Australorps breed Thread

[tigercreek]

They are shipped from Privett Hatchery to our Co-Op. It will be interesting to see what I end up with at any rate. I plan to hand raise my girls as egg laying pets and will spoil them as I do all my pets. It's just how I roll. Cannot wait! I will post pics when I get them. ~Dee~


Please do post pics Dee!! Most hatchery Aussies seem to be closer to standard than most other hatchery breeds, and Privett has some of the better ones. I have had birds from Privett and they were great!! Cemented my thoughts on keeping Aussies. .......stan

 

[groche]

Hey folks,
Dan's right, he and I were just having some fun! I wasn't objecting to the fence or dog talk. If fencing's not a BA topic, none of us'll have 'em long! We share some predators as well as each having unique problems. Sometimes I think I'd better try to reign in my Aussie sense of humor as it may not 'translate'. Sorry to Kurt and others who may have thought I was serious.
Cheers Geoff from Aus

 

[groche]

I have a question about the sheen color on the black feathers. First, is this effect unique to Australoprs or do other black chickens have this same effect. If so, which ones. Next, is there a difference between birds that have the green vs purple sheen? I havent seen but suspect there may be some with a blue sheen.

Hi Robin,
no, green sheen is not unique to BA's. Langshans, a component of the original BA, also have it and it is in our SOP for a number of breeds with black bits. eg. Here, Light Sussex 'black bits' are supposed to have green sheen. Purple is a perplexing no-no in BA's but is quite common here, especially in Utility BA's. It gets too technical for me, but apparently it's actually caused by too much green sheen in the breeding pen - too much green changes the angle of light refraction so we start to see purple. Some breeders recommend intro'ing a duller black female to your line to avoid the problem. In certain light most birds show a tinge of purple. Blue Australorps are becoming more common here, but I couldn't comment on "blue sheen" as I've not come across it.
Cheers Geoff from Aus

 

[WVDan44]

. Sometimes I think I'd better try to reign in my Aussie sense of humor as it may not 'translate'.

It translates just fine, no worries. How's that culling job coming? Are you processing them yourself by hand or having someone else do it for you? I have a gent who does mine for $2.00 a bird. Not bad seeing as how I have a full time job and a busy schedule. I usually do only about 30 a year and all at one go.

 

[attila the mum]

mu Australorp has green, blue and purple sheen...she is so pretty when the sun catches her feathers

 

[groche]

Hi Attilla,
great to hear from a fellow Aussie on here. "Attilla the Mum"??? Sounds like a name that an Aussie dad might 'help' his kids think of! I'm sure you're a great mum. Anyway, re the bird, glad she brings you joy! From the one pic, she appears to have some lacing. Black Australorps are not laced at all. Are you sure someone hasn't slipped you a Blue or Blue X? Looks that way to me. I'm sure she's a lovely girl, whatever her color background.
Cheers Geoff

 

[groche]

It translates just fine, no worries. How's that culling job coming? Are you processing them yourself by hand or having someone else do it for you? I have a gent who does mine for $2.00 a bird. Not bad seeing as how I have a full time job and a busy schedule. I usually do only about 30 a year and all at one go.

Thanks Dan,
I've been breeding chooks off and on for round 40 years, depending on how long it took me to get 'back on the horse' when I'd been smashed by foxes. Two sons grew up helping with the culling, processing etc. I brung 'em up right! They also are adventurous cooks and live nearby, all grown up. I've not been as serious about breeding previously, though I've always had purebreds. Being retired now, I spend more time handling/closeup to my birds so I'm struggling a bit with condemning them. Sons understand, so they did the job for me. I helped with the free cockerels from a friend, but they did the whole 5 of mine that got 'chosen'! Reckon there's only around 30 cockerels left now! And then on to the girls, which I hope will be easier. They tend to 'pretty up' quicker than the boys, who can go through a very ungainly 'teenage' faze, when it's tough to make clear conformation decisions, apart from the obvious duds. The pics are coming. Promise!
Cheers geoff

 

[attila the mum]

hi i am not sure maybe they have slipped me a x breed either way she is my girl...
oh and as for my name..hehehe Attila the mum is my roller derby name...lol...Lisa is my real name just too common for the new membership...so i used my roller derby name instead...

 

[Melabella]

Thanks Dan,
I've been breeding chooks off and on for round 40 years, depending on how long it took me to get 'back on the horse' when I'd been smashed by foxes. Two sons grew up helping with the culling, processing etc. I brung 'em up right! They also are adventurous cooks and live nearby, all grown up. I've not been as serious about breeding previously, though I've always had purebreds. Being retired now, I spend more time handling/closeup to my birds so I'm struggling a bit with condemning them. Sons understand, so they did the job for me. I helped with the free cockerels from a friend, but they did the whole 5 of mine that got 'chosen'! Reckon there's only around 30 cockerels left now! And then on to the girls, which I hope will be easier. They tend to 'pretty up' quicker than the boys, who can go through a very ungainly 'teenage' faze, when it's tough to make clear conformation decisions, apart from the obvious duds. The pics are coming. Promise!
Cheers geoff

I love it! Even the ol crotchety seasoned breeder starts to soften with age,,,,and I thought it was just us ladies, er woman, who got sentimental with our birds. Shhhhh geoff,,, your secret is safe with all of us on the BA thread....he he he.

Thank you all for accepting and putting up with all us newbies who know absolutely nothing!

MB

 

[groche]

Hi again folks,
Roller Derby,eh, Lisa? More than capable of dealing with anything some nasty rooster, human or chook, could throw at you then! As you love your girl, I'd hate for you to go out tomorrow morning and 'see' her as a crossbred. I doubt anyone could tell her Australorp 'purity' from the pic. She's not a pure BA, but this doesn't make her not a 'lorp.She could be a show standard Blue Australorp in Australia! Or she could be a cross between Black and Blue. It gets a little confusing then, as the blue was created by adding a breed not in the original Australorp recipe. Is this mix then a 'crossbreed? I dunno!
Back to my attempts to 'speak' American. Ron, how have you found the soaked alfalfa chaff? It's still working well for me as a green pick substitute. I've found that about a wet handfull per day is enough for around 6 birds, so it works out pretty cheap.
Just a brief comment on night time predator deterence. Applicable only to BA's. Use with other breeds at own risk! My birds thesedays are in as predator-proof pens and runs as I can devise. I've lost no penned birds, but any daytime freeranging stray that misses curfew for some reason, is foxfood that same night. Or was, until I installed some "Foxlights". I'm not spruiking this product, but the only stray left out since installing them was still there next morning. They're basically a kind of battery-operated, multi-colored lazer, that flashes in different ways intermittantly. Anyone whose interested can google it as "Foxlight predator deterrent". As they're around $80 each and you need a few to cover all possible entry directions, I've added the cheapscate version. Bunnings-type places sell cheap solar, 'Christmassy', strings of small, multi-colored, flashing lights. As only the little panel needs to be in the light, you can surround a pen in any way you like with the actual lights. Once again, making no claims, but not losing chooks at night anymore! The daytime, now that's a problem I've not nearly solved!
Cheers Geoff from Aus