Australorps breed Thread

[maddogdodge]

@maddogdodge . Looks very like mine, my wing feathers are coming in black so I'm thinking mine are black and it's just the down that's going to have that dark grey shade.

Funny to have those couple light feathers, almost like it got a splash of splash

Yeah the light feathers are unexpected to say the least! Will be interesting to see what happens as it gets older!

I've finally figured out what my other mystery black chick is - Australorp X Plymouth Rock, It's got some slight barring coming through

 

[DesertChic]

My first little Australorp is now 2 weeks old! Gee time flies!

As this is my first time hatching Australorps can anyone clarify for me... Blue or black? I'm thinking black...




Also is this little white feather on his/her wing something to be expected?

Those white wing feathers in youth are normal for this breed and they will eventually be replaces by black feathers upon reaching maturity. They threw me off at first too.

The real fun comes on that first day that you see the gorgeous green, blue, or purple sheen on those black feathers. I didn't want my girls to step out of the sunlight because it showed off that color so brilliantly.

 

[DesertChic]

I'm beginning to think that crossing my Bielefelder cockerel with my Australorp pullets resulted in sex-linked chick. Two of my three chicks have bright white spots on their heads and so far appear to be female, while the third one has a fainter white spot and appears to be male....much like the sex-linking tendencies seen in Barred Rocks.

Oh...and at not quite 1.5 weeks my apparent male is already flying up to the rim of the brooder and roosting.

It's a good thing I'll be moving these guys out to the cabin in the next couple days. Otherwise I suspect they'd be running around in my office before the end of the week.

My suspect cockerel at 1 week old:

 

[Gramma Chick]

I'm beginning to think that crossing my Bielefelder cockerel with my Australorp pullets resulted in sex-linked chick.
that makes sense because of the barring .
I have 2 olive eggers that I hatched that are the same way - Boy
Girl was just gray



Two of my three chicks have bright white spots on their heads and so far appear to be female, while the third one has a fainter white spot and appears to be male....much like the sex-linking tendencies seen in Barred Rocks.
My suspect cockerel at 1 week old:



Love the wing tips ..be interesting to see what it turns out to be ..is that normal coloring for a Bielefelder

 

[Gramma Chick]

My first little Australorp is now 2 weeks old! Gee time flies!

As this is my first time hatching Australorps can anyone clarify for me... Blue or black? I'm thinking black...



not a expert but looks like a blue to me

 

[MonicainAZ]

I'm probably even less of an expert, but I'd guess blue as well. My black chicks were pretty darn black. Of course it is difficult to tell with the photo with lighting, etc. Also the wing tips of mine where bright white and those look grayish, although I don't know if that means anything. Will be neat to see how the little tyke grows up!

 

[appps]

@maddogdodge. I'm actually going to revise my guess to blue too. Had a better look at mine and looking from above they aren't all grey like yours, they have the same colour on their wings but their backs are definatly a blacker colour.

 

[DesertChic]

Bielefelder chicks look more like chipmunks. Here are a couple from my flock when they were chicks:

Boy

Girl


And how they look now that they're mature:
The girls are on the left and one of my cockerels is watching over them on the right....along with a few of my Naked Neck Turkens.

 

[Gramma Chick]

 

[maddogdodge]

I'm starting to think he/she is blue as well!

Had 2 more little Australorps successfully hatch One is definitely black, the other is possibly blue... so hard to tell!

Terrible lighting I know (Its been a dark and dreary day today)... Blue at top, black at bottom?


The little black one

And my little Splash one


Also remember In my first hatch, I had a little black chick that I wasn't sure what it was... well I figured it out... Bantam Australorp X Plymouth Rock - I can see some barring coming through on those feathers!