Australorps breed Thread

[DesertChic]

Wattles and comb are still small and pale pink, just like her sisters'. (I'll try to get a photo, but my Aussie's are notoriously camera shy.) No droopiness, lethargy, sneezing, discharge, irregular excrement, or anything else abnormal. Her eyes look great, her appetite's great, and she's as chatty, friendly and active today as any other day. She hopped up onto my lap as she normally does and allowed me to physically examine her, and then ate her greens with great enthusiasm. Everything seems fine.

Thanks for all of the input. I guess for now I'll just keep an eye on her, but I'm not going to worry unless I see anything unusual from her on.

She's my "top" Australorp and is usually the one who calls the others out for treats or sounds the alarm when she sees one of those horribly threatening airplanes flying overhead.

I'm really thinking she was just freaked out by all the noises from the pecan harvest reacted strangely (from my perspective).

 

[hellbender]

What is "vapor lock?" I've never heard of that.

MrsB

LOL...Just a Hillbilly way of suggesting temporary indigestion, fart lodged catty-corner,....something that will pass with no need for any sort of intervention.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Hahaha. I love it! ^_^

MrsB

 

[Gramma Chick]

. I guess for now I'll just keep an eye on her, but I'm not going to worry unless I see anything unusual from her on.

She's my "top" Australorp and is usually the one who calls the others out for treats or sounds the alarm when she sees one of those horribly threatening airplanes flying overhead.

I'm really thinking she was just freaked out by all the noises from the pecan harvest reacted strangely (from my perspective).

They are sometimes scared by new noises

 

[DesertChic]

Here's a closeup of Evie, the Australorp who's behavior had concerned me:



And here she is in full while stretching her wing:



I caught her just after her dust bath and she still has specks of diatomaceous earth on her. She's just over 3 months old.
There's still no sign of any additional strange behavior.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Look at you and your dirty chickens! Judgements! JUDGMENTS UPON YOOOUUU!!!!

I kid, I kid. <3

Do you keep the DE around for mite/lice control? I'm curious what made you decide to use that with your chickens.

Also, the picture of her eye was blurry, and I couldn't tell... Is her pupil perfectly round and sharp?

MrsB

 

[DesertChic]

Look at you and your dirty chickens! Judgements! JUDGMENTS UPON YOOOUUU!!!!

I kid, I kid. <3

Do you keep the DE around for mite/lice control? I'm curious what made you decide to use that with your chickens.

Also, the picture of her eye was blurry, and I couldn't tell... Is her pupil perfectly round and sharp?

MrsB

LOL! Just call me Momma Pigpen.

They also tend to get dirty from the wet fermented feed I give them. It never ceases to amaze me, but somehow the Australorps always wind up wearing their food! I think it's because they're on the bottom of the pecking order and the Barred Rocks literally step on them to shoo them away from the feed troughs. Kids! Ugh!

I try not to use chemicals or pharmaceuticals at all with my chickens, and mites are a definite problem out here, so yes....mite control. Since our weather is warm pretty much all year long they can even be a problem in the winter. I'm hoping that an ounce of prevention will prove beneficial, so I use a mixture of sphagnum moss, DE and sand in their dust box, which I keep available to them under cover so they can dust bathe even on rainy days if they so choose.

When I examined her, her pupil looked very round and sharp, but in all honesty I know I didn't look as closely as I should have. I was examining pupil dilation and looking for glassiness and lack of visual awareness more than the shape and sharpness of the pupil. I'm still learning...so when we have our normal snuggle sessions tomorrow I'll be sure to examine her eye more closely. Is there anything else I should look for?

 

[getaclue]

Um, don't Australorps have solid black eyes?

 

[MrsBrooke]

Um, don't Australorps have solid black eyes?

Short answer - Yes.

Long answer - Her birds are hatchery Australorps, which have been bred for production, rather than to the SOP lending the birds to have incorrect eye color, sheen color, and various other small things that would DQ them from a show. You are 100% in that the SOP calls for a dark, black eye. It's also possible that some black sex-links were added to the strain for higher egg production... that would throw the eye color off as well. Hatcheries do that sometimes.

^ Here is one of my first attempts at breeding SOP. See that dark eye? Here's looking at you, kid!

MrsB

 

[MrsBrooke]

LOL! Just call me Momma Pigpen.   They also tend to get dirty from the wet fermented feed I give them. It never ceases to amaze me, but somehow the Australorps always wind up wearing their food! I think it's because they're on the bottom of the pecking order and the Barred Rocks literally step on them to shoo them away from the feed troughs. Kids! Ugh!

I try not to use chemicals or pharmaceuticals at all with my chickens, and mites are a definite problem out here, so yes....mite control. Since our weather is warm pretty much all year long they can even be a problem in the winter. I'm hoping that an ounce of prevention will prove beneficial, so I use a mixture of sphagnum moss, DE and sand in their dust box, which I keep available to them under cover so they can dust bathe even on rainy days if they so choose. 

When I examined her, her pupil looked very round and sharp, but in all honesty I know I didn't look as closely as I should have. I was examining pupil dilation and looking for glassiness and lack of visual awareness more than the shape and sharpness of the pupil. I'm still learning...so when we have our normal snuggle sessions tomorrow I'll be sure to examine her eye more closely. Is there anything else I should look for? 

If her pupil has jagged edges, that's a sign of Marek's. I *doubt* that's what it is... but I couldn't tell from the picture and want to double check.

Don't Google it. You won't sleep. -_-

MrsB