(rattlesnake ridge) missing from recent posts. Nice to see Ron and Gramma here still posting. I'm sure in the next 400 pages I will "meet" more of you and gain respect for the "newer" members of this thread. Thanks to all of you for it. I stumbled into BAs and have fallen in love. Not likely ever to show unless my daughter wants to(she's 2 and you will see her with her birds) but as a heritage utility breed, as Groche would put it, I already think they are the best, and I have yet to pick up.an egg from one of my birds.

I will try to upload a few pictures by the weekend. Would love some sexing feedback and it seems everyone here just enjoys sharing their birds

Welcome ! They are nice Gentle Birds !
Glad to hear your doing better ...I understand Shingles is quite painful .
Nice that you are letting them out to range ..Healthier for them & for you ...( lower cholesterol eggs )
Be care & watch them well ...almost everything preys on chickens - Especially when they are young .
Dogs , foxes- we have had foxes come into our yard during the day to get chickens - they were Saved By ME chasing them & screaming / growling at the top of my lungs )
, Hawks- I have had them come down when I was outside with them ( I actually caught a Hawk in our coop ) , Coons , Coyotes , Some say opossums too - ( they havent bothered ours ..they normally just walk on by .,
Do you have a Roo ? or all hens ?
Eggs should come after 5 -6-Months or so ..heritage are a little later than hatchery I believe .
Love to see Pictures ...And play the game is it a boy or girl ?

 

[Gramma Chick]

These are wonderful birds but seem a bit lazy as far as free ranging. They are the first ones of my five breeds (Red Star, Orpington, Jersey Giant, Langshans, Black Australorps) that seem to go cannibal on some of the eggs if I cut out feed layer pellets for a couple of days and rely on free ranging to make them work for their food. There is plenty to free range this time of year lots of grasshoppers and bugs and grasses and weeds of all sorts acres and acres of it but they are just lazy birds.

Anyone else struggle with this in their BA's?

I would say dont stop feeding them just feed them less . My mixed flock is only eating a little layer ..and I am seeing less eggs as a result .
I wish they ate more ..

 

[Gramma Chick]

I do like that they are not broody generally but it may be possible they are feeling "outcompeted" for the bugs because the red stars can forage for bugs like crazy - they are fast and scratch like mad.

I worry about the red chickens because they like the forest a lot. Too much even. The black chickens tend to stay near the house more this includes the Black Langshans.

Are your chickens penned separately ? Could you let the red stars out later ...? They may be getting all the juicy stuff 1st ? nothing left for the others ?

 

[ronott1]

These are wonderful birds but seem a bit lazy as far as free ranging. They are the first ones of my five breeds (Red Star, Orpington, Jersey Giant, Langshans, Black Australorps) that seem to go cannibal on some of the eggs if I cut out feed layer pellets for a couple of days and rely on free ranging to make them work for their food. There is plenty to free range this time of year lots of grasshoppers and bugs and grasses and weeds of all sorts acres and acres of it but they are just lazy birds.

Anyone else struggle with this in their BA's?

Quote:
Chickens are not wild birds--they have been domesticated and bred to live off of what we give them. They need feed and if you do not make sure they have feed in the morning you will not get as many eggs.

They will not get a complete diet from free ranging. If you want to save on the feed bill, look into fermented feed. follow the feeding recommendations for it.

Chickens will only go a certain distance from their coop during the day and if you have a large flock, there will not be enough bugs for them.

Also, they need extra protein in the winter when they molt. The old timer way of only giving them grain when molting has been found to be wrong.

 

[valiantlo]

Hello, there are mine Blue Australorps 5,5 months old

 

[iwiw60]

Your BAs are BEAUTIFUL!! Mine are going on 8 weeks old and such a pleasure to just sit out there with them and watch their antics. They are a joy for me...they are so docile and will come up to me and let me pet them (somewhat!)...

 

[ronott1]

Hello, there are mine Blue Australorps 5,5 months old

Thanks for posting pictures! They are stunning.

How is Serbia doing weather wise?