Australorps breed Thread

[ronott1]

An egg! My Cackle Australorp started off with a bang and laid a 40g egg on her first go. She's 20 weeks and one day. Go, you big black noisy bird, go!

That is very good!

 

[chickisoup]

Thanks!

Yes, she should stick with it. It is usually best to wait a week before putting egg under a broody.

You can't get eggs shipped to you from ebay? One trick I have heard of is to drive into the country and listen for crowing. When you find a place with roosters, knock on the door and see what they have.

Thank you Ron, I live waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in the country, that's part of the problem. Nothing but trees, loggers and some potato fields to the south. You did give me something to think about tho. I just might have to settle for chicks other than Aussie

She will stick? I never heard about waiting a week!!! I still have time!!! I am involved with a pet (canine) CPR class in town tomorrow night, just maybe I might get lucky and make a connection.

 

[chickisoup]

If all else fails and you need to break her I simply use whatever it takes to stop them accessing a nesting box for 3 days. And that's not on it at night either. We have a very determined silkie and it's always worked even with her (though once when she really had her heart set on it it took a week!). I don't lock them up in a cage or anything, I just put a barrier in the pen with food and water so she can't get to it of a day and lock the nest box at night to keep her off then as well so she has to roost with the others. After 3 full days let her have access and if she heads to it give it another 24 hrs then check again till she doesn't.

I don't see the point of allowing them to sit, eating very little food and producing no eggs for a month or more if there isn't going to be chicks at the end of it anyway. I figure why put their bodies through that stress for nothing.

I am afraid it might come to that and I agree with you, I don't believe in letting them "ride it out" but I hate to do some of the other things that sound a bit cruel to me to break them. I like your method and it's doable with my current setup with just a little creativity.

 

[appps]

I am afraid it might come to that and I agree with you, I don't believe in letting them "ride it out" but I hate to do some of the other things that sound a bit cruel to me to break them. I like your method and it's doable with my current setup with just a little creativity.

Has been working well for me for 2 years now. I stupidly bought every broody breed out there

Sometimes when I have more than one broody and they are both in too bad a mood to share the exclusion zone, Ive just put one in my backyard to wander so they couldn't get to the nest box. Still worked. First day and a half they can think of nothing but getting back to the nest but after that they settle to just wandering. Need the full 3 days at least though to forget

As long as you keep them off the nest box 24 hrs a day while doing it, how you keep them off doesnt seem to matter.

Oh and Im with you, my kids would put up an almighty protest if I put them in a cage with ice blocks to sit on!

 

[orumpoultry]

I thoroughly enjoy broody hens. I'm hoping nine continues to sit. She's currently on and off, but, if she's anything like her bloodlines.... She'll go broody soon.

 

[chickisoup]

I thoroughly enjoy broody hens. I'm hoping nine continues to sit. She's currently on and off, but, if she's anything like her bloodlines.... She'll go broody soon.

I would enjoy mine too if I had been prepared for it. With this stupid Avian Influenza having my whole state in lockdown still and it well into the warm weather, she caught me by surprise. Then her being barely of age and just acting funky, I didn't think she was going to stick.
Live and learn, sigh.

 

[orumpoultry]

Those are the worst. I have an American game hen that went broody the day after her first egg. She's an excellent hen.

 

[V1cky]

Does anyone know why Australorp's eyes can change colour? My hen's eyes have turned orange and would like to check that it's not something to be concerned about.

 

[ronott1]

mareks

Does anyone know why Australorp's eyes can change colour? My hen's eyes have turned orange and would like to check that it's not something to be concerned about.

look into mareks and eye changes.

 

[V1cky]

I've looked into eye changes but all I can find is green is a sign of cancer and grey for mareks but nothing about orange. My hen's eye colour is just looking like a normal chickens eyes now. She's my first and only australorp so I have no experience in knowing if it's something normal that happens as they age or what.