Australorps breed Thread

[getaclue]

The information about rooster training 101 was timely. I normally go into the run, and head for my Australorp rooster straight away. I get him moving out of my way, then catch him, and check him over, then check the hens. I have always done this, and lately I have been remiss. I recently added a grow-out pen in that section of the coop. I've been walking around the flock when they are in the run, and going into the coop to check the younger ones first. I close the coop door behind me, so the young ones don't get hurt by the older ones if they escape the grow-out pen, and I don't have to chase them all over the run. He's usually the first into the coop when I finish feeding, watering, etc. so lately that's when I've been grabbing him to check him over, then let him in the coop. Once he's in the coop, the girls follow him, and that's when I've been grabbing them to check them over. My change in coop behavior is sending him a message that he's now in charge. He has recently began crowing at me when I feed treats to the others first, and he has gotten slightly more hesitant about moving out of my way. I will immediately go back to doing things like I was doing before.

 

[bonnylass79]

I have a quick question, and will follow up with some pictures tomorrow- Ive already posted a few but since my 2 BAs are around 13 weeks now its VERY evident. Today I noticed that one of my BAs looks as if she has whitesh ear lobes and my other BA has clearly red/pink ones. They both have the beautiful iridescent feathers and very black legs...Im just wondering if I possibly got a mix? They came from a very well known local organic farm store here that doesnt sell chicks from the big name hatcheries so now Im wondering. All of my young pullets from her look amazing and are very very healthy. This one chick in question does have a tiny snippet of white on the tip of her beak, so Im wondering if maybe I got a different chick or a mix by mistake? The store's owner took the initial chick list down for when I got them so I have no idea what other black "breed" chicks I could have gotten. My little flock also includes one cuckoo marans and one EE.

Their beaks will actually fade from black to bone at the tip, so that wouldn't worry me. And even in purebred flocks, faults like white on the ear lobes can surface. It could be a recessive gene from many generations back. I just wouldn't use that one for breeding or showing.

 

[tnmommy]

I'm out of town, waiting to hear how my husband fared tonight with the rooster. We both had our sessions with him yesterday until he reacted submissively to our approach. I ended the day with petting the hens in his presence and talking to him in that sing song voice like I was a rooster calling the hens over for treats. I think that bruised his ego more than anything.

We have at least 3 cockerels in 2 other pens. One has begun crowing often and another occasionally does. A neighbor a block away has several game roosters. We were correcting our rooster if he crowed while we were nearby, although a few times he appeared to be answering our other cockerels or the game roosters. How do we treat that? And do I need to be concerned that my little juvenile orpington cockerel is crowing in front of me and thinks it is cute to sit in my lap? My other 2 cockerels (both Aussies) retreat when I approach, but my Orpington does not.

 

[ronott1]

I'm out of town, waiting to hear how my husband fared tonight with the rooster. We both had our sessions with him yesterday until he reacted submissively to our approach. I ended the day with petting the hens in his presence and talking to him in that sing song voice like I was a rooster calling the hens over for treats. I think that bruised his ego more than anything.

We have at least 3 cockerels in 2 other pens. One has begun crowing often and another occasionally does. A neighbor a block away has several game roosters. We were correcting our rooster if he crowed while we were nearby, although a few times he appeared to be answering our other cockerels or the game roosters. How do we treat that? And do I need to be concerned that my little juvenile orpington cockerel is crowing in front of me and thinks it is cute to sit in my lap? My other 2 cockerels (both Aussies) retreat when I approach, but my Orpington does not.

Good Job!

I hope it works.

 

[Gramma Chick]

I'm out of town, waiting to hear how my husband fared tonight with the rooster. We both had our sessions with him yesterday until he reacted submissively to our approach. I ended the day with petting the hens in his presence and talking to him in that sing song voice like I was a rooster calling the hens over for treats. I think that bruised his ego more than anything.

We have at least 3 cockerels in 2 other pens. One has begun crowing often and another occasionally does. A neighbor a block away has several game roosters. We were correcting our rooster if he crowed while we were nearby, although a few times he appeared to be answering our other cockerels or the game roosters. How do we treat that? And do I need to be concerned that my little juvenile orpington cockerel is crowing in front of me and thinks it is cute to sit in my lap? My other 2 cockerels (both Aussies) retreat when I approach, but my Orpington does not.

