Australorps breed Thread

[BlackPanther]

HallFamily, do you ship birds as well as eggs? I'm somewhat interested in blue Orpingtons. (....I see them in your 'for sale' box...)

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Sorry forgot to refresh the page.

 

[groche]

Hi Jim,
as old Will Shakespeare said, this is "much ado about nothing" or "What's in a name? A rose.....". I applaud your efforts and wish you every success. I think that, in retrospect, you might just agree that using the word "international" could create the wrong impression. I think we're losing sight of the fact that an Australorp is a bloody Australorp wherever it lives! As your mate, Walt, points out in a rare moment of clarity, there's not much difference between the SOP's, anyway. Would I prefer that you changed the name? Yes. Do I care enough to engage with your Walt. No! Missed a career in diplomacy, that guy. Seems preoccupied with having a bigger one than ours!
Of course you're not stupid, Aveca. In my experience, truelly stupid people always think they're actually smarter than the rest of us. See things in simplistic 'black and white' terms. Thanks for the pics. I haven't seen many of your show birds. I'll have a closer look when I calm down from Walt!
Cheers Geoff frm Aus

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

sorry! oops! see below!

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Lovely Orpingtons, Aveca!

I'm a little confused about the Australorps, really, so I hope someone can help.
First, are Australorps supposed to be more egg-laying, (f.e. the record Australorp that took a single day off from laying) or are they broody?
Next, are they foraging, or is it just the hatchery Australorps that I've heard are not good foragers?
Finally, how is their temperament, from all of you who deal with yours more than just for changing food and water and collecting eggs?

From my experience, which covers just a few years, Australorps are excellent egg-layers. This is not to say they don't go broody, because they can. I have had 2 hatchery BAs who went broody of the first 6 I bought. One became broody after just a few months of laying and went broody every 3 months thereafter. She was a brooding machine. The second did not go broody until this past summer, when she was 2.5 years old.
They are excellent foragers. My Mamma hen has her chicks out foraging every day and they are ace at catching bugs and scratching up yummy things to eat. When they are allowed to forage, they consume aproximately 35-50% less feed, while still laying at the same rate.
Their temperment is very friendly, when raised around people and they are curious, explorers as well. The chicks raised by their Mothers tend to be less relaxed around people, but I overcome this by spending a lot of time with them while they are little. They each have their own personalities, but overall they are friendly, docile and relaxed birds.
I couldn't love mine any more! I have 18 of them at the moment!

 

[aveca]

its really varied, every one that i have ever owned, be it hatchery aussie or from a show flock like above, they forrage very well..the broodiness is varied also..some wont brood at all .. some are super broodies and great mothers. there isnt any predicting which one will or wont go broody..they are hands down the best egg layers we have ever owned for winter performance..no special lights..we have owned rir, new hampshires, leghorns, cornish, dominiques mix breeds..ect...the australorp surpassed..but warning, when they go broody , they dont quit..they love mothering so much that they wont quit..i have 1 that somehow knows there are fertile eggs and wants to sit all summer long..most arnt like her..she does give up when i take eggs away from her..honest to god, if i employ her to hatch, she knows it..i pencil mark the eggs and give them to her, it has gotten to be team work with her and i..they learn to not mind you candeling eggs, collecting eggs .wonderful temprament that way..the hatchery birds are just a little more skittish than the show birds..

in the roosters, i have had hatchery birds get a little too protective and agressive give you a good flogging even if you are no where near their hens.., the show version seems to want to stay away from you, wont flogg you in the feild..but they can be mean when you have to pick them up for any reason.. the black sex links were second behind australorp in egg laying except they didnt go broody like aussies can..im only speaking from my own experience..there are a few people in here who have australorp roosters that are big babies..just real easy to deal with.....maybe a few more people can share experience wit temprament and egg laying ect..

 

[fowlman01]

Hi Jim,
as old Will Shakespeare said, this is "much ado about nothing" or "What's in a name? A rose.....". I applaud your efforts and wish you every success. I think that, in retrospect, you might just agree that using the word "international" could create the wrong impression. I think we're losing sight of the fact that an Australorp is a bloody Australorp wherever it lives! As your mate, Walt, points out in a rare moment of clarity, there's not much difference between the SOP's, anyway. Would I prefer that you changed the name? Yes. Do I care enough to engage with your Walt. No! Missed a career in diplomacy, that guy. Seems preoccupied with having a bigger one than ours!
Of course you're not stupid, Aveca. In my experience, truelly stupid people always think they're actually smarter than the rest of us. See things in simplistic 'black and white' terms. Thanks for the pics. I haven't seen many of your show birds. I'll have a closer look when I calm down from Walt!
Cheers Geoff frm Aus

I was finished with what I had to say, but since you are posting to me I have one last thing to say to you. You can be cute and flip, but I have had good friends blown up fighting for the US flag and some bozo comes on here and starts talking about burning it up I might get a bit annoyed .....know what I mean? so.....our interactions have not been the way I would usually deal with people. People know how I am, you can post all kinds of crap about me after this post, I don't care, I won't respond to that kind of post...knock yourself out! You can try to be cute and so on, but there is no way you can convince any real American that burning the US flag is funny.

