Poultry is the most productive of all branches of agriculture. Here they get the most essential foodstuffs for humanity. Special attention should be paid to those farms where Australorp chickens are raised. In order to grow this breed healthy and productive, you must adhere to all the rules for breeding and keeping birds.

Origin story

For the first time this breed of chickens appeared in Australia in the twenties of the nineteenth century. Breeding was done by William Cook and Joseph Partinton. Their goal was to get a bird that will be early maturing in puberty and with high egg production and meat. The Australorp is a breed of chickens that is a cross between an English Black Orpington and a Crown Langshan. Surprisingly, the result was obtained very quickly.

In the early years, the Australorp hen was bred only in the vastness of Australia and the United States of America, but in the near future the birds met all the expectations of breeders and set a record for egg production. Three hundred and nine eggs were collected from one chicken. At the same time, special conditions with artificial lighting were not created for chickens, and no additives were added to the feed. The chicken record was set in vivo. Chickens were brought to Russia in 1946. To get to know them better, you need to find out the description of the Australorp chicken breed.

What chickens look like Australorp

Chickens Rhode Island

Australorp roosters are distinguished by their large heads, on which a leaf-shaped comb with five teeth sits regally. Lobes with earrings and crest are bright red. The beak is colored black. The eyes are also black.

Young Australorp chickens

If you look closely at the body of the birds, you can notice the wide chest and belly. The wings press the chickens tightly to the body. Feet well apart and short. The tail has a large number of long crescent feathers, which are raised at an acute angle. The plumage is black with emerald tints.

Chickens are distinguished by their small head size and small comb. The tail feathers are wide and not too long. Chicks Australorp only on the tummy and wings have yellow down, otherwise the color is completely black. The character of these chickens is calm, balanced. When slaughtered, carcasses have an excellent presentation.

When choosing chickens of this particular breed, you need to carefully examine their appearance, since they have their own color standard.

Australorp does not:

  • in the plumage of ebb or golden brown tones;
  • redness or pallor in the eyes;
  • narrow and long teeth on the ridge;
  • light shade of lobes;
  • light shades of paws.

This breed has another species of birds that has variegated plumage.

How to feed chickens

The Australorp hen is most productive as it lays eggs, regardless of conditions or weather, throughout the year. For the whole year, from one hundred sixty to two hundred pieces are applied. There are cases that one hen laid three hundred eggs a year. One egg weighs at least fifty-five grams. The shell is brown in color. Productivity begins after one hundred and thirty-five days of life from the moment of hatching.

Note. The rooster grows up to four kilograms of live weight, the chicken - up to three.

Chicken diet

Chickens Amroks

The menu for feeding poultry should include:

  • grain crops;
  • root - and tubers;
  • meat and bone meal;
  • greens;
  • vegetables;
  • bran;
  • yeast.

In winter, the diet should include:

  • pulp,
  • herbal flour;
  • silage.

Mineral supplements should also be added to the food of chickens:

  • seashells,
  • a piece of chalk,
  • ash,
  • bone meal
  • eggshells.

These substances are essential for the excellent condition of the eggshell and bones. For good food pickling in the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to feed the birds with gravel or sand.

In the chicken coop, the optimum temperature should be no higher than fifteen and not lower than twelve degrees. In winter, the air temperature must not be allowed to drop below zero.

The flooring must be covered with dry matting. It must absorb moisture well and also prevent bacteria from growing.

The best are:

  • sawdust,
  • straw,
  • shredded corn cobs,
  • shavings,
  • dry foliage.

In addition, peat must be mixed with these litters. To get rid of mites and lice, it is important for chickens to bathe in dust. For this, ash and sand are used.

Breeding

Decorative chickens

Chickens Australorp black have a characteristic of good breeding. The minimum percentage of egg fertilization is ninety-five percent. To hatch chicks, you can use both a hen and an incubator. If the offspring is hatched by a brood hen, then it grows stronger and stronger, since the mother hen herself throws out empty eggs and hatches chicks well.

Despite the fact that chickens, at first glance, are small and fragile, they grow quickly and survive excellently. If you take care of them correctly, then already at the age of two months they grow up to one and a half kilograms. This breed has good immunity to various diseases.

Breeding chickens

The diet of chickens must comply with the following feeding rules:

  1. In the first ten days of chickens' life, eggs, small cereals and greens should be fed into the feed. On the eleventh day, the egg is removed from the diet. A balanced compound feed is introduced instead.
  2. Later, chicks need to be fed with cereal mixtures with the addition of greens. Thanks to this, babies grow quickly and gain weight.
  3. For good growth and endurance, you need to add fish oil to the menu. There should be no more than a gram of substance per head.
  4. Vegetables are first given boiled; at a later age, raw roots can be introduced. They are given separately or mixed with the rest of the feed.

Greens give the following types:

  • nettles,
  • alfalfa,
  • clover.

Small chicks that have just hatched should be kept at thirty-two degrees. As the chicks age, the temperature gradually decreases. Lighting needs to be gradually adjusted.

Diseases

In most cases, Australorp breed chickens have strong immunity against diseases. But if the conditions of detention are violated, then they may develop some diseases.

Therefore, in order to ensure the healthiest livestock, the following preventive measures should be taken:

  • Timely vaccinate against diseases;
  • It is imperative to put baths for bathing chickens, in which an equal ratio of ash and sand is poured. In this case, the birds will be protected from parasites;
  • Clean the premises from manure and dirty bedding. The home must always be clean and well-groomed;
  • Food must comply with all the rules, the air temperature must meet the requirements, the humidity is acceptable.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

Farmers speak positively of the Australorp chicken breed.

Among the qualities of a bird, a large number of advantages were found, the main of which are:

  • Calm, balanced and friendly character;
  • Stable adaptation to any conditions of detention, which allows you to maintain high productivity throughout the year;
  • Unpretentiousness to feed;
  • Good tolerance of the cold season;
  • Excellent egg production;
  • High meat performance;
  • Rapid growth and puberty;
  • Having a good maternal instinct;
  • The ability to use for crossing with other breeds of chickens in order to get even higher rates of egg production and meat production.

If we consider the negative characteristics of this breed, then we can say with confidence that it has no shortcomings at all. The only drawback, and even then not significant, can be called the fact that after two years of adult life, the hens significantly reduce their productivity. But, along with a large number of positive qualities, this disadvantage is practically not noticed. In addition, every year the herd is renewed with youngsters who delight the farmer with their productivity.

The Australorp chicken breed is becoming more and more popular every year, thanks to its meat and meat qualities. Many growers appreciate it for its high productivity and endurance. In addition, chickens are very easy to keep due to their unpretentiousness, which significantly affects the performance in the economy. It should also be noted that Australorp is one of the varieties that, in the breeding process, gave positive results at such an early date. Therefore, when buying chickens, you should pay attention to Australorp and consider them in the first place.