Australorps breed Thread

[kla37]

Quote:
She's very pretty!

 

[Adorkable]

Thank you Stan and Kla. She's a very good girl. It looks like she laid 2 eggs today... but wait that can't be right lol.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Howdy Australorp-raising buddies!

I love my Australorps! I received a small flock from a co-worker who needed to travel a lot, half Australorps and half various Plymouth Rocks. Nothing against the Rocks, but the 'Lorps have just thrived in our high desert southwest climate and, um, "minimalistic management style". Our roo, Karl, is a perfect gentleman, looking out for his gals and not too rough with them. I was going to switch over to Delawares, as that breed needs some serious help from breeders, but couldn't part with the Australorps. So now we're half-and-half, and things are going great!

Now that I found this thread, I'll post some pics later. Just saying howdy for now.

Cheers!

Bryan

 

[tigercreek]

Adorkable, - that comment was directed to the hen!!, but you are welcome as the keeper I guess.

And really Bryan, more than one breed is allowed, we have a couple of Deles too, and would like to get more when we get in our permanet home, but the Aussies will come first. .........stan

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

We have 4 ba hens and I just received 20 ba chicks. Got s/r hoping for half boys to put in freezer camp. Just read somewhere, tho, that because they have such dark feathers, they are unappetizing to butcher because of all of the black pinfeathers left after plucking.

Is that right? If we skin at processing time, that should pull any pinfeathers off thus dealing with the problem, right?

We're breeding them separately for eggs, chicks and meat, keeping them away from our other chickens. I chose them not only because they are dual purpose and go broody but because I can't really tell them apart, which means I can't name them, which means it'll be easier to let them go to camp.

August will be our first processing time. We're a little anxious. Hoping the chicks we got last week will be big enough to start culling a few in August. Then do a few more in November (probably). Aiming for a few every 3 months. Encouraging broodiness at every possible time.

 

[tigercreek]

The problem with the black pin feathers is that you can see them, people think they have not done as good a job of cleaning them. You will have just as many pin feathers on a white bird, but not know it. It's just about marketing. Not sure how broody hatchery birds will be, I have been told that broodiness has been bred out of them. As far as them all looking aloke,

. Prettty sure you will have favorites, and be able to pick out individuals, even though they are all the same color. I hope the processing goes well for you though, I think you will be needing to get rid of some of the cockerels at 6 months. They should be big enough, and should have started to act like roosters. It may make it easier to send 'Big Bart' to camp!

I think you have made a good choice from you description of your needs. seems well thought out. Hope my Aussie plans work out that good. ...stan

Quote:

 

[cubalaya]

do most of you butcher your australorps at 2o weeks?

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

For what it's worth, 2 out of our 4 two-year-old hens are good broodies. The other two and all the one-year-olds couldn't care less about setting.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Our original 4 b.a. girls are just 1 year old now, and we'll be satisfied if just one goes broody. That will actually earn her a reprieve! I still can't tell them apart but there have been time when I wanted to: like when one got an eye infection, we isolated her, once she was healed we reintegrated her and now we have no clue who it was. Then there is one that likes to jump up on my lap looking for a treat ... sure wish I knew which one that was.

But we also have those 20 b.a. chicks, and 9 s/r silkies (hoping to have a few of them girls, and out of them, a few to go broody).

We had kept last year's single boy but he started getting too rough with his girls (they still have no back feathers), but when he started attacking me, we sold him. He'd lost a lot of his comb due to frostbite anyway.

Good to know about the pin feathers. I don't generally cook with the skin so I think I won't give them a second thought, just pulling off the skin, and the pins with them.

Thanks for the compliment.

 

[matte]

Has anyone had BA's from Cackle? I've had some pretty good ones from McMurray in the past. I'm going to order some more. I like Cackle, but I know that their New Hampshire's were much scrawnier than McMurray's.