Australorps breed Thread

[groche]

Hi Aveca,
that's an impressive looking big boy. He's got that smug, self-important look of a pampered roo. I've got a heap of young birds about the age of pic one. How do you know he's a he? My boys seem a bit 'stiltier' with long legs that make them look gawkier at this age than the pullets. Otherwise, I'm never quite sure. Numbers of mine have little tails like your cockerel. I'm told that cockerels are slower to develop tails than pullets so it's a bit wait and see. I am a bit concerned that Ray Conner (colour plate 12), shows a cockerel of around this age with quite a full tail, saying, "A full tail in a young bird is a big asset." I guess tail development might vary in different strains. I have some birds that I think are cockerels that do have fuller tails so I'll see how each 'tail' develops.

My final word on when 'lorp pullets start laying. We live in such large continents/countries with every imaginable climate so adjustments have to be made. Mine is a Mediterranean/Californian climate. This is what I've been told -

* to be commercially viable, large hatcheries hatch chicks over a long 'season'.
* our pullet-buying decisions are often on impulse and take little heed of the effect of hatching time on time of laying.
* we should hatch or buy early for egglaying. The last two months of winter and the first month of Spring are recommended times of hatch, so choose the age of your purchases accordingly.
* 'lorps, as a heavy breed and therefore slower to mature, should be hatched 2 or 3 weeks earlier than light breeds.
* birds should then begin laying next Fall/Winter.
* too early hatching can lead to a false moult when the colder weather sets in. Slow to eventually lay.
* late-hatched birds are slower in reaching maturity and will begin laying later and take longer to do so.

The basic message is, don't be too quick to blame a breed or strain for being "slow coming into lay", but rather take a bit more heed of when we decide to add to our flocks of layers. Hope this helps or is at least of interest.
Cheers Geoff from Aus

 

[aveca]

Its Always a work in progress Geoff...you have to work with what you have...a lot of these little cockerals have at a certian point a little bun tail..it almost looks like an attachment..some like the one above bit harder to tell...the pullets combs are so low its usually super easy for me to tell them apart early on..Im world famous for hatching a box of roosters too, do they have any secrets for hatching more females in australia LOL!

very good information on late vs early hatched birds and laying patterns..thanks for sharing

...so many things to work through..this area is big in show australorp so they keep you on your toes...there are a lot of older showmen out there that do not even know how to turn a computer on so you dont see them out here ..they have been at it a long time, ...I have tons of things to work on, so I just keep picking away at it a little every year..get tired sometimes , take one step back to take one step forward ...sometimes I just say enough.Im tired of playing with this...some of the birds had the old time orp eye, too much white with a bit of a backward look to you..long time ago, somone added one or another orpington..no one today knows much about it because it was around the turn of the century, so its just one of the things, but all of a sudden this year focusing on the eye, better things started happening, plus some startleing suprises....I knew there were some good things about this strain so worth it, you can see by the first photo the baby eye is much rounder, darker, as my freind says those limpid black eyes..You know how it is, just try to keep coaxing out the things you need..along the away I tried some experimenting ..I need to watch it with that rooster, hes an easy keeper, gains weight too easy..

 

[ronott1]

Its Always a work in progress Geoff...you have to work with what you have...a lot of these little cockerals have at a certian point a little bun tail..it almost looks like an attachment..some like the one above bit harder to tell...the pullets combs are so low its usually super easy for me to tell them apart early on..Im world famous for hatching a box of roosters too, do they have any secrets for hatching more females in australia LOL!

very good information on late vs early hatched birds and laying patterns..thanks for sharing

...so many things to work through..this area is big in show australorp so they keep you on your toes...there are a lot of older showmen out there that do not even know how to turn a computer on so you dont see them out here ..they have been at it a long time, ...I have tons of things to work on, so I just keep picking away at it a little every year..get tired sometimes , take one step back to take one step forward ...sometimes I just say enough.Im tired of playing with this...some of the birds had the old time orp eye, too much white with a bit of a backward look to you..long time ago, somone added one or another orpington..no one today knows much about it because it was around the turn of the century, so its just one of the things, but all of a sudden this year focusing on the eye, better things started happening, plus some startleing suprises....I knew there were some good things about this strain so worth it, you can see by the first photo the baby eye is much rounder, darker, as my freind says those limpid black eyes..You know how it is, just try to keep coaxing out the things you need..along the away I tried some experimenting ..I need to watch it with that rooster, hes an easy keeper, gains weight too easy..

The only trick to hatching pullets is to figure out which of your hens throw more females than males and use them for breeding. The other trick is to have high hatch rates.

Conversely, you should figure out which hens throw more males and not use them for breeding.

Of course the males can become chicken dinner..

 

[aveca]

 The only trick to hatching pullets is to figure out which of your hens throw more females than males and use them for breeding. The other trick is to have high hatch rates.

Conversely, you should figure out which hens throw more males and not use them for breeding. 

Of course the males can become chicken dinner..

 

[groche]

Sheer genius as a breeding strategy, Ron! First I chuckled, and then I thunk, as usual with me on the subject of chooks. I thunk, it's silly, but is it actually possible?? We breed for traits all the time, why not these? I've done a fair bit of research on breeding for laying, lots of stuff from when we had govt. supervised laying tests/competitions. Lots on fertility in males but nothing on selecting 'pullet producers'. Is it because there is little variation in pullet-cockeral ratios between individual girls and/or boys, I wonder? Sorry for the minor 'lorp deviation!
Cheers Geoff

 

[lildinkem]

Sheer genius as a breeding strategy, Ron! First I chuckled, and then I thunk, as usual with me on the subject of chooks. I thunk, it's silly, but is it actually possible?? We breed for traits all the time, why not these? I've done a fair bit of research on breeding for laying, lots of stuff from when we had govt. supervised laying tests/competitions. Lots on fertility in males but nothing on selecting 'pullet producers'. Is it because there is little variation in pullet-cockeral ratios between individual girls and/or boys, I wonder? Sorry for the minor 'lorp deviation!
Cheers Geoff

Very interesting. My dad said it was going to be my mom's fault if I came out a girl. I was taught in schools a mammal's father decides the outcome of what sex. Chickens must be different. lol

 

[bruceha2000]

I have a couple of questions about my Australorp. She is 5 and a half months old. The three other chickens I got her with(2 ameraucana's and 1 SLW) are already laying. But she isn't. Do Australorps take longer to lay???

Zoë

Hi Zoë,
I am happy to report that the smaller of my 2 Australorps has started squatting. She'll be 23 weeks tomorrow. "Squat" wasn't in her vocabulary a week ago except possibly as an answer to the question: "Echo, how many eggs will you lay this week?"

One of my Cubalayas is also squatting as is one of the E.E.s. Interestingly, in the case of all three breeds, the "sister" has a much smaller comb so not ready yet. Then we can talk about the Partridge Chanteclers. Not a sign of comb on those girls yet. They may end up being my "xx weeks and no eggs YET" girls.

Given how small the eggs from the Anconas and Faverolles are in their first week or so of laying, I wonder how small the Cubalaya's eggs will be. She is a smaller bird/breed by a fair bit. Should be larger than the barn swallow egg I found though

Bruce

 

[ronott1]

Quote: Yes, chickens are different. The Hen determines the Gender. Most are close to 50/50 but sometimes a hen will lay more of one than the other.

Lorp related stuff. It rained very heavily here this weekend. On Saturday I checked on my layer flock to make sure they were ok. An SG Dorking was standing out in the rain, but the BAs were taking cover. They peeked out at me to make sure I did not have any treats for them, but went right back in to stay safe and dry. Smart Hens!

 

[aveca]

That is really interesting..we will have add that to record book and see..

 

[groche]

Hey Ron,
didn't you know us Aussies was smart! Just a comment on the fertility/hatch rates of my 'lorps. Between my chook breeding buddie/mate and I, we breed around 25 breeds/color varieties. I'm only responsible for 4! We often share incubators. The only breeds/color varieties that can compete with my Aussies have been Pete's standard Black Auracanas and Buff Sussex. I wanted to breed 100 birds this season and, even with a lateish start, I've managed that quite easiliy from 1 roo, 1 hen and 2 pullets. I'm well chuffed! Great fertility and hatch rates and only 1 or 2 that died rather than thrived.My 'lorps seem to be very 'incubator-friendly' compared with my d'Uccles and bantam Sussex. I've had more succes hatching the latter 2, by taking the eggs out of the 'bator around 6 days before hatch and setting them under a broody. Improved my d'Uccle hatch rate by 100%! May help those whose ' lorps don't perform like mine. I've promised pics of the first big cull. I'm 3 days off finishing the 3 pens needed.
Cheers Geoff