Australorps breed Thread

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

I need some BBS from you in a few months Kurt. My husband and I will be expanding our pens. I'd love to get my hands on them.

-Kate

OK, you know where to find me. We will work something out. I have sent eggs to AZ without a problem, so TX should be no problem. I try to take the summer off for breeding, but I am getting a lot of requests for hatching eggs. I never hatch and sell locally in the summer because it is just too hard on the little buggers IMO. My main breeding and hatching is done Jan.- April for show prospects in the fall here on the east coast. Special arranged breedings have been done in the past, and I am involved with a BYC member at present.
Kurt

 

[orumpoultry]

It'll be January before I am ready I'm afraid. We've got lots of trees to get cut up between now and then.

 

[PhxBirds]

Yeah...I've got one of those tenacious broodies I'm working with right now. She's a NN mix...with Cochin, I think....and even after walking around for hours all day after I've removed her from the nesting box and closed it off to her, at night she makes a bee-line for the box containing her favorite golf ball and resumes her diligent efforts to hatch the darn thing. I think in the next few days I may just make her up a broody nest in my air conditioned chicken cabin, add a couple fertilized eggs from her and her flock sisters and let her have her way. 

I just had a BA do that to me...just refused to get off that nest and lay. So I let her set on a fake nest for a week then snuck in a day old EE. She's being a great mother, the chick is 3 weeks old now. I'm hoping to put them back in general population in the next few weeks and start getting eggs out of her again.

 

[DesertChic]

I just had a BA do that to me...just refused to get off that nest and lay. So I let her set on a fake nest for a week then snuck in a day old EE. She's being a great mother, the chick is 3 weeks old now. I'm hoping to put them back in general population in the next few weeks and start getting eggs out of her again.

I can't wait until I can turn one of my broodies into a momma. It's just not the right time for me right now. I'm still building all the individual pens in my cabin and want to have a designated are for mommy and babies.

 

[PhxBirds]

I can't wait until I can turn one of my broodies into a momma. It's just not the right time for me right now. I'm still building all the individual pens in my cabin and want to have a designated are for mommy and babies. 

Oh how nice!!! With this heat in AZ I'm definitely done with babies and broodies until the fall. It's sooo precious to see the interaction between a broody and chick- watching mom tell her what to eat and teach how to dig for bugs and dust bathe. Too cute!

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

Cracrzy,
Those RSR BBS Aussies look fantastic. Broad backs, nice tented tail feathers, correct coloring for the blues and dynamite lacing. I am glad you are happy with them. Next year I will be pushing for more splashes with more darker spots out of one of my breeding pens also, sorry you did not get any this hatch.
Kurt

No worries ! I'm very happy with this hatch

!! The lacing on a couple of the blues is awesome !! . I'm hoping for a blue roo, but it's not looking too promising. But next year if I breed, Black x Blue I will get more Blues & Blacks and hopefully a nice Blue roo. Can't wait to see the new RSR Splashes next year !

Did the eggs you sent me come from one breeding pen or a couple ??

 

[DesertChic]

Oh how nice!!! With this heat in AZ I'm definitely done with babies and broodies until the fall. It's sooo precious to see the interaction between a broody and chick- watching mom tell her what to eat and teach how to dig for bugs and dust bathe. Too cute!

When I bought my first chicks last November I included three Silkies specifically in the hopes of getting a broody hen. Well, two of my Silkies turned out to be lovely, but cranky, little cockerels, and my one pullet had some head-bobbing issues that made me think she would never be "normal". Then, as soon as the AZ heat kicked in this past June she suddenly turned broody. The poor little thing looked like she was baking in that nesting box, often sitting only on the dummy eggs I'd put in there for training. I felt awful about having to break her of her broodiness but just didn't have things set up to allow her to hatch eggs or raise chicks. Then, as soon as I'd finally succeeded in breaking her broodiness, two of my NN Turkens turned broody and I had to start all over again. Ugh! These girls simply have a horrible sense of timing!

 

[orumpoultry]

Broody hen update: Number nine has spent her first full day and night in the box. If she continues to sit, I'll move her to the broody house in her box. I will be heading south for eggs for her if she is. Giving Mrs. B. a hard time while we're there and drooling over her flock of Aussies.

 

[Violetsfeathers]

I don't think my black australorp hen has a dark enough eye

 

[ronott1]

I don't think my black australorp hen has a dark enough eye

The eye should be darker. Watch the eye though--eye changes can be caused by the first mareks infection. It is not fatal usually and all chickens get it--a small percentage go on to develop cancer at about age two.

The eye may go to a grey color. If it stays the same, then no worries!