Australorps breed Thread

[ragschickens]

Does this look like an Austrolorp? She is my favorite!

 

[MonicainAZ]

Never seen anyone doing that on here before. Wouldn't you get more bang for your buck just taking the supplement yourself though rather than diluting it through the chickens? Or are you doing it as much for the chickens health?

I am not a nutritionist (either human or poultry nutritionist, lol), but I use an omega-3 feed as well, for a couple of different reasons. It is probably better for the chickens since grains (as opposed to pasture and forage) is relatively low in omega-3. But it also has to do with what "omega-3" you are talking about exactly. The Purina feed, like others, contains flaxseed oil. This is beneficial for humans as a supplement but it is only one type of omega 3, ALA.

Animals (such as salmon, hens, and people) metabolize ALA into other omega 3 fats, DHA and EPA which are even more beneficial from a health perspective. This is why we are usually counselled to take fish oil supplements, not flaxseed oil, because it has more of the active components and we don't have to metabolize it. Also some people have issues with this conversion process. If you are a vegetarian, eggs are one of the best sources of omega-3 fats. By feeding the flaxseed oil to the hens, you get them to do the work for you, just as they are doing the work of converting grain and grass that we can't digest too well into tasty proteins and fats that are more nutritious to us. Just another way they pay their rent

http://flaxcouncil.ca/resources/nut...x-in-a-vegetarian-diet/omega-3-enriched-eggs/

 

[mamatink7]

I am not a nutritionist (either human or poultry nutritionist, lol), but I use an omega-3 feed as well, for a couple of different reasons.  It is probably better for the chickens since grains (as opposed to pasture and forage) is relatively low in omega-3.  But it also has to do with what "omega-3" you are talking about exactly.  The Purina feed, like others, contains flaxseed oil.  This is beneficial for humans as a supplement but it is only one type of omega 3, ALA.

Animals (such as salmon, hens, and people) metabolize ALA into other omega 3 fats, DHA and EPA which are even more beneficial from a health perspective.  This is why we are usually counselled to take fish oil supplements, not flaxseed oil, because it has more of the active components and we don't have to metabolize it.  Also some people have issues with this conversion process.  If you are a vegetarian, eggs are one of the best sources of omega-3 fats.  By feeding the flaxseed oil to the hens, you get them to do the work for you, just as they are doing the work of converting grain and grass that we can't digest too well into tasty proteins and fats that are more nutritious to us.  Just another way they pay their rent

http://flaxcouncil.ca/resources/nut...x-in-a-vegetarian-diet/omega-3-enriched-eggs/

thank you for the support I am thrilled I could find the Omega 3 on the side so the girls can get it. Definitely has helped.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:
How to do it ?
Here is a thread to help ...with Beekissed <-as the expert
It works for all birds not just meaties
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds

 

[Gramma Chick]

Does this look like an Austrolorp? She is my favorite!

She looks like she has slate legs ...Does she have black eyes and and red skin on her neck under her feathers ?

 

[BusyStFarmer]

I just wanted to make sure she was a Black Australorp and not one of the many other black hens lol
Any way of knowing for sure? Sorry pictures are bad it was feeding time and she was not happy about being pestered

Thanks in advance!

 

[CiceroXY]

I just wanted to make sure she was a Black Australorp and not one of the many other black hens lol
Any way of knowing for sure? Sorry pictures are bad it was feeding time and she was not happy about being pestered

Thanks in advance!

In my opinion she is an Australorp because her body shape and the colour are in standard. My only doubt is the eye colour. She should have got black eyes not yellow. Could you take a picture of her paws?

 

[BusyStFarmer]

Absolutely! I will take a picture when I get home. Keep an eye out for my post.

 

[CiceroXY]

Okay However your Australorp seems to be still young Has she already started laying?

 

[nearlyalegume]

Hi folks, quick question (which has probably been answered but the idea of trawling through 1000+ pages of comments... eep...

We've recently adopted three little chicks from the hatching program at my son's school - two Lohmann browns, which I'm reasonably confident are female based upon their colouring (I read somewhere that the male and female chicks are different colours), but we also have a sweet little Australorp, the only one of the whole lot that hatched! My son (who is six) was dead set that we had to take the black chicken home, but now I'm worrying that 'Vader', as said chick has been dubbed, will turn out to be more 'Darth Vader' than 'My Girl Vada', if you know what I mean!

Are there any Australorp-specific early signs I should be looking for? He/She is about a week old - the last chick to hatch, according to my son - so it's VERY early to be trying to tell... but if we're going to have to rehome Vader because he's a he, I'd rather word the kids up and get them ready for that as early as possible.

Here's a picture of Vader and one of the other two chicks, named Saffron. Not a great photo, but I didn't want to scare them. I can try to take better ones if that helps any.

Thanks!!