Australorps breed Thread

[ronott1]

Oh, and I did get some unrelated BA chicks toz for what it's worth.

Every chicken breed started as a "mutt", right?

Check out the new SOP thread I started. Hopefully some of the old time Australorp breeders on there can help figure out the best way to get vigor up for your flock if they need it.

 

[Turk Raphael]

Every chicken breed started as a "mutt", right

I'm sorry but I thought there was a special thread established for those who wanted to discuss the finer points of keeping breeds pure and this thread was supposed to be s little less strident.

Turk

 

[bonnylass79]

That's not dumb, it's a valid position and one I shared for many years, especially in regards to rabbits.  Some reasons for crossbreeding include "hybrid vigor" where the Cornish Rock chick grows faster than its Cornish or Plymouth Rock parents, and the opportunity to make a custom flock with the attributes one values.  So, in my case, I'm (hopefully) not making "mutts" as much as tweaking the flock a little.  In a few years, I hope to have a robust flock of slightly-larger-than-SOP Black Australorps.  I don't show chickens and my stock was hatchery quality to start with, so adding superior quality BAs would be an unnecessary expense..... in my case.

I think you'd be surprised just how much bigger SOP Australorps are compared to hatchery. You could cross to SOP birds, get the faster growing, larger offspring you're hoping for without losing laying ability.

 

[Mmonson]

Hello, my name is Matt. Swore I wasn't going to join or post until I had read this whole dang thread. My birds are about 11 weeks old. I'm a first timer and have 6 BAs and 6 BOs.

Kind of lucked out and bought them at 4 weeks for hatching prices at the local feed store. They are birds from Privett originally. Got behind on construction with a bad case of shingles so they just got moved to their coop and run yesterday from the brooder pen. Though I let them range almost daily cleaning up the weeds in my garden and eating grubs and worms.

I promise pictures and to update in the coming days. On page 227 of this thread after 6 weeks of reading. Still got 2/3 of it to go. Sad to see folks like Groche,Aveca, Cuba Kid and VA-Kurt(rattlesnake ridge) missing from recent posts. Nice to see Ron and Gramma here still posting. I'm sure in the next 400 pages I will "meet" more of you and gain respect for the "newer" members of this thread. Thanks to all of you for it. I stumbled into BAs and have fallen in love. Not likely ever to show unless my daughter wants to(she's 2 and you will see her with her birds) but as a heritage utility breed, as Groche would put it, I already think they are the best, and I have yet to pick up.an egg from one of my birds.

I will try to upload a few pictures by the weekend. Would love some sexing feedback and it seems everyone here just enjoys sharing their birds.

 

[lightchick]

Hello, my name is Matt. Swore I wasn't going to join or post until I had read this whole dang thread. My birds are about 11 weeks old. I'm a first timer and have 6 BAs and 6 BOs.

Kind of lucked out and bought them at 4 weeks for hatching prices at the local feed store. They are birds from Privett originally. Got behind on construction with a bad case of shingles so they just got moved to their coop and run yesterday from the brooder pen. Though I let them range almost daily cleaning up the weeds in my garden and eating grubs and worms.

I promise pictures and to update in the coming days. On page 227 of this thread after 6 weeks of reading. Still got 2/3 of it to go. Sad to see folks like Groche,Aveca, Cuba Kid and VA-Kurt(rattlesnake ridge) missing from recent posts. Nice to see Ron and Gramma here still posting. I'm sure in the next 400 pages I will "meet" more of you and gain respect for the "newer" members of this thread. Thanks to all of you for it. I stumbled into BAs and have fallen in love. Not likely ever to show unless my daughter wants to(she's 2 and you will see her with her birds) but as a heritage utility breed, as Groche would put it, I already think they are the best, and I have yet to pick up.an egg from one of my birds.

I will try to upload a few pictures by the weekend. Would love some sexing feedback and it seems everyone here just enjoys sharing their birds.

Welcome! I got my first BA this year and I love them already!

