Chickens and other domestic birds - The Australorp

The Australorp originated as the product of judicious breeding by Australian poultrymen who saw the potential of the William Cook Orpington breed and sought to improve the utility features.

The Orpington had been taken down a solely fancy path, becoming big, loose "feather dusters" and losing their original purpose along the way. The original Cook Orpington was crossed with Australian Langshan and Minorca and over time became what we now know as the Australorp. It was sent back to Britain where it caused a sensation and became known as the Australian Utility Orpington, later shortened to Austral Orpington then to Australorp. It was called the "boomerang breed" as the British believed it to be simply a Cook Orpington. To this day in the British Book of Poultry Standards, they claim it erroneously as a British breed, which is simply not true.

austm.gif (2331 bytes) Poultrymen in each Australian state believed their birds to be the "true" Australorp and the resultant bickering and state loyalties prevented a Standard from being drawn up in Australia. The Poultry Club of Great Britain drew up a Standard which was published. This spurred Edwin Hadlington, the Government Poultry Expert in New South Wales to call a meeting of all state representatives to draw up a true Standard for the breed. In 1947, this meeting was held and birds were taken from Jim O'Malley's yards in Queanbeyan (Jim is still alive today and still loves poultry) and photographed. During the meeting, alterations were made to the photographs according to delegate consultation and agreement and finally a Standard and illustrations were approved. This Standard was sent to England where it was immediately adopted almost word perfectly as the official Australorp Standard.

Along with the White Leghorn, the Australorp is recognised as one of the most important breeds in the history of the poultry industry, being used extensively in the creation of modern laying hybrids. Unfortunately, as years passed by, the true type of the Australorp was changed dramatically with birds of loose feather and poor type becoming popