Australorps breed Thread

[Rachel'sFlock]

Ok, John, I will try to get some pics today!
Brightest Blessings!

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Ok, here are a couple of pics of my hens:

last year's May 8 hatch (from Tillamook Feed Store, hatchery unknown)

this year's March 14 hatch (from Dunlap Hatchery, via Lincoln City Feed)

their tails seem very different to me, and when the hens are relaxed, the pullets from Dunlap have a very curvy, Aussie look to them, whereas last year's girls' tails seem still very pointy to me.

Sorry, John, have never seen any brown on any of mine.

Brightest Blessings!

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
Update...

Your input has been very much appreciated, thank you!
Yesterday Pearl layed her first little brown egg and another this morning that's a bit bigger. It's so exciting!
As to her breed, I mentioned earlier that she had yellow feet which pointed to Jersey Giant. When I first got her in May she was 3 - 4 months old and that's when I took the pic showing yellow feet. Today when I picked her up I was looking at her feet for another reason and noticed they are no longer yellow. That seems kind of strange to me. Do the color of their feet change as they age???? They are most definitely not yellow now, I'd call them creamy. So just maybe, with all your help, I can call her an Australorp with a fair degree of confidence. Cool!

One more question... Do Australorp hens always have red around the eyes? Pearl's have remained black.

Thanks Again!

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
Update...

Your input has been very much appreciated, thank you!
Yesterday Pearl layed her first little brown egg and another this morning that's a bit bigger. It's so exciting!
As to her breed, I mentioned earlier that she had yellow feet which pointed to Jersey Giant. When I first got her in May she was 3 - 4 months old and that's when I took the pic showing yellow feet. Today when I picked her up I was looking at her feet for another reason and noticed they are no longer yellow. That seems kind of strange to me. Do the color of their feet change as they age???? They are most definitely not yellow now, I'd call them creamy. So just maybe, with all your help, I can call her an Australorp with a fair degree of confidence. Cool!

One more question... Do Australorp hens always have red around the eyes? Pearl's have remained black.

Thanks Again!

>>>>>>>>>>>
Congratulations again in the egg(From the First Egg Countdown Thread)

Mine changed quite a bit as they aged. I would call her an Australorp. Jersey Giant hens weigh upwards of 11 pounds and will be about twice the size of the other chickens, so you will know for sure at about a year old.

Eyes are supposed to be large and black. Mine are black and brown and one has a bit of white at the bottom(she is my favorite).

Ron

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
Hi Ron,
Thanks again. Just to double check that we're talking about the same thing... you are talking about the skin around the eyes, right?

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
Hi Ron,
Thanks again. Just to double check that we're talking about the same thing... you are talking about the skin around the eyes, right?

>>>>>>>>>>>
Hi Carolyn,

Oh, I was talking about the eye color. The standard is red face and wattles, but the hatchery BA's and most of the BA's in America don't quite follow the standards. Yours is not show quality, but looks like a BA that is either a hatchery or a mix of some sort. It could be that the guy you got her from was trying to use BA's to make Black Sex Link Chickens. There is a sex link thread here that has great information and lists what rooster you can cross with what hen to make the different types of sex link chickens.

Here is the forum: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208

Maybe yours is a cross between a BA and a Black Andalusian? That would make a chicken that is sex linked but does not look like the ones from the Tractor Supply Store(or other feed sore\\hatchery) that are called Black Sex Links. Did you ask the guy you got Pearl from?

Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Enjoy the eggs!

Ron

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
Hi Ron,
Thanks again. Just to double check that we're talking about the same thing... you are talking about the skin around the eyes, right?

>>>>>>>>>>>
Hi Carolyn,

Oh, I was talking about the eye color. The standard is red face and wattles, but the hatchery BA's and most of the BA's in America don't quite follow the standards. Yours is not show quality, but looks like a BA that is either a hatchery or a mix of some sort. It could be that the guy you got her from was trying to use BA's to make Black Sex Link Chickens. There is a sex link thread here that has great information and lists what rooster you can cross with what hen to make the different types of sex link chickens.

Here is the forum: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208

Maybe yours is a cross between a BA and a Black Andalusian? That would make a chicken that is sex linked but does not look like the ones from the Tractor Supply Store(or other feed sore\\hatchery) that are called Black Sex Links. Did you ask the guy you got Pearl from?

Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Enjoy the eggs!

Ron

Okay, thanks again. The people I got Pearl from bought her from another person that I don't know. They weren't at all helpful in getting back to the source.

Thus my search here on BYC. So I really do appreciate all the information here! I feel comfortable saying now that she's a BA or BA mix. And I'm definitely going to enjoy the eggs!

 

[OSUman]

Quote:
Update...

Your input has been very much appreciated, thank you!
Yesterday Pearl layed her first little brown egg and another this morning that's a bit bigger. It's so exciting!
As to her breed, I mentioned earlier that she had yellow feet which pointed to Jersey Giant. When I first got her in May she was 3 - 4 months old and that's when I took the pic showing yellow feet. Today when I picked her up I was looking at her feet for another reason and noticed they are no longer yellow. That seems kind of strange to me. Do the color of their feet change as they age???? They are most definitely not yellow now, I'd call them creamy. So just maybe, with all your help, I can call her an Australorp with a fair degree of confidence. Cool!

One more question... Do Australorp hens always have red around the eyes? Pearl's have remained black.

Thanks Again!

She might have Gypsy face where the skin on the face is black, its a genetic issue thats purely cosmetic so if you plan to breed for show dont use her but in any other way it will be fine.

 

[gootziecat]

I have Australorps that are 4 months old that came from Duane Urch. The pullets still have totally black skin around the face and eyes. Maybe Pearl isn't close enough to laying to develop the red skin. Some lines may be a little late in maturing. I would not totally discount her being mixed yet.

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
Update...

Your input has been very much appreciated, thank you!
Yesterday Pearl layed her first little brown egg and another this morning that's a bit bigger. It's so exciting!
As to her breed, I mentioned earlier that she had yellow feet which pointed to Jersey Giant. When I first got her in May she was 3 - 4 months old and that's when I took the pic showing yellow feet. Today when I picked her up I was looking at her feet for another reason and noticed they are no longer yellow. That seems kind of strange to me. Do the color of their feet change as they age???? They are most definitely not yellow now, I'd call them creamy. So just maybe, with all your help, I can call her an Australorp with a fair degree of confidence. Cool!

One more question... Do Australorp hens always have red around the eyes? Pearl's have remained black.

Thanks Again!

She might have Gypsy face where the skin on the face is black, its a genetic issue thats purely cosmetic so if you plan to breed for show dont use her but in any other way it will be fine.

Gypsy Face... that's a new term for me, thank you. I won't be breeding or showing her, but it's good to know anyway. I have her just for eggs, so all is well and I'm a happy camper since she's just started laying.