Chicken Keeping. Australorp Bantam Poultry Breed

Posted on 29 April 2010

This bantam is a short, squat sort of shape but is very lively. It is a little bigger than other Bantams and is much less likely to fly to any great height – this one is idea if you cannot place netting or a roof over the area. (fencing of 5 feet should be enough)

Their eggs are a little bigger also at 1.5ounces each. The bird is fast growing, good at rearing chicks and reasonably sociable. One thing to note is that there are two strains, a British strain and a German strain.

The German strain is more aggressive than the British strain, they look very similar but there are subtle variances. Ask

the breeder before buying if you do not want the German version.

The Australorp was developed as a dual purpose utility breed in the 1920s but the most exceptional thing about it is that it holds the world record for egg production. This hardy chicken from Down Under holds the world record for egg production as a hen of the breed once laid 364 eggs in 365 days. The eggs are laid in layers and have a slight creamy tint to them.

This friendly and compact little chicken is bred from a shoot off from the Black Orpington, which was bred mostly for egg production rather than for meat. This bird got its name is a hybrid from the club that was founded to observe and breed them – called the Austral Orpington Club.

You could almost say that an Austrolope Bantam is a smaller more compact version of the bigger Orpingtons but they still have a lot of meat on them. Still they are mainly valued for egg production.

They are beautiful birds that come in black or white with some saltiness or sootiness in the feathers allowed. They are very “story book” in appearance thanks to their black or white bodies and bright crimson red uni-color beaks and combs.

Not only are these birds high egg producers they also have beautiful black feathers. The breast is full and round and sits forwards in a fluffy rounded fashion over the legs. The tail of this chicken is also unusual and the feathers drapes downwards from the long curved back tail bone instead of sprouting upwards. This gives the bird a more signature elegant rather than perky effect.

The feathers of some of the black birds have a beautiful iridescent blue green sheen and a prominent dark eye. The comb on the bird is single and very evenly serrated. Their earlobes are also red and so are their medium length wattles. Thick, featherless and strong black eggs that have four toes also distinguish them.

They are also very hardy and will stand cold weather well. An Australorp Bantam cock will weigh in at around 2.82lbs while the hens tend to be in the region of 6½lbs. A cockerel will be about 2.2 pounds and a pullet 1.9 pounds. You can see why these birds would make such good pets. They are smaller and easy for a child to pick up.

The Austrolorp is an active breed and they grow fast. The hens are able to lay eggs at five months of age. They can stand confinement but they lay the most eggs if they are allowed to run free range. Yet another benefit is that they are shorter, rounder and don’t have a long wingspan. This means that fencing around your garden or coop does not have be very high.

They are also known for their very calm and friendly disposition and it is common to see children playing with the birds in the backyards of Australia. The Bantam version makes the best pet as it is a little bit smaller and easier to pet.

They are also very hardy and will stand cold weather well. They seem to produce eggs under many different types of conditions. They are well-adjusted birds an are resistant to disease.

When it comes to exhibition there are two main varieties. The bird comes in two shades of black. There is a black-feathered version that has a lustrous green sheen and a black-feathered version that has dark sea blue lacing.

As this is a newer breed of bird it has very high standards, which were initiated, are established by the Australian Poultry Standards and the Bantams are definitely treasured as perfect miniatures.

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1 Response to Chicken Keeping. Australorp Bantam Poultry Breed

study abroad scholarship says:

May 6, 2010 at 8:22 am

Great, I never knew this, thanks.