Australorps breed Thread

[Hillbilly Hen]

Here is one of my hens. I have two BA hens and they are so sweet. As you can tell this is the favorite nest box.

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

This is Jewels!!! Shes about a year and something old.. Born on July 13 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shes SO cute! And shes the ruler of the coop! When shebroods she gets crazy, she lays brown eggs, a good egg layer and a good mommy

(She adopted like three new little bantams xD.)

 

[Inkheart]

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She is SO beautiful! I cannot wait to get some - probably in the spring!

 

[fernnut]

I'm so glad to have found this thread. I've been doing research on this website for about a month and have learned a lot - and still have a lot to learn. About a week and a half ago I bought some BA eggs from a breeder on eBay. I've candled them twice and it looks like I only have 5 that have the potential of making it. Does anyone have a suggestion of where I can buy some eggs or babies from a breeder closer to home? I understand that shipping does lessen the survival rate of the eggs but that may be my only choice if I want to have more. I have a big family and was mainly interested in them for their egg production but after reading all your posts I see that I may find I'll have other reasons to like them

On a different note - is anyone here in the US raising the Australian version of Australorps? They sure are different looking. With all the limitations for exporting and importing is it even possible to buy chickens from Australia these days. Forgive my ignorance but is it possible to artificially inseminate a chicken if you're looking to reintroduce the original traits into the breed?

 

[OSUman]

What do you mean by the Australian version of Australorp?

Also the Australorps captured the English Class win at the Ohio National. Here he is

 

[fernnut]

youridreezen posted back in May, I think, that the Australorps in Australia looked different than ours do - check out that earlier part of the thread. The main thing I see from the few pictures is the lack of upright tail feathers in theirs - I'm new to chickens so forgive me if I don't know the proper terninology.

 

[gootziecat]

Is there an active Australorp Club in the states?

 

[aveca]

The australian australorps kept evolving while america sort of got away from breeding chickens for commercial grocery store chickens. Australians added croad langshan , clean legged langshan, , more english orpington, and created a bird with a much shorter tail, rounder darker eye ect...There is nothing wrong here that we cant fix. In my opinion, Australians are pushing the limits thou. The australorp is described as the bird of curves, If you look at australian web site , looks like a lot of the birds are loosing thier curves tail almost too small . They begin to look unbalanced to me. Like something is missing. he should curve from beak to tail, The bird in the nationals picture is a fine example of a bird who curves from his beak through his topline into his tail.tip of beak slightly curves down, he gently curves through his neck and back into tail and the tail gently curves down . A wonderful bird..Some of. many american australorps have a bit more leghorn and even some RIR thrown in..gave bigger tails but reatined egg laying capabilitys

Heres an interesting note from Ray connors book the australorp, he said that back when australorps were winning one world record after another for egg laying, somone in USA with some deep pockets imported all of those record egg laying birds here..Then when we moved more into the work force and off the farm, the australorp and delaware, buckeye and lot of other breeds fell by the wayside and some still on critical list..What a shame..the buckeye breeders are doing a fantastic job of bringing back the breed and delaware breeders are working up a storm, Australorp lovers are quietly working along , the bird that won nationals (love to know who his owner is) Think its posted at the site but that bird looks familiar to me, also love to know his origions..

Australians experience problems too, birds too up in the leg, red webbing between the toes, a no no, white beaks when adult. ect... ect... I think if they arnt careful they will ruin the over all look.. Ray connor is the 17 time world champion breeder.

 

[aveca]

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No , there was several years ago but like I said we all get caught up in the work a day world and they couldnt keep it going and work and homekeeping too so hopefully somone will pick it back up someday..were kind of on our own out here.
I was also told that some of the bloodlines of the record egg layers is in some hatchery stock and a few closed flocks, and there is a group of australians are upset that they cannot find a closed flock of the record egg layers there anymore. They are called ASCI? or somethingm like that, sadly we had them and let it slide into history. no one made it important.

 

[aveca]

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It wouldnt be too hard to reproduce what they did. A few of us are working on it..But taking care not to loose the curves .and considering the origional egg layuing capabilities..adding some english cooper black orpington, a pinch of clean legged langshan