Any posts from me here will be about birds.

Walt

 

[aveca]

i just feel bad geoff..dont let it bother you..doesnt bother me for any longer than 3 seconds..im not going to say anything bad about walt, he does enough of that behind my back for both of us...means nothing...your ideas and input are interesting ..lot of people enjoy it....when you calm down, let know how you like the birds above..some people at least making a effort to breed nice australorp..these are just one mans birds he kept going for his sons sake..he almost got rid of them, couldnt bare the pain after the boy died..im so glad he kept them.. you know what would happen..just more australorp dissapearing into the dustbin of time.i love to go there every year just to see his new pullets..there were several people from different states showing them..really beautiful birds.

Hi Jim,
as old Will Shakespeare said, this is "much ado about nothing" or "What's in a name? A rose.....". I applaud your efforts and wish you every success. I think that, in retrospect, you might just agree that using the word "international" could create the wrong impression. I think we're losing sight of the fact that an Australorp is a bloody Australorp wherever it lives! As your mate, Walt, points out in a rare moment of clarity, there's not much difference between the SOP's, anyway. Would I prefer that you changed the name? Yes. Do I care enough to engage with your Walt. No! Missed a career in diplomacy, that guy. Seems preoccupied with having a bigger one than ours!
Of course you're not stupid, Aveca. In my experience, truelly stupid people always think they're actually smarter than the rest of us. See things in simplistic 'black and white' terms. Thanks for the pics. I haven't seen many of your show birds. I'll have a closer look when I calm down from Walt!
Cheers Geoff frm Aus

 

[aveca]

walt, i am DAR.. my family fought and died in revolutionary war..they were killed after the actual tea party and caught shortly after and killed for standing up to britian..i have paperwork everywhere on family at boston tea party , rev war ect...ect.....i also have had family blown up over that flag..fought in every single american war except spanish american war..maybe thats the problem with us..war war war, my brother in law brought me a flag from iraq, do i want it ? no..it will be treated with respect until i find it a new home....having said that, maybe we need to take off the 10 gallon hat and ask yourself a real live question and dont try to dumb me down...why do they feel that strongly that they resort to burning a flag? you dont know half of the stuff we pull over seas...we dont listen anymore, we ask people a question then we answer it for them because nothing that anybody but us says is important...and as of late we are terribly arrogant..it seems to be that i am at the sharp end of your critisism..if you would like to pm me and again tell me how stupid and dont make any sence i am , feel free..well talk all about covert things that set these people off.these people really just want to talk about the birds...you can maybe explain to me why import birds are so threatening..so lets take to the pms..

I was finished with what I had to say, but since you are posting to me I have one last thing to say to you. You can be cute and flip, but I have had good friends blown up fighting for the US flag and some bozo comes on here and starts talking about burning it up I might get a bit annoyed .....know what I mean? so.....our interactions have not been the way I would usually deal with people. People know how I am, you can post all kinds of crap about me after this post, I don't care, I won't respond to that kind of post...knock yourself out! You can try to be cute and so on, but there is no way you can convince any real American that burning the US flag is funny.

Any posts from me here will be about birds.

Walt

 

[plantcityhomestead]

Lovely Orpingtons, Aveca!

I'm a little confused about the Australorps, really, so I hope someone can help.
First, are Australorps supposed to be more egg-laying, (f.e. the record Australorp that took a single day off from laying) or are they broody?
Next, are they foraging, or is it just the hatchery Australorps that I've heard are not good foragers?
Finally, how is their temperament, from all of you who deal with yours more than just for changing food and water and collecting eggs?

BlackPanther I have had hatchery and breeder Australorps. They have all been good layers and foragers. None of my birds have been aggressive, but they are not people oriented like some of my other breeds. I think they benefit from handling while they are chicks. Broodiness is unpredictable. I don't think you can make a blanket statement on broodiness for the breed.

cindy