Orpington vs austrolorp

[Chickenpoonumber2]

Thank you for the information! My girls are almost 12 weeks and I hope because they're at the "teenager" stage they just haven't fully fluffed.

 

[Bsmac]

Can someone explain to me the difference between black austrolorps and orpingtons? I have 2 chocolate orpingtons that came from hoover hatchery. 1 looks very much like an orpington, getting the fluffy butt and the other....not so much.

They look just like our Chocolate Orphingtons. We have two laying pullets right now. They are colored about like dark chocolate. Black Australorps will have a beetle green sheen to their feathers like other black birds like Black Jersey Giants.

 

[Chickenpoonumber2]

They look just like our Chocolate Orphingtons. We have two laying pullets right now. They are colored about like dark chocolate. Black Australorps will have a beetle green sheen to their feathers like other black birds like Black Jersey Giants.

Are your chocolate orpingtons fluffy?

 

[bigblueteach]

I have 5 Australorps: 3 black and 2 blue. I have one Jubilee Orpington.

I once read the description of Orpingtons as "fluffy bowling balls, with a head and legs," and that fits my girl. My Australorps are much more sleekly shaped and narrow. My Aussies walk. My Orp waddles.

My Orpington (aged 4) is also the bird I have that goes broody. Twice this year already. My 5 year old Australorps have never gone broody.

Do you have a picture of the jubilee?

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

The "big, fluffy" Orpingtons you see online MIGHT be more breeder/show-quality?

You would have "Hatchery" quality. (I do, as well.)
They should still be the same breed, but they aren't following a breed standard, or trying to make award-winning birds.

Also, different countries will have have slightly different standards with appearance ("English Orpington" looks a little different from "American Orpington")

Honestly, though... the more fluff they have, the more risk of you needing to carefully remove poop from their chicken bum...

 

[Chickenpoonumber2]

The "big, fluffy" Orpingtons you see online MIGHT be more breeder/show-quality?

You would have "Hatchery" quality. (I do, as well.)
They should still be the same breed, but they aren't following a breed standard, or trying to make award-winning birds.

Also, different countries will have have slightly different standards with appearance ("English Orpington" looks a little different from "American Orpington")

Honestly, though... the more fluff they have, the more risk of you needing to carefully remove poop from their chicken bum...

Lol
I don't really want to take scissors to a chicken butt

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

Lol
I don't really want to take scissors to a chicken butt

Agreed
Also don't want to have to bathe them, honestly. (As an alternative to a trim)
If I can avoid it.