Australorps breed Thread

[Granny368W]

Yeah,I'm not too sure what they say, but I thought the eggs would be a bit darker brown....

 

[WVGal]

I have been getting a variety all the way from the light light brown from some and the darker ones from others.

 

[bruceha2000]

It's very hard to get good pictures of them. They are too busy foraging. The only thing that stops them is the potential for a treat.

Good chickens!!!

I have been getting a variety all the way from the light light brown from some and the darker ones from others.

My 3.5 Y/O BAs lay brown but one is kinda halfway to a Maran's dark brown and the other is clearly a lighter brown. Not near as light as the ones appps has though. The only birds I have that lay that light a brown are the 2 Cubalaya.

 

[Birdrain92]

I have 24 Black Australorps pullets and they have a variety of eggs. Here's a picture of one of the nests.

 

[WVGal]

I noticed some of my hens have light (almost white) ears and some are darker. Since I read there is a direct correlation between ear color and egg color it made sense to me.

 

[Granny368W]

I noticed some of my hens have light (almost white) ears and some are darker. Since I read there is a direct correlation between ear color and egg color it made sense to me.

I wonder why some have lighter ears, I noticed that some of their combs aren't as red as they were in the summer. I have 2 hens that are really late layers...I just got in and there were 2 eggs out there that were laid about 6 p.m...... Isn't that kind of late in the day for them to lay?

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

If your pullets are very young they could appear to have pinkish ear lobes, however if they are mature and laying eggs and they have white earlobes they are of a mixed breed and not pure or accepted Australorps. Far to many people think that all black chickens are Black Australorps.

As far as egg color here, or in Australia the accepted color is brown not white, however there are shades of brown due to the laying cycle of the bird and the birds age.

 

[Birdrain92]

I wonder why some have lighter ears, I noticed that some of their combs aren't as red as they were in the summer. I have 2 hens that are really late layers...I just got in and there were 2 eggs out there that were laid about 6 p.m...... Isn't that kind of late in the day for them to lay?

Mine are lay throughout the day but most are layed around 5 pm.

 

[Granny368W]

If your pullets are very young they could appear to have pinkish ear lobes, however if they are mature and laying eggs and they have white earlobes they are of a mixed breed and not pure or accepted Australorps. Far to many people think that all black chickens are Black Australorps. 

As far as egg color here, or in Australia the accepted color is brown not white, however there are shades of brown due to the laying cycle of the bird and the birds age. 

I think mine are 8 months old..Is that mature? Well I ordered Australorps and they have black legs in the front and cream colored on the bottom of their feet....I can only go by what I was told... Rae

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

A pullet is 0 to one year old. A hen is 1 year plus. Same rule for cockerels and cock birds (roosters). At eight months and laying eggs they are mature and should not have white earlobes. A copy of the American Poultry Asssociation book titled Standard of Perfection that cost around $60 answers all the questions about different breeds and what qualifies them to be that breed.

In reference to when a chook lays an egg it takes 25 hours from start to finish in the oviduct. That means if your bird lays an egg at 8AM then if it lays the next day it will be 9AM and so on daily. Sometime around late afternoon their whole biological clock resets and they start over again in the morning if they don't take a day or two off. If someone tells you that their chooks lay two eggs a day they are lying to you, it takes at least 25 hours.
Kurt