Australorps breed Thread

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Tater,
I agree that the girls look better than the boys. We do have to remember that they are only 4 months old though. The boys tails are too high but that is a common problem with hatchery males and even some better breeder quality BA's. The boys may get fuller tails and time will tell. They are still very young to really judge.

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Has any breeder really studied their BA peeps to determine the cockerels from the pullets? I have my theories but nothing concrete over the past 3 years. I have tried feather sexing and that works most of the time, but not 100 percent. I have also noticed that some peeps have more white on the face than others that have a totally black head. Some have totally dark slate legs and toes and others have slate and more pink on the toes. I have a small batch of 5 that I just hatched and I will compare my theories with another batch that will hatch out in about 10 days and keep y'all up to date if I can determine the boys from the girls when they are very young. Unlike BR's that I can tell in a weeks time who is who, it has sometimes taken me up to 6 to 7 weeks to tell on my BA's. Please feel free to way in on this issue.

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Yo Dan,
That brand new cockerel is looking good!

 

[huppfarm]

Has any breeder really studied their BA peeps to determine the cockerels from the pullets? I have my theories but nothing concrete over the past 3 years. I have tried feather sexing and that works most of the time, but not 100 percent. I have also noticed that some peeps have more white on the face than others that have a totally black head. Some have totally dark slate legs and toes and others have slate and more pink on the toes. I have a small batch of 5 that I just hatched and I will compare my theories with another batch that will hatch out in about 10 days and keep y'all up to date if I can determine the boys from the girls when they are very young. Unlike BR's that I can tell in a weeks time who is who, it has sometimes taken me up to 6 to 7 weeks to tell on my BA's. Please feel free to way in on this issue.

Yep its all a crap shoot, feather sexing in the first couple days usually is the best results but if you got brass ones and want to really know, If your not worried about prolaps, you can squeeze the abdomin and look at the vent. A small indention on the rim of the vent will be FM, a small nipple or fleashy bump apearance is Male. Be careful you can only do this on the first and maybe the second day and too much pressure will blow out their guts and there is one less chick in the flock. Ive also seen the black faces and those with white. I tend to think the black face female but I have been surprised before. So I just have to wait for the real thing to happen for being totally sure at about 3 months looking for the pointed or round feathers at the back near the tail to truely determine sex.

 

[aveca]

A real dilema..Trying to determine sex ..Over the years I have heard so many different ideas,,One old fella throws a hat with a wide brim over the brooder..the females crouch, the roosters stand right up t the challenge..Not sure if that works and I would loose track of who did what so fast..but some fun stuff..

Here are some more old timer methods but once in a while I get fooled completly..Not so much with australorp, those I can figure out pretty quick , but the black orps can really leave you scratching your head for a while.

as Chet said, be careful with any new chicks , they are tender.

 

[huppfarm]

Here are some pics of my BA flock. They arrived around Sept 18th. I ordered a stright run of 30 from MM Hatchery. They sent 32 one died on the 3rd day(pullet) and I lost one to a hawk on Thanksgiving morning(cockerel). That left me with 14 pullets and 16 cockerels. Processed 14 cockerels the past couple weeks. Now the waiting game for eggs.
I know its hatchery stock so don't flame me too bad.





Could only get three pics to load. These are the two cockerels I kept and a pic of a pullet. I have some better looking pullets if anyone can guide me to get more pics loaded.

I totally agree with Geoff, most of us have all started off in the beginning of our BLack Australorp adventure with hatchery chicks. Very few have started with the mass amounts of knowlege it takes to find quality BA starter birds unless they have done some intense homework first, studying the "STANDARDS' both American and Australian. The biggest challenge is being able to choose the breeding pens that will determine the quality of your future stock.
Hatcheries are plentiful and are ususally the first thing you will find when searching for live chicks, believe me, that is where I went first also. Once you get the oppertunity of going to a sanctioned poultry show where there are real certified poultry judges, you will see the comparrison of birds there and the total difference of your birds vs. a Purebred bird of show quality. That is where I got the bug and changed my attitude 180 degrees and started doing research on line and buying the "Poultry Press" where I was able to find some breeders of "Quality" stock. That is a recommendation to you if you would be thinking of stepping up a notch and raising birds that are of a finer grain. If you are happy with your BAs as they are, Great! enjoy them and good luck with your flock!

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Chet and Aveca,
Yep, we have all been fooled before. I had a six month old that I was sure was a pullet even though she seemed behind the curve!!!???
All of a sudden, in about a months time, she definitely turned into a he with giant wattles and comb. It usually never takes me that long but I do remember that one. I just might try the hanging method Aveca, LOL.

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

I am going to try the black face and white face theory that Chet and me have noticed before. Right now I have a small prime hatch of 5. 4 of them have dark black heads and faces and 1 has the black and white face. If this theory pans out then I will have 4 pullets and 1 cockerel, or the other way around. Time will tell.

 

[tigercreek]

I'm a leg guy myself!! .Look for those big stout legs on the males.....stan

 

[aveca]

That usually gives them away doesnt it..the big legs..But boy those blk orp get me..the australorp, every once in while one fools me , every year the blk orp get me..orps usually have bare patches all over when they start feathering out when they are male..the females feather out all over..but once in a while that isnt the case..