Australorps breed Thread

[tigercreek]

My Australorps have stopped laying. It is winter, but I light on timers, and they free-range and should be happy. I have 20 and haven't had an egg for nearly 3 weeks. I have two dorkings who are laying one a day. Could it be that the australorps are larger birds and need a higher protein diet to produce? Has anyone experienced this issue? Any solutions? Ideas?

If they have free access to a commercial layer feed, lack of nutrition is most likely not the problem. Never heard that as a reason for not laying. It could be that they have decided tomoult? Would be unusual this time of tear, but not unheard of. Less likely that they would all start at the same time though. Is there a fat critter around?? ..stan

 

[aveca]

My Australorps have stopped laying. It is winter, but I light on timers, and they free-range and should be happy. I have 20 and haven't had an egg for nearly 3 weeks. I have two dorkings who are laying one a day. Could it be that the australorps are larger birds and need a higher protein diet to produce? Has anyone experienced this issue? Any solutions? Ideas?

Just wondering what state you live in..mine take a short break in winter but usually the first back in the egg boxes..if somthing scared them, that could aggravate things..if I have 20 birds it might drop to 7 eggs or so for couple weeks..them starts to increase..sometimes they get so uncomfortably cold that they go on strike for a little while..

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Katie,
I might have missed it though, how old are your 20 BA's? In my experience it depends when they are born. When I hatch early say Dec. Jan or feb. my girls lay early and keep laying all winter. When I hatch late like beggining of summer they take longer to lay sometimes waiting to early spring. I have seen BA's lay as early as 20 weeks to 28 weeks depending on when they were born. All bets are off when you talk over a year old and the major molts take over. If the molt starts early you are golden. If the molt is late they can take a while to get back on track. I have seen 1 month to a two month full blown molt with only a couple of eggs. My BA's are still better layers than my SLW's, EE, or my wives mutts. I think that northern birds molt earlier than southern birds due to the earlier drop in temperature. Just my opinion and I am far from an expert. Hope this helps.

 

[DeesHens]

This is very hard for me to post this, First I lost my awesome cattle dog "KD" (Kurts Dog) in the beginning of this year. Now "DUNDEE" has finally passed away after coming back from being bitten by a timber rattler in early fall, but has never been quite right! I do have one of his sons " MICK" who I will continue to breed with my Duane Urch line hens. I have been looking into a second flock of BA's with a different line, time will tell. Enough with the sad stuff, lets talk BA's, my favorite and awesome breed.

Please accept my deepest sympathy for your great losses. May your fondest memories of them both give you comfort. ~Dee~

 

[DeesHens]

Echo was pretty noisy today. In the end I think it was because she figured Zia was hogging the nest box *. After Zia left, Echo went in. She sat there for awhile but no egg.
But she was NOTHING like Anais (Faverolle). I don't know how many times I told that girl to shut her beak. She finally went and laid an egg so maybe she was just telling me:
"I'm going to go lay an egg in about an hour", "I'm going to go lay an egg in about 59 minutes", "I'm going to go lay an egg in about 58 minutes".......

* 4' long enclosed community nest box, easily room for 4 chickens. So what is the big deal??

Bruce

 

[DeesHens]

hi wondering what u all think of this girl as breeding prospect thanks

IMHO, I think she is gorgeous! I would beam with happiness to have one like her. Lucky you!
~Dee~

 

[DeesHens]

Santa was good to me.

I was blessed to receive all my fencing materials for my chicken paddock. My wonderful DH has been outside the past few days when the rain stops long enough for him to work on it. I do what I can to help but most of it falls on his shoulders. Thankfully he never complains and is more than happy to do it. He enjoys my projects and the chickens too. He has everything laid out and has began putting in gate posts. Also hex wire & visqueen (weed barrier) on the ground around the outer perimeter. We decided to go with electric fencer & wire at strategic heights and deer fencing. We are looking so forward to getting our BA chicks. Not sure where I will be purchasing them yet. In the meanwhile, my Barr Rock hen, Betsy, has been giving us beautiful eggs about 5 out of 7 days. Life is good! ~Dee~

 

[kacklinkelly]

RattlesnakeRidgeWV - I'm very slow on the response from last week. I just learned how to
update photos to this spot.

The last photo here is from today of my little so called yellow padded
foot australorp. We got all three on 10/8/12. She was approx a week or two older than the RIR and
about a week older than the so called americauna (which I now am learning is likely an easter egger)
Regardless of what I have. I am THRILLED with my girls. Just curious what I actually have.
"Ninja" (named by my grandson) is the only one showing any sign of red/waddles. The other
two have pale combs and no waddles. You mentioned that Ninja may actually be a cockerel. Are
you able to tell from these photos #1 if she's a she and #2 if she's a mix to include Jersey Giant
given the yellow bottoms of her feet?

Thanks to anyone able to provide me some insight. Loving this new experience :>

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Kacklinkelly,
The second picture does look like a cockerel with the waddle coming in already if the bird is only 12 or 13 weeks old. However with that said, I have previously posted on this thread that I have been tricked before. Time will tell if you see that waddle and comb flair up. At the base of the tail there seems to be sickle feathers coming in already, another reason I am leaning toward cockerel.
You will know for sure soon especially if he starts a weird goofy crowing. As far as the yellow feet, definitely not an Australorp. There are so many black chickens that it surprises me that people always think they have an Australorp, or that is what people who don't know better tell people when they sell them chicks.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Thanks Rattlesnake - I was noticing some distinctions too. My 6 yo grandson has been telling me
all along that his Ninja is a boy. The day I picked up the chicks, I said i want an
australorp. At first they told me they didn't have any more then the guy told me to wait a minute.
The black one was the last one grabbed from somewhere I couldn't see. I will be so sad if it turns out to be
a cockerel because "of course" Ninja is the nicest of the three so far.

You've been very helpful

. P.S. Happy New Year