Australorps breed Thread

[ronott1]

I have lost 2 of my bas. Unsure why. I had placed them outside in a building with a light and they are fully feathered. So sad.

I suspect Coci for the young ones.

I am so sorry!

 

[groche]

Hi Ross ,
glad to hear that a 'Mexican' won at the Sydney Royal. Only kiddin'. I don't know the Norman line though I am aware of him as a prominant breeder down here. I'd love to post pics of some of our good prize-winning birds for the folks on here but you don't want to infringe copyright etc. Your setup is awesome. Loved the pics. Looks like an Australorp laboratory! Tried taking pics of a few of my 'keepers' but the bloody camera batteries went flat. Try again tomorrow.
Cheers Geoff

 

[groche]

G'day,
I’ve had a long thought about how to improve your Australorps from a showing perspective. You basically can only work with what you have as they can’t be imported from Australia, but I’m still unsure of the export factor from England and Canada.

If I was in the USA I would try to improve them over 3 or 4 generations with a little experiment. I would get the best trio of typey show Black Australorps (1 male and 2 females) that I could source from a good successful show breeder / exhibitor. I would then get their equivalent in Black Langshans, not the Croad or German type, but plain Black Langshans that I have seen in pictures from show reports on other sites.

I would then cross breed them. Australorp Male over Langshan Females and vice-versa. I would then select a quad of each of the best Australorp type progeny and line-breed them over two or three generations. You would only select your Australorp progeny, particularly the stud males, with Black (or very Dark Brown) eyes and not plain brown eyes to give them a better chance of correct eye colour.

The Langshan blood would certainly tighten the feather and maintain and improve the beetle green sheen. The head would evenly sort itself out without the fly away of the comb of the Langshan. The Australorps line would soon sort out the V shape of the Langshan, and work itself into the type and conformation of an Australorp.

The gypsy faces in your current Australorps would be eventually neutralised by the clean faces of the Langshans. I reckon you could do this with both Large and Bantams and my observations of the pictures I have seen might just shock a few of you into the quality of the eventual progeny.

What have you got to lose?

Kind regards,

Ross

Hi again Ross,
found the above advice interesting and, given your expertise, I'm sure it's something to be followed. If you look back on here, I've often expressed the importance of the Langshan input and have posted a number of supporting historical references. I have been guilty, however, of suggesting that to produce 'Aussie-looking' BA's from available American blood, might require some addition of , preferably tight feathered, Orp. This was based on my understanding that the Exhibition Australorp that we know here, was created by the addition of some Partington Orp. A number of oldtimers complained that this had 'ruined' the egglaying heritage of the breed. Some say that our 'problems' with fluffy thighs etc stem from the Partington blood added to create an exhibition fowl. I am happy to stand corrected on this, Ross.
Cheers Geoff

 

[lildinkem]

Thought I'd share a few pages from the Reliable Poultry Journal of 1911. It focuses on orps. But, these pages cover some of the history of the Langshan influence. Just something to look and compare. Like your Australorps of 100 years ago. ALOT has changed in the Orp world.
You may have to save and explode the view to read.
Enjoy fellas,

 

[groche]

Hi folks,
as promised, a few pics of one of the girls I'm gunna breed from. Lousy pics as I'm no photographer and the bloody chook's camera shy! Seriously, she'll eat out of my hand but you might as well point a gun at her as a camera. Couldn't get her to pose side-on, only got foreshortened views so she looks shorter in the back than she really is. Some might remember that I had 2 breeding aims last year. The first was to get tighter thigh feathering. Pretty naieve considering I wasn't using Ray Conner's necessary "extremely tight feathered" boy. Can't say I've come across one in my travels. The second aim was to get more back curve. I think I've had a bit more success here. As the Newell bird in my avatar is my pin-up BA, I wanted some of that blood. Wrong time of year as Brian and others with his blood had finished culling. Finally got hold of Derrick who had been rejected in favor of a bigger bird. He certainly has back curve, if a bit short for my taste. A lot of the girls I was seeing in shows and breeders' yards seemed a bit flat in the back, once again, only to my taste. The Bragg girls I got to put with Derrick were this way, so I hoped, once again a bit naievely given conformation is more female influenced, that they might 'even up'. I'm not unhappy with this girl. I have about 6 more, younger girls that are developing ok, so fingers crossed I'll have a few breeders for the future. Got the cockerel count down to 14 with only a few real contenders. My boys are really slow to fully develop neck hackles so they look a bit unco.at the moment. Please feel free to comment honestly on this girl. I'm not fragile and only breed for personal pleasure and challenge.
Cheers Geoff from Aus

 

[groche]

Hi Bill,
really enjoyed the old articles. Found the red in the hackle feathers comments interesting re sheen in black Orps. You may remember I posted an article earlier suggesting that the green sheen was apparently added to Cook's Orp by an Aussie working for him during the development by choosing cocks with a little red in the hackles. As I had this in 3 of 45 of my cockerels (posted a pic of one earlier) this year, it's especially interesting. A 40 year BA breeder told me he'd never encountered red in the hackles of his boys. Mine were BA's in every other respect. Be interested in Ross's experience on this
Cheers Geoff

 

[aveca]

Hi again Ross,
found the above advice interesting and, given your expertise, I'm sure it's something to be followed. If you look back on here, I've often expressed the importance of the Langshan input and have posted a number of supporting historical references. I have been guilty, however, of suggesting that to produce 'Aussie-looking' BA's from available American blood, might require some addition of , preferably tight feathered, Orp. This was based on my understanding that the Exhibition Australorp that we know here, was created by the addition of some Partington Orp. A number of oldtimers complained that this had 'ruined' the egglng heritage of the breed. Some say that our 'problems' with fluffy thighs etc stem from the Partington blood added to create an exhibition fowl. I am happy to stand corrected on this, Ross.
Cheers Geoff

I love all of the info..You guys have so much to contribute here..One thing has bothered me for a long time and I have to be honest here..I dont fully understand the term " gypsy face" Is it the mulberry combs and dark faces that the american birds sometimes show when pullets?

I have copied Ross legend for hatch, shots ect..I like the timeline do this at this time..The australorp here have a bit of a natural immunity to mereks..it comes from the medeteranian birds added a while ago (leghorn) a B factor in the blood....So I have never needed to vaccinate them for that..but other breeds I do..My mother had sebrights for long time, if you didnt vaccinate sebrights for mereks , they would get it..used to have to devide a brooder, vaccine, then place the baby on other side of devide intil all finished, then remove the devide..

 

[aveca]

Hi folks,
as promised, a few pics of one of the girls I'm gunna breed from. Lousy pics as I'm no photographer and the bloody chook's camera shy! Seriously, she'll eat out of my hand but you might as well point a gun at her as a camera. Couldn't get her to pose side-on, only got foreshortened views so she looks shorter in the back than she really is. Some might remember that I had 2 breeding aims last year. The first was to get tighter thigh feathering. Pretty naieve considering I wasn't using Ray Conner's necessary "extremely tight feathered" boy. Can't say I've come across one in my travels. The second aim was to get more back curve. I think I've had a bit more success here. As the Newell bird in my avatar is my pin-up BA, I wanted some of that blood. Wrong time of year as Brian and others with his blood had finished culling. Finally got hold of Derrick who had been rejected in favor of a bigger bird. He certainly has back curve, if a bit short for my taste. A lot of the girls I was seeing in shows and breeders' yards seemed a bit flat in the back, once again, only to my taste. The Bragg girls I got to put with Derrick were this way, so I hoped, once again a bit naievely given conformation is more female influenced, that they might 'even up'. I'm not unhappy with this girl. I have about 6 more, younger girls that are developing ok, so fingers crossed I'll have a few breeders for the future. Got the cockerel count down to 14 with only a few real contenders. My boys are really slow to fully develop neck hackles so they look a bit unco.at the moment. Please feel free to comment honestly on this girl. I'm not fragile and only breed for personal pleasure and challenge.
Cheers Geoff from Aus

Oh, Im just going to reach in there and take a couple fo those..You wont miss them will you Geoff?

I love the deeper body of this strain..they always evolve, but this look is one of my favorites. and that freindly lipid pool eye. Love them Geoff. They look so balanced

 

[lildinkem]

Hi Bill,
really enjoyed the old articles. Found the red in the hackle feathers comments interesting re sheen in black Orps. You may remember I posted an article earlier suggesting that the green sheen was apparently added to Cook's Orp by an Aussie working for him during the development by choosing cocks with a little red in the hackles. As I had this in 3 of 45 of my cockerels (posted a pic of one earlier) this year, it's especially interesting. A 40 year BA breeder told me he'd never encountered red in the hackles of his boys. Mine were BA's in every other respect. Be interested in Ross's experience on this
Cheers Geoff

The old timers in this book and my original "Hubbard's Poultry Secrets" suggested to not use the birds with Red in their plumage. From my experience by using a Buff Orp with my 1/2 Australorp and 1/2 Ameraucana mix I had tremendous success. I have a hen from the 2nd generation who just glows the electric green sheen from front to back. I also had as another trait from that outcross the tighter feathers.

 

[aveca]

Is there a song for wishing it was spring without snow and ice? california dreaming probably..

Here is ben last fall .Ben is FAT..I dont feed him that much, he finds tons to munch out in that pasture.including tree frogs, salamanders crickets , plants ect..he is stuffed to the gills in the top pic..the easy keeper...My photography isnt the best and I burned out my stop vid ..Time for a new camera I guess.