Australorps breed Thread

[RoseMarie1]

My Black Australorp, Black Betty, is such a talker!! Also, this girl runs and flaps her wings like she's running a race everywhere she goes!

lol good name...lol yeah mine are also very talkative. I love to listen to all their little sounds they make.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Hi RoseMarie,
I have some recent experience in cockerel selection and this is my advice, for what it's worth. You want to breed from your best boy, but all will have faults, even in good lines of SQ BA's. So, you need to understand that breeding is about balancing 'faults' from either side. eg. try not to breed 2 similar faults together or you'll magnify the fault. I'll try to keep this super simple -
* reject birds which don't fit what a BA is - any with any feather color than black, some white in younger birds, and yellow in chicks, of course.
- any with legs other than black or slate grey
- any with eyes other than black, or dark brown at a pinch
- any with obvious deformities other than incubation caused ones
* look for - white soles on feet
- white toes
- dark beak, preferably black
- well-formed comb, with least number of comb points, less than 6 preferably
- size - a good BA is a big solid bird
- conformation - it's a bird of curves, no sharp angles from side-on. See my avatar
- note the full tail on the pic of my boy posted recently. Compare with the bird whose tail you show here. Pick a bird with a tail like my avatar side-on and my bird from top
view. This is a big ask from utility stock!
This is just somewhere to start and it's much more complex. If it helps whittle down your cockerel numbers that'd be great.
Cheers Geoff

THANK YOU Geoff!!! It's worth a whole lot believe me it is! I very much appreciate it.
So to make sure I understand this because I am cutting and pasting what you wrote to I will have it to learn from.

I reject birds that have some white in younger birds? They have to be all solid black even if they are chicks?
OK going to check out your avatar and you pic you posted earlier.Thank you again soooo much!

 

[groche]

Hi RM,
it's normal for young birds to have some white.
Cheers Geoff

 

[DeesHens]

Hi everyone.
My 15 week old BA just lost the last white tipped feather this week. As Geoff said, it is normal for the youngsters but not for the adults.
BTW. Nice and helpful write up Geoff.

~Dee~

 

[RoseMarie1]

Hi everyone.
My 15 week old BA just lost the last white tipped feather this week. As Geoff said, it is normal for the youngsters but not for the adults.
BTW. Nice and helpful write up Geoff.

~Dee~

yeah I noticed mine that those white tips on their feathers to. Dee yours is just a little bit older than mine. Mine was 3 months old the 9th.

 

[MeanV2]

Hi RoseMarie,
I have some recent experience in cockerel selection and this is my advice, for what it's worth. You want to breed from your best boy, but all will have faults, even in good lines of SQ BA's. So, you need to understand that breeding is about balancing 'faults' from either side. eg. try not to breed 2 similar faults together or you'll magnify the fault. I'll try to keep this super simple -
* reject birds which don't fit what a BA is - any with any feather color than black, some white in younger birds, and yellow in chicks, of course.
- any with legs other than black or slate grey
- any with eyes other than black, or dark brown at a pinch
- any with obvious deformities other than incubation caused ones
* look for - white soles on feet
- white toes
- dark beak, preferably black
- well-formed comb, with least number of comb points, less than 6 preferably
- size - a good BA is a big solid bird
- conformation - it's a bird of curves, no sharp angles from side-on. See my avatar
- note the full tail on the pic of my boy posted recently. Compare with the bird whose tail you show here. Pick a bird with a tail like my avatar side-on and my bird from top
view. This is a big ask from utility stock!
This is just somewhere to start and it's much more complex. If it helps whittle down your cockerel numbers that'd be great.
Cheers Geoff

This kind of post is helpful for a newbie like me! Thanks! I wish some of the other experienced breeders would make similar posts and outline what they look for and go through culling Roos & Pullets!

Thanks Geoff!

Dan

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

Hi All,
I've been lurking here and learning a lot. My first Aussies were hatchery, love their personalities, but...................Last spring I hatched eggs from an individual and although they werenot hatchery, they definetly were utility stock. I'm not complaining , as they are awesome layers !.
My goal is to improve the quality of my birds and to possibly be able to show them some day. I would like to get honest evaluation of my cockerel. He is about 16 weeks old.






He's on alert in this pic !

Tried to show the width of his back in this picture and a bit of tail.

Please tell me what you think. I've to get pics of his 3 girls to post also. Thank you for the help Juanita

 

[RoseMarie1]

This kind of post is helpful for a newbie like me! Thanks! I wish some of the other experienced breeders would make similar posts and outline what they look for and go through culling Roos & Pullets!

Thanks Geoff!

Dan

I agree Dan, this is so helpful for us new folks. I am really trying to learn and so appreciate all the help!

 

[groche]

Hi folks,
glad some found my basic culling advice useful. When working with Utility stock, your first aim should be to select birds without faults that would disqualify them as a BA's. As they were created with laying as the priority, they were/are often crossed with other good laying breeds and many are really just black crossbreeds. From your pics, Juanita, I'd say you have the real deal. Can't pick up anything that suggests otherwise. I like his head as he has less comb points than many American Utilities I've seen on here. Also, he has a cleaner(less hairy), less sunken, wrinkled and mulberry color than many. Put him to girls that will magnify these positives.eg. don't pair him with girls with lots more comb points. Please don't take this as comb points being the priority, it's just that excessive comb points are an issue with numbers of folk on here. A good BA has a clean red face and a head that is roundish when viewed from all angles. The black beak on your bird is another positive to promote. Conformation is the major issue you are dealing with as it is the major difference between Utility and Exhibition lines. I think this is due to early injection of other blood. There seems to be a bit of Leghorn heritage in the conformation of many Utility lines and this cross was the mainstay of our commercial industry for many years. Conformation issues are very obvious if you compare the side on pic in my avatar with that of your bird. I've often bemoaned my birds unwillingness to pose 'properly', and your guy sure aint showing his best side here in the last 2 sideons. Must admit to having a chuckle at his Langshan impersonation! ( the BA is a bird of curves, whereas the Langie is a bird of V's) See what I mean? He poses much better with his bum facing the camera. He's got quite nice width and fullness of tail in this pic. Another positive is that he seems to lack the long, loose sickles (main 2 tailfeathers) so typical of Utility lines. A SQ BA has a tail with no daylight showing when viewed sideon. Sorry I've gone on a bit here. Hope it helps.
Cheers Geoff

 

[groche]

Juanita,
need to modify some of my comments as on rereading I just picked up just how young he actually is-16 weeks. This is often the tailend of BA's ugly period. I love 'em but even I fail to see beauty in a 6 - 20 week BA! He will fill out some of the V's into more curve I suspect.
Cheers Geoff