 

[ronott1]

Hello, my name is Matt. Swore I wasn't going to join or post until I had read this whole dang thread. My birds are about 11 weeks old. I'm a first timer and have 6 BAs and 6 BOs.

Kind of lucked out and bought them at 4 weeks for hatching prices at the local feed store. They are birds from Privett originally. Got behind on construction with a bad case of shingles so they just got moved to their coop and run yesterday from the brooder pen. Though I let them range almost daily cleaning up the weeds in my garden and eating grubs and worms.

I promise pictures and to update in the coming days. On page 227 of this thread after 6 weeks of reading. Still got 2/3 of it to go. Sad to see folks like Groche,Aveca, Cuba Kid and VA-Kurt(rattlesnake ridge) missing from recent posts. Nice to see Ron and Gramma here still posting. I'm sure in the next 400 pages I will "meet" more of you and gain respect for the "newer" members of this thread. Thanks to all of you for it. I stumbled into BAs and have fallen in love. Not likely ever to show unless my daughter wants to(she's 2 and you will see her with her birds) but as a heritage utility breed, as Groche would put it, I already think they are the best, and I have yet to pick up.an egg from one of my birds.

I will try to upload a few pictures by the weekend. Would love some sexing feedback and it seems everyone here just enjoys sharing their birds.

It is great to have you here!

Post pictures when you get a chance.

 

[getaclue]

Hello, my name is Matt. Swore I wasn't going to join or post until I had read this whole dang thread. My birds are about 11 weeks old. I'm a first timer and have 6 BAs and 6 BOs.

Kind of lucked out and bought them at 4 weeks for hatching prices at the local feed store. They are birds from Privett originally. Got behind on construction with a bad case of shingles so they just got moved to their coop and run yesterday from the brooder pen. Though I let them range almost daily cleaning up the weeds in my garden and eating grubs and worms.

I promise pictures and to update in the coming days. On page 227 of this thread after 6 weeks of reading. Still got 2/3 of it to go. Sad to see folks like Groche,Aveca, Cuba Kid and VA-Kurt(rattlesnake ridge) missing from recent posts. Nice to see Ron and Gramma here still posting. I'm sure in the next 400 pages I will "meet" more of you and gain respect for the "newer" members of this thread. Thanks to all of you for it. I stumbled into BAs and have fallen in love. Not likely ever to show unless my daughter wants to(she's 2 and you will see her with her birds) but as a heritage utility breed, as Groche would put it, I already think they are the best, and I have yet to pick up.an egg from one of my birds.

I will try to upload a few pictures by the weekend. Would love some sexing feedback and it seems everyone here just enjoys sharing their birds.

Welcome Matt!

 

[informative]

These are wonderful birds but seem a bit lazy as far as free ranging. They are the first ones of my five breeds (Red Star, Orpington, Jersey Giant, Langshans, Black Australorps) that seem to go cannibal on some of the eggs if I cut out feed layer pellets for a couple of days and rely on free ranging to make them work for their food. There is plenty to free range this time of year lots of grasshoppers and bugs and grasses and weeds of all sorts acres and acres of it but they are just lazy birds.

Anyone else struggle with this in their BA's?

 

[bonnylass79]

These are wonderful birds but seem a bit lazy as far as free ranging.  They are the first ones of my five breeds (Red Star, Orpington, Jersey Giant, Langshans, Black Australorps) that seem to go cannibal on some of the eggs if I cut out feed layer pellets for a couple of days and rely on free ranging to make them work for their food.  There is plenty to free range this time of year lots of grasshoppers and bugs and grasses and weeds of all sorts acres and acres of it but they are just lazy birds.

Anyone else struggle with this in their BA's?

Not with mine. They will boycott grain if they would rather have scraps or bugs. I can't let them free range any more because of a fox problem, but when I did my Australorps were always the ones going out the furthest. They were great at spreading my horse manure.

 

[Michael OShay]

I've only had the Black Australorps, but they are my favorite standard breed. They are very docile, friendly, and quiet (for chickens), and are great layers of brown eggs.