What to Look For in Black Australorp Chickens

Dear Bee,

I am watching my dual-purpose Black Australorp flock closely for desirable characteristics, and for flock behavior (foraging ability/behavior, relationship to the roo, pecking order, flocking instinct, predator evasion, etc). At the moment, I am not exclusively evaluating egg laying, because several are now coming back into laying after molting between August and now.

I do see some hens with smaller combs than others. Is this a strong indicator of being less-properly-developed than one with a larger comb?  They are all very bright, vibrant red, just some are smaller and some are quite large.

Also, I have one hen who is just turned a year. She was my first broody. As an "only child" from that hatch, she became bottom of pecking order, and was severely pecked by her flockmates. She has recovered, but still continues to appear lackluster despite 5 weeks on fermented feed (while everyone else looks great!). Now I have 10 chicks that are no longer under their Mother's care, she has taken to pecking and bossing them around. I am not keen on her behavior or condition and am considering culling her.

Help me understand, Bee, if you would, the physical characteristics I am looking for with my BAs. I am not concerned about show qualities, only utility.

Bee’s Answer:

1.           This is where the standard of perfection (SOP) does mean something, I'm afraid. If you use the normal comb and wattle size for a breed ~ keep in mind the high bred SOP gals are going to have bigger, better everything than our hatchery gals ~ as a gauge for what is normal, then you can look at your birds in a whole new light.   Here's a regular, utility type Black Australorp (BA) from the hatchery:

Her comb and wattle size is about par for the course and its okay if they are larger ~ but smaller, more pale, less coloring in that face could indicate a bird that has not developed well due to just bad reproductive genetics.  In other words, if the only thing that distinguishes her from an immature pullet is her body size, she is either not going to lay or will never lay well.  There will always be exceptions to the rule but in my chicken life, I've culled more with the smaller comb/wattles for their breed standard than I have of those with a normal sized development and color. 

2.  This pecking order behavior not only comes from the rooster but the hens as well, when indicating one that is not a layer.  I've never seen a hen singled out in that manner that was worth saving.  Either they don't socialize well, don't forage well, don't lay well (which always seems to come right along with these other traits) or they are constantly broody and you never really get eggs from this bird because of it.  I've also noticed what you have noticed... these are the same birds that also make very poor mothers.  It sounds like she also went broody out of season, another thing to watch for.  Abnormal hormone function is a big indicator of how sporadic her laying will be in a year's time. 

3.  If you'll notice the bird in the picture above, she is about normal for what to expect and look for in a working, utility, hatchery BA.  She has a broad back that doesn't taper too soon in the tail region.  Her tail is not too high. Now, I'm going to use a yoga reference here, so please know that I'm not saying this to shock or offend, but.... whenever a woman is on all fours and arches the back, the vaginal walls are drawn tighter the higher the tailbone goes.  Now, apply that to the oviduct of a chicken... the higher the tail, the more physical obstruction to large egg development and ease of lay.  Look at the three body styles between the hatchery bird above, the SOP girl below and my Black Betty below her. 

Unfortunately, I don't think Betty will ever be great shakes as a layer, and though I love that perky tail, for her breed I know it bodes no good when coming to egg size or good reproductive structures. 

(Photo courtesy of Greg Davies)

Standard of perfection (SOP) above, compared to:

If you look at the SOP gal, she has a deeper, fuller chest cavity... this means she has more room for all her organs, leaving more room in the rear for larger ovary, ease of egg delivery through the oviduct.  The wider hips also provide a better structure.  It doesn't always follow that this body structure will have bigger and more eggs, but it's a good indicator... they are built better for it in all ways and her genetics has prepared this girl to be a producer. 

The hatchery gal up top has a passable chest but a tad less deep and full than the SOP.  Betty has a very flat lower chest.  See?  A full breast in a chicken isn't all about the meat... there's always a reason for these body structures. 

Look at the chest and length of back on Ruby... one of her few good features:

Now look at what that meant in the length of her body cavity... let it be known that, when she was laying, Ruby laid a very large egg.  But… her egg structures went too far in the opposite direction… she had an over bite, if you will, on her vent.  She laid large eggs but was having trouble keeping the feces from leaking from her anus all the time, which created a place for bacteria to grow.   It also prevented her from being bred properly and increased the chances of bacterial infection in her reproductive tract/eggs/chicks.  As indicated by her being the only bird from the Gnarly Bunch that didn't recover promptly from the gleet infection.

Structures and body types always mean something and this is why when you hear a breeder talking about back line, chest, tail set, etc. it is all relative to their ability to produce eggs, be more fertile, have a muscle length and development ~ if that is their trait ~ etc. 

Now, all that I've said needs to be taken as coming from someone who is not a breeder (I keep chickens strictly for utility purposes ~ eggs/meat) but can only tell you what I've noticed or conclusions I have made over the years by dealing with this breed and similar breeds.  There are always, always exceptions to the general rules... always.  Those exceptions don't need to be culled but you won't want to breed them... they won't also produce little exceptions, in my experience. 

Other things to look for in a BA?  Docile and sweet, thrifty on feed, excellent laying of large pale brown/tan eggs, broodiness is good but rare in the breed lines from hatcheries, fierce broodies, good mothering, good feathering with a green sheen, moderately meaty build but not as large as a White Rock. 

(White Rock Hen)

You want BAs that are great foragers, longevity of laying... the usual.  Black Australorps are the longest and most consistent layers I've had from all the dual purpose (DP) breeds I've known and still producing better than most other hatchery birds clear up into 7 yrs and beyond. 

Bee -

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Bee Answers Your Natural Chicken Feeding Questions

Dear Bee,

In your last post you said that you cut the layer rations back as it goes from hot weather into the cold months.  I understand the theory for that. As of now I have been giving half layer pellets & half scratch, black oil sunflower seeds, oats mix.   Since one of the hens just started laying should I increasethe layer rations some in the fermented feed? I know this time of the year when laying slows, but what about nutrition for hens new to laying?

 Bee’s Answer: 

I would leave it as she lies.  I don't adjust to the individual hen but to the flock.  If they all start laying, you can up that layer feed a little but I wouldn't go whole hog on it.  You really want to get them in a cycle like the one described in the last post and young hens will lay in the winter when only a few layer type birds will be doing so.  I don't accommodate that as much as others would because it's just a hen’s starter eggs.  They don't need the better nutrition until they are going into reproduction instead of just production.  I'd see how they go along on your ration you have now and up it when the season flows.  Every year I have new layers laying in the winter ~ and some of the oldsters ~ and I do not adjust my ration for them... and they lay right along just fine. 

Dear Bee,

I keep food Hi-Lay (20% protein they are just finishing their molt I plan to switch them back to 16% after this bag is gone) pellets in the feeder in the run at all times. Should I not?

(Just look at the protein in those things!)

 

Bee’s Answer:

I'd cut that ration a little right now, if you can, with some lower protein whole grains.  Barley is a good one and the chickens love it ~ and it's cheap.  Win/win/win.   A 50/50 ration would be good. 

Bee -

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Natural Feeding Cycles for Chickens

By Bee:

Going to talk a little aboutnatural feeding cycles because I think it's an important part of the natural health of chickens.  Over the years I've noticed certain things about how chickens live on free range and the trends in their production levels and such, so I try to mimic those trends and cycles as much as possible and it makes for a predictable flock. 

In the natural diet of birds, their lives are pretty much focused around survival of the species according to how much nutrition they can find at any given times of the year.  Do you ever wonder why wild birds only produce offspring in the spring?  Or why most wild animals don't give birth in the fall or winter?  It has to do with food abundance and survival instincts that are deeply ingrained. 

 (Photo by "Aoxa")

In the summer there is plenty of food clear up into early fall.  In the early fall is when the types of food available are the kinds that will put fat onto an animal... seed dispersal from trees, fruit trees go to seed as well in the form of fruit, fall fescues and other perennial grasses, etc.  This allows animals to go into winter with a good layer of fat to sustain them when food sources are lean. 

As late winter moves into very early spring the food slowly becomes more plentiful as new buds arrive, insects come out of larval stages, and new grass begins to grow.  You all know that and it goes without saying... unless I am trying to relate it to my own flock's nutrition levels that I provide. 

In the spring, chickens go into their peak egg laying production and they will lay better in early to late spring better than any other time of the year.  Food supplies in the wild are plentiful and wild birds are hatching young.  There is an abundance of food for energy to feed young birds.  This is when chickens that are raised on this natural rhythm will go broody the most.

This is also the time I usually go to a 100% laying ration to support the cycle of reproduction and I normally keep that all through spring and into part of the summer. Then in late summer I start to taper off on the layer ration as the birds go into a natural slowdown. I leave enough of the layer ration to help through the worst of the molt and I add a little BOSS (black oil sunflower seends)... not too much but a little.  This adds some fats into the supplemental feeds. 

In late fall and early winter I go to 40% mash, 60% whole grains, but taper off on the BOSS.  By January I am feeding no BOSS but still the mixed ration as to simulate that lean time of the year and in mid-February I start to taper off of the whole grains and work my feed mix back towards the 100% layer ration to do it all over again.  

By the time the girls are in full swing of lay and wanting to hatch chicks, they are eating high on the hog outside while I supplement with 100% layer ration.

I said all that to make this point ~ if you are wondering where your chicken's nutrition should be, whether they be coop/run dwellers or out on free range, always look to nature for your answer.  You don't have to worry about exact percentages of this or that because you know that formulated layer feeds have all the essential nutrients needed for high production in laying. 

Whole grains have a less total nutrition than the layer ration so cutting your layer mix with them will bring your nutrition levels down a little, but that's okay.  When you feed this mix you will find the birds actually consume less feed, which seems contrary for winter time but it just works that way.  No matter the whys but I'm thinking it has to do with more fiber in the diet and they have lower activity levels to support.  

In conclusion, looking to nature will tell you when to feed what to your chickens if you are providing more than half of their total nutrition, which most folks already are.  More nutrition when they are in reproduction mode/months, less nutrition when they are in survival mode/months, with a slow tapering into each season so as to let them transition as they would in the wild.  

I see a lot of people hopping up their nutrition during the winter months to keep their chickens "warm" ~ which is totally unnecessary.  Do wild birds have high protein and fats in the winter?  No, they don't because they simply don't need it ~ they are living off their stored fat from late summer/early fall.  I am feeding the lowest level of nutrition at the same time everyone else is increasing theirs ~ and feeding higher levels when everyone drops theirs, because they think the birds don't need it as much when the warmer months have arrived.  

 

Then there are the groups that overfeed nutrients throughout the year because they just love overindulging their pets.  Those are the folks who are not managing flocks, they are feeding pets. 

I believe this trend to feed the wrong level of nutrients during the wrong times of the year is another reason why people are not getting maximum laying, are having erratic laying cycles and reproductive problems in their birds, having broodies in the fall and winter and having health problems in their flocks.  

I wanted to point out that my increasing the nutrition for my own flock into late fall and providing extra fats in the form of suet cakes, calf manna and BOSS was only due to their weakened and underweight status upon their arrival (see the story of The Gnarly Bunch here).  I didn't want those following this blog to think that this regimen should be a normal part of a flock's nutrition at this time of the year. 

Before reclaiming the Gnarly Bunch, I don't recall ever feeding suet or calf manna to my flocks.  Just didn't need to and a normal flock doesn't need them at any time of the year.  Just plain layer rations and whole grains usually suffice, with a little lacing of BOSS in the early fall.  This method has kept my chickens healthy for all these many years and my laying at peak production, with no health issues to speak of.  

Sorry if this ran on a little long but I thought it needing saying.

Bee -

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