Id say see how it goes with him ...some Roosters never challenge you & always stay Friendly some dont .
Do you plan on keeping him ? Some people say it is the tame Roos that challenge you ...the ones you keep at a distance dont ..

 

[bonnylass79]

I really wouldn't worry about the crowing. I've never taken it as a challenge from my roosters. Young roosters do tend to crow more. They're trying out their new trick. I have an EE cockerels who's barely 3 months old and won't shut up. LOL But I have roughly 20-30 roosters on my property and sometimes it seems like they never shut up.

 

[chickisoup]

Morning everyone!
remember the Aussie pullet chicks I got from Cackle in April? (recently posted updated pics for critique-still waiting for Ronott to chime in on them) Well, I went to my neighbor/friend's place yesterday to see one her "new arrivals" (another really funny story I will relate elsewhere) and decided to check out the two "girls" I gave her from my Cackle order. Guess what ? One is CLEARLY a roo!!!

To understand how truly funny this is, I will refesh your memory about how last year we went on a roadtrip together to buy 4 young 8 wk old supposedly good bloodline "pullets" from a professional breeder. We each took 2 home and, among other things, it soon became clear that she had two nice young ladies and I had 2 developmently stunted roos! ( She eventually took the better of the two who is now a handsome young man)

Talk about turn about being fair play!!! I really didn't know, they were just tiny babies at the time, honest!

 

[ronott1]

Finally got some new pics of my Cackle Hatchery BA chicks who are now 10 wks old for whomever asked for them.

What do you think Ron? Honesty appreciated

checkin' out the new kids

You do have very nice pullets!

Two of them are getting nice Austarlorp curves. The faces need to have more red in them but that will likely be redder later. The whit feather should molt out at the last juvenile molt.

For Hatchery Australorps they are nice. They will likely be under weight but that is common for a lot of Hatchery birds.

Cackle is one of the places where you can get nice Australorps. Not like Hatcher Rhode Island Reds that look way off and have "behavior" problems. Yours will act like Australorps too.

 

[alebuela]

And do I need to be concerned that my little juvenile orpington cockerel is crowing in front of me and thinks it is cute to sit in my lap?  My other 2 cockerels (both Aussies) retreat when I approach, but my Orpington does not.  
[/quote]

I had a delightful little buff orpington who loved to sit in my lap and later to perch on my shoulder. He was from my very first batch of chickens. I didn't know any better, and thought he was so cute and would be perfect for my grandchildren. Then one day (after about a week of looking intently in/at my eyes), I turned my head while he was on my shoulder and he PECKED MY EYE! I thought it was just a fluke, went to the eye doctor and took my eye drops. A week later he did the same thing to my other eye. I'm a bit slow sometimes. But I didn't let him perch on my shoulder any more (note: somewhere I had read that it's a rooster dominance thing and not to allow it). I also knew that I could not let my grandchildren near him without hovering supervision. So when he started crowing a few days later, even though he was my favorite friendliest most wonderful chicken, I was glad for the no-rooster ordinance in Denver, and immediately re-homed him.

 

[ronott1]

And do I need to be concerned that my little juvenile orpington cockerel is crowing in front of me and thinks it is cute to sit in my lap? My other 2 cockerels (both Aussies) retreat when I approach, but my Orpington does not.

I had a delightful little buff orpington who loved to sit in my lap and later to perch on my shoulder. He was from my very first batch of chickens. I didn't know any better, and thought he was so cute and would be perfect for my grandchildren. Then one day (after about a week of looking intently in/at my eyes), I turned my head while he was on my shoulder and he PECKED MY EYE! I thought it was just a fluke, went to the eye doctor and took my eye drops. A week later he did the same thing to my other eye. I'm a bit slow sometimes. But I didn't let him perch on my shoulder any more (note: somewhere I had read that it's a rooster dominance thing and not to allow it). I also knew that I could not let my grandchildren near him without hovering supervision. So when he started crowing a few days later, even though he was my favorite friendliest most wonderful chicken, I was glad for the no-rooster ordinance in Denver, and immediately re-homed him.[/QUOTE]
It really depends on the Cockerel\Rooster's temperament.

Never trust a Rooster with little kids though. You never know what will set one off.