Australorps breed Thread

[ronott1]

I found one of my hens dead this weekend and I am puzzled. I wondered if anyone out there could tell me the best fodder and the best feed for my hens. They are pets as well as layers and i don't want this to happen again. Also, I just got 3 red sex links. Do they tend to bully the aussies or do they get along?

I am sorry you lost her!

Was there an obvious cause of death?

If the new hens had killed her you would know but the wounds.

In California we have a free necropsy service provided for those of us with small and pet flocks. cahfs.ucdavis.edu

 

[Gramma Chick]

I found one of my hens dead this weekend and I am puzzled. I wondered if anyone out there could tell me the best fodder and the best feed for my hens. They are pets as well as layers and i don't want this to happen again. Also, I just got 3 red sex links. Do they tend to bully the aussies or do they get along?

So sorry... I lost one a couple of days ago Too

I think mine was natural causes ..she was a Hatchery chicken 2 1/2 years old . they kind of wear them selves out quickly so Ive heard .
She acted normal till I found her in the morning under the roost ...no trauma at all .
A small dog chased the chickens the day before ..one of the ones he really chased was fine .Cant tell if it was related ?
How old was she ? Also what breed & was she a hatchery bird ?

 

[hakatee]

I got her last fall from Poultry Hollow. There were no real signs except her tail was a little droopy the day before.

I really want to add more to my flock but I am leary of hatcheries now. I would rather pick up and see the place.

I want an all black flock, eventually, dual purpose so I can harvest eggs and if necessary have meat. I want to know where my eggs come from.

 

[WendyF]

I got her last fall from Poultry Hollow.  There were no real signs except her tail was a little droopy the day before.

I really want to add more to my flock but I am leary of hatcheries now.  I would rather pick up and see the place.

I want an all black flock, eventually, dual purpose so I can harvest eggs and if necessary have meat.  I want to know where my eggs come from.

That is sad...I'm sorry you lost her. How hot was it outside the day she died?

 

[Gramma Chick]

I got her last fall from Poultry Hollow. There were no real signs except her tail was a little droopy the day before.

I really want to add more to my flock but I am leary of hatcheries now. I would rather pick up and see the place.

I want an all black flock, eventually, dual purpose so I can harvest eggs and if necessary have meat. I want to know where my eggs come from.

Hatcheries are most peoples 1st purchase ...it gets them started on chickens .
It is good to see where they come from .
Where are you ? I am in New York State ...you may have some breeders near you
So would that make her about 8 - 9 months ? that is when birth defects show up - heart problems , etc .
Not all eggs are perfect ...even ones that hatch ..have a percentage of defects .
Im sure breeders get some like that too...probably less of a percentage though

 

[DeesHens]

Finally got some new pics of my Cackle Hatchery BA chicks who are now 10 wks old for whomever asked for them.

What do you think Ron? Honesty appreciated

checkin' out the new kids

Hi. I really do like the looks of your Cackle Hatchery hens. Pretty birds! ~Dee~

 

[chickisoup]

Thank you Dee! I am very pleased with them (and the two I gave to my girlfriend tho one did turn out to clearly be a roo

). They are now over 12 weeks, growing fast and full of energy, running and jumping and flying streight up in the air. Not because they're spooked, just because they can. I have to laugh when they get into the "who's top hen" and start to chest bump then it's BUG! and they are all off in the same direction. They are now at the point where they have been losing so many feathers i can't believe they are able to regrow the new ones before winding up completely bald! Oh, even tho they come up to the treat lady, aka me, they are hitting that "BAWK! don't touch me!" phase

But they are still gentle and too intelligent for their own good.
One is a bit smaller than the other two and not reddening up quite as fast but I checked her over closely and she is otherwise fine. I plan on picking up my new microscope next week and doing a fecal float just to be sure but she looks good in all other areas and "functions" so I really don't expect to find anything. She is just growing at her own pace.

 

[DeesHens]

Sounds like you are having a great time with your BA's. Enjoyed reading about your experiences with them at their age. They change so quickly. But you really can see their personalities forming now. Looking back at my two I can see that Peppa was going to be a handful. She still pecks me at times but I am quicker now to correct her behavior as I recognize the signs better. lol Bella is my broody girl and has been in "broody jail" for several days. (Second time in her short life) We do let her out for walk abouts so she gets some exercise and foraging in daily and put her in the coop at night with the other girls. If the coop door is open during the day she will run right for the nest. I have never had a broody hen before so this has been very educational. She looks ferocious when she stretches out on her tippy toes flapping her wings and literally screams like a chimpanzee. It makes me laugh each time as she has always been such a quiet bird. Then she stomps around with her feathers puffed up saying "Cluck, cluck, cluck". Now I am sure most of you have had this happen in your flocks and it all seems to ordinary to you. lol But it leaves a deep impression on me as I have not seen it before. I sure do love learning about chickens. I tell you! This thread has been so educational overall. Really appreciate it. Just wish I had more time to hang out with my chickens and in here too. Never enough.

~Dee~

 

[Gramma Chick]

I have never had a broody hen before so this has been very educational. She looks ferocious when she stretches out on her tippy toes flapping her wings and literally screams like a chimpanzee. It makes me laugh each time as she has always been such a quiet bird. Then she stomps around with her feathers puffed up saying "Cluck, cluck, cluck". Now I am sure most of you have had this happen in your flocks and it all seems to ordinary to you. lol But it leaves a deep impression on me as I have not seen it before. I sure do love learning about chickens. I tell you! This thread has been so educational overall. Really appreciate it. Just wish I had more time to hang out with my chickens and in here too. Never enough.

~Dee~

We had a broody hen ..who wasnt very good at it ...& she was broody for 3 months with no chicks .
We renamed her Looney ...because of that crazy scream she let out once a day ...and startled everyone ...including the Roo

 

[chickisoup]

Just had one of my year old red sex-links finally break her brood. I didn't bother with broody jail, I just let her have at it. Since I have enough boxes that a hen parking in one isn't a problem and actually I find it easier to just work with them thru their brood than try to go against mother nature and break them. Oh and of course she decided to go broody right AFTER I received my new Aussie chicks. Couldn't have started a week or two earlier when then I could have gotten away with just shoving the new babies under her.

My nestboxes have a an exterior lid so I just lifted the lid twice a day, her puffing up and growling the whole time, scoop her out and toss her out in the run to get exercise, poop, eat, etc. She would go TEARING across the yard screaming and complaining the whole way and then wait for me to catch up so she could get morning treats with the rest of the girls. Every time I would look at her she would fluff up and give me the stink eye!

It was really made funnier because she was my sweetest hen before this.

I knew she was getting over it when she started staying out of the box longer and stopped being such a "drama queen" but she was still cranky to me and the other hens for days after she decided she was done. I find a hen acting like she has PMS about the funniest thing there is!

Eating like a little piggy now, I guess to regain the weight she lost during her brood where she would only eat bits and nibbles.