Australorps breed Thread

[aveca]

some very good australorp hatching eggs. his wing is dropped but im thinking that he might just be doing what roosters do when you start to get close to them..maybe something to ask about and more pictures

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Australorp-...504?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c4f3b188

 

[Fiddlehead]

gosh im sorry i dont know him...but hes probably one of those hidden treasures that has fantastic birds but stays busy and quiet..if you find him and his birds hope you can post some pics for us..there is a guy near slatington pa jack t. he has quite a stable of winning poultry , but hes so busy that hes hard to get ahold of..and he isnt on the internet much if at all..he had some outstanding australorps..won all over southeast with them..great birds.i hope you can track him down..love to know more about him..the australorp rooster I have line is from mass origionally , lot of aussie breeders are humble bumbles..they just quietly keep them going ..like to know more about them if you find him.

Thanks anyway! I found his name, Guy Roy out of Springfield, Ma.... He is a hidden treasure, lots of wins!!

 

[aveca]

LOVE to see some pics...he is one of those hidden treasures..bob whitney is same way..he has east coast champion australorps..he showed a pullet last year and i just stopped right in front of her..couldnt move..what a stunning bird!...i just couldnt quit looking at her..her picture was in poultry press even a black and white paper photo couldnt take anything away from her...bob keeps to himself and breeds really good birds..his langshans did just as well from maine to ohio to nc and virginia..he quietly took those birds and won with them..he told me his son died a few years ago..they used to show together..he said it really puts things in perspective for you and what is really important..you cant ever go back and say the things you wished you would have....the australorps were his sons birds...bob just keeps them going...he was very generous gives birds to interested kids to show and get started he even gave me a nice cockeral...hes wins the sportsmanship award every year ..the award was supposed to be in memory of his son to other competitors,,but hes just such a gem that everyone insists that he deserves it..

super excited to see Guy Roys birds..Bob whitneys birds origionated in mass..

 

[CarolynF]

Hi All,
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here goes. My aussie hen, just a year old, laid an egg with a tissue paper shell. I know this happens occasionally so I wasn't worried. I was away for a few days and my daughter reported that it happened again. That was a week ago. Since then she hasn't laid any eggs at all. To give her a boost of calcium, I've given her a tums mixed with mashed potatoes 2 times, a few days apart. She appears healthy and happy, no mites, etc.

The other 2 hens seem to be fine too. No major changes or upsets. Since she started laying last summer she's been very consistent, so this seems odd. She's not broody, isn't molting as far as I can tell. And no roosters here either.

Any ideas what's happening or if I should be concerned? Is this a common behavior for an Aussie? She's such a sweetheart I want to do right for her!

Thanks,
Carolyn

 

[aveca]

, sometimes that happens..as soon as they approach the right age for egg laying I start putting some oyster shell out..i dont give it befor around 6 months..its just one of those things that should clear up ...adequit sunlight turns the calcium into shell..

 

[CarolynF]

, sometimes that happens..as soon as they approach the right age for egg laying I start putting some oyster shell out..i dont give it befor around 6 months..its just one of those things that should clear up ...adequit sunlight turns the calcium into shell..

Hi aveca, thanks for the reply. She does get shell in addition to the layer feed, and has since she started laying last summer. The tums was just a boost. I didn't realize the sunlight was part of the calcium equation, that's interesting. They do get artificial light during the short days of winter.

I was just wondering if this might be common for this breed.

 

[ronott1]

Hi CarolynF

My guess is that a new egg laying cycle has started. Chickens need vit D and calcium to make hard egg shells. To add to what Aveca said, many breeds will lay soft shelled eggs sometimes. The shells should get better soon and your hen should start laying regularly too. Look for darker eggs than normal too.

If all does not get back to normal soon, check for parasites. You can also give her more protein and some chicken vitamins. I bought some from TSC. I put a scoop in the water once a week. I also am giving them the new pro biotic from save a chick once a week.

Bye,

Ron

Quote:

 

[oahu]

We are just beginning to consider backyard chicken keeping. Have to educate HOA. We are interested in Austrolorps and

Dorkings. Any advise for beginners? We are in Boise Idaho.

 

[ronott1]

Those are good choices. Dorkings are harder to find. You can order them from McMurray, but you have to buy 25 for a min order.

Do you live in a place that allows a lot of chickens? If so, you should order more Dorkings than you think you need for eggs. Dorkings lay most of their eggs early in the laying season and then like to go broody. They are good foragers(BAs and Dorkings), so if you can free range them your feed bill will be less. Expect less eggs and more time without eggs from them.

Australorps will lay fairly well all year long. Mine are hatchery and I have had them for a bit over a year and no broodies yet. Both of them are dual purpose, so if you had roosters, you could use them for meat too.

I have a 12 week old SG Dorking Cockerel and he is the neatest little guy. Their first night outside, he was telling the others it was time to get into the hutch for bed. I also have three SG Dorking Americauna crosses that I hatched five weeks ago and another dozen of SG Dorking eggs in my incubator.

Australorps seem to get along with all of the breeds I have, so they should get along with the Dorkings too.

We are just beginning to consider backyard chicken keeping. Have to educate HOA. We are interested in Austrolorps and

Dorkings. Any advise for beginners? We are in Boise Idaho.

 

[oahu]

Hi,

Good to know. Thank you for your response. Would there be a different breed with white eggs that is a good layer, quiet, docile and non flighty?

Boise is allowing six chickens but we would like to start with 2 or 3.