Australorps breed Thread

[orumpoultry]

Been ages since i've posted on BYC... so much to catch up on in this thread!!

I've been thinking I'd love to have a separate group of Australorps, 4 hens and 1 roo, that I could hatch chicks from... just as a bit of a hobby because I thoroughly enjoyed hatching chicks last time, and I love Australorps. I wasn't looking for my potential Australorps yet, but the other day I came across some beautiful 10 week old pullets for sale, I just couldn't resist! 


So tomorrow I pick up 4 little Aussie pullets, 2 black, 1 blue and 1 splash   Sadly I can't get a rooster for them until I build a new pen to keep him in, as I already have 1 rooster, and I doubt they'd ever get along!

I'll post pics once they're here.

Welcome back! I'm jealous of your new bbs babies. Can't find them around Texas.

 

[chickisoup]

Welcome back! I'm jealous of your new bbs babies. Can't find them around Texas.

same here! I love my BA's but would love to add a blue or two. Plz supply some pics

 

[orumpoultry]

:cheers EIGHT of my shipped BA eggs are going into lock down! That's 50% making it into lock down, and these guys came from across the country. The box was REALLY torn up when they got here so the fact that 50% are going in is really exciting. I'd be happy if four hatched from this group, let alone EIGHT!!!! Lock down is in three days.


My teenage boys are starting to get a little rambunxious. One of them is starting attempt crowing. I thought I heard a dying lady yesterday, however, it was just one of the teenagers. They're getting so big. The biggest of the boys is already bigger than my smallest adult hen.

 

[lightchick]

I've had some that were kind of a mauve color maybe. I get a lot with purple or lavender speckles.

x2

 

[MrsBrooke]

Yesterday's take from eight mamas.

From left: Pullet egg, Little Mama, Big Mama. Love these girls!!! ♡

MrsB

 

[Gramma Chick]

Been ages since i've posted on BYC... so much to catch up on in this thread!!

I've been thinking I'd love to have a separate group of Australorps, 4 hens and 1 roo, that I could hatch chicks from... just as a bit of a hobby because I thoroughly enjoyed hatching chicks last time, and I love Australorps. I wasn't looking for my potential Australorps yet, but the other day I came across some beautiful 10 week old pullets for sale, I just couldn't resist!

So tomorrow I pick up 4 little Aussie pullets, 2 black, 1 blue and 1 splash

Sadly I can't get a rooster for them until I build a new pen to keep him in, as I already have 1 rooster, and I doubt they'd ever get along!

I'll post pics once they're here.

If they also have a baby roo I would get one ..Do you have a large run or coop ?
They will usually tolerate each other if it is a baby roo..and a dominant roo.
He will let him know he is # 1 and the young roo will learn to watch for him & run out of his way ...
I call it " You are in my space ...Move It " ...
Now I would Not introduce 2 older Roos ...together that is asking for trouble .
When all the youngsters get older you could separate them into 2 flocks ..
I have 2 adult roos in a flock of 20 hens ..currently
with the younger one growing up together from 1 month old .they all free ranged together ...then at night they separated because of the food difference .
( baby food & layer ..)
Once they were eating the same food I put them all together
you normally let them all see each other for a week or two before put them all together right ?

 

[maddogdodge]

If they also have a baby roo I would get one ..Do you have a large run or coop ?
They will usually tolerate each other if it is a baby roo..and a dominant roo.
He will let him know he is # 1 and the young roo will learn to watch for him & run out of his way ...
I call it " You are in my space ...Move It " ...
Now I would Not introduce 2 older Roos ...together that is asking for trouble .
When all the youngsters get older you could separate them into 2 flocks ..
I have 2 adult roos in a flock of 20 hens ..currently
with the younger one growing up together from 1 month old .they all free ranged together ...then at night they separated because of the food difference .
( baby food & layer ..)
Once they were eating the same food I put them all together
you normally let them all see each other for a week or two before put them all together right ?

I think she does have some baby roo's.... Hmmm, I'll have to think about it.

I'd love to get a roo now... but if he reaches full size and fights start happening, I don't want to be under pressure to build a new yard for him if I really don't have the time to (work commitments).

I had 3 roos that I got as chicks once, all got along fine for the most part, few little squabbles here and there, but all was good. The boy I kept is quite docile compared to the other two, he never really started fights. Anyway so they were all good together until one day, two of them just lost it and suddenly were full on trying to kill each other!! I had to separate them all and sell two of them as fast as I could because I really didn't have the yards to separate 3 roosters!

I'm definitely going to start looking into building a yard as soon as I can, just gotta figure out, where, when and how, haha

So I think it would probably be best to wait until the yard is built before I get another roo, just so there isn't any pressure.

Bit of a shame, I love roosters, and am excited to have an Australorp rooster!!

And yes, I have a smaller pen next to my big chook yard that I use to introduce pullets to the flock. Sadly its not quite suited for fully grown birds... not permanently at least.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Do BA eggs usually look like this or do I have a special BA?
She always lays the darkest egg of all my girls and it always has speckles on it!

I found this
Speckled Eggs / Egg Color -
A hen spending too much time in the sunlight can actually have a bleaching effect on the color egg that a hen lays, as can not having access to cool water. So shade and cold water is important to maintain eggshell color as well as overall chicken health. Other things like the presence of mites or disease can also result in paler than normal eggshells.

As an egg travels through the dye process, it rotates. If it rotates too slowly, the egg will be speckled.
If the egg rotates too fast, the egg will have streaks of color.

 

[Gramma Chick]

I think she does have some baby roo's.... Hmmm, I'll have to think about it.


I had 3 roos that I got as chicks once, normal --

A younger roo grown up in a flock is less likely to challenge a older roo ..
Than 2 or 3 or more Roos that come of age all at the same time ...Unless you get a Mean Roo
We had someone give us 11 chickens ..of that bunch 4 were hens ( Americanas , Sumatras ) 7 were Roos
As they grew up...they challenged each other ...but never challenged ...Lucky our Aussie Roo...
Alls he ever had to do to them.. is charge...and they were out of there ...They have all been eaten now .
Lucky is still our Main Roo - 3 - 4 years old , Bobbie is # 2 - 8 - he Mates with the hens when Lucky is not near him ...as he can ..
If Lucky comes charging ...because a hen is complaining ...He is out of there ...


And yes, I have a smaller pen next to my big chook yard that I use to introduce pullets to the flock. Sadly its not quite suited for fully grown birds... not permanently at least.

Do you let them free range or are they all cooped ?
You could put the just ...young roo in the pen if you had a problem ..

 

[jbkirk]

I found this
Speckled Eggs / Egg Color -
A hen spending too much time in the sunlight can actually have a bleaching effect on the color egg that a hen lays, as can not having access to cool water. So shade and cold water is important to maintain eggshell color as well as overall chicken health. Other things like the presence of mites or disease can also result in paler than normal eggshells.

As an egg travels through the dye process, it rotates. If it rotates too slowly, the egg will be speckled.
If the egg rotates too fast, the egg will have streaks of color.

BUT welsummers always lay speckled eggs