Black Australorp

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KimChick
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Black Australorp

Post by KimChick » Fri Feb 02, 2018 8:26 pm

Being intrigued with the Black Australorp breed, I have begun to look around for availability - way ahead of time.
I noticed hatching eggs on Kijiji by a seller from Arthur, but eggs are posted as being located in various cities. No prices were listed, just a Contact Me. Would this be a hatchery? Or have I completely missed something?
Does anyone know anything about that method of selling?
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kenya
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Re: Black Australorp

Post by kenya » Sat Feb 03, 2018 1:26 pm

Lots of people on kijiji put their ads on different kijiji sites to get a broader customer base. Not necessarily a hatchery, who knows guess you just have to contact them to find out.
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heyden
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Re: Black Australorp

Post by heyden » Sat Feb 03, 2018 2:12 pm

I will have black australorp hatching eggs in spring.
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McCluckyCluck
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Re: Black Australorp

Post by McCluckyCluck » Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:44 pm

I just ordered some Black Australorps from Performance Poultry near Belleville.
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KimChick
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Re: Black Australorp

Post by KimChick » Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:28 pm

heyden wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2018 2:12 pm
I will have black australorp hatching eggs in spring.
Thanks, but this spring I will be incubating (for the first time) some of my red & black sexlink eggs that were, hopefully, fertilized by our cochin/barred rock rooster. I will keep everyone posted!
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KimChick
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Re: Black Australorp

Post by KimChick » Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:17 pm

From doing some research on the Australorp vs the Jersey Giant, I have learned that the quickest/easiest way to ID one from the other is to look at the bottom of the feet. Someone on the backyardchickens.com site said:

"Black Jersey Giants shanks and toes should be nearly black ( black preferred) Underpart of the feet should be yellow.
Black Orpington shanks and toes black to dark slate underpart of feet pinkish white.
Australorps shanks and toes black with underpart of feet white.
This right from APA book of standards."

... just to confuse matters, other info that I found states conflicting info. For example, on feathersite.com, someone states:
"In Lorps, the legs are black, shading to dark slate in adults, but the underparts of the feet are pinkish white." According to the APA standards, that would be a Black Orpington.

So... in the future, should I decide to obtain this breed, trust is going to be an issue, unless I see the breeding pair.
Any comments to this possible dilemma would be welcome. :rubbingchin:
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BobG
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Re: Black Australorp

Post by BobG » Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:53 pm

You could go to some poultry shows and save yourself a lot of time and headaches. You are bound to find breeders dedicated to the breed who will help you out
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KimChick
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Re: Black Australorp

Post by KimChick » Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:21 pm

BobG wrote:
Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:53 pm
You could go to some poultry shows and save yourself a lot of time and headaches. You are bound to find breeders dedicated to the breed who will help you out
Good advice, BobG; I plan to do exactly that! I'm the cautious, need to plan it out, type of person, who never jumps in both feet first.
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windwalkingwolf
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Re: Black Australorp

Post by windwalkingwolf » Wed Feb 28, 2018 4:12 am

If you've never seen those three breeds (JG, Orp., Australorp) in person, it can be difficult to I.D. one when you first see it, and young chicks are pretty much impossible even for a seasoned keeper. For adult birds, though, here are some tricks. All three have a different shape, and of the three, Australorps should look the smallest. They were bred for egg laying/utility, and are a little smaller and more streamlined than Orpingtons as a result. Their backs are longer than Orps, which have a "U" shape, and feathers are tighter to their body. Orpingtons are fluffier, making them appear even larger than their already respectable size. Both have white foot bottoms, but Australorps are also more likely to have bright white toenails, like a french manicure. Pinkish foot bottoms or pink (but not orange) spots on the white of the feet can occur in both, it just comes along with the white. Australorps are also more likely than Orpingtons to have no (or fewer) feathery hairs in the red around their eyes. Legs are shiny black or with a bluish tint (slate). Jersey Giant will NOT EVER have bluish legs, they will be greenish, and you may even see greenish yellow peeking between their toes. Giants tend to have BIG shanks and feet, almost turkey-sized...as a matter of fact I think that's the part of the bird that grows first, like a teenaged boy hitting a growth spurt LOL. It makes adolescent Jerseys look and act gangly and awkward as if they might trip over their own feet at any moment should they run. Giants were bred for meat and meat alone, and their size reflects that. They don't fill out and get heavy until well into adulthood but they shoot up tall pretty fast, especially the boys. By five weeks old, you can tell JG chicks apart from other black breeds in with them. They also have a different shape than the previous two breeds, somewhere in the middle between Orps and Australorps. Not streamlined but definitely not U-shaped either.
Orpingtons have enjoyed a surge of popularity in recent years, both APA standard and English (which again is different from the North American birds just in case you weren't confused enough lol), and it's usually easy to find the breed at shows along with an Australorp or two to compare them in person. Jerseys might be another story. But, pictures abound online, and I've found that browsing pretty chicken pictures is usually time well spent :D
Hopefully, I've helped a little, or at least not made it worse ;)
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scottishpet
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Re: Black Australorp

Post by scottishpet » Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:31 pm

windwalkingwolf, you seem to know a wee bit about Australorps. Do you think they are a good choice of a newbie who wants a heritage breed and good quality egg layer? :question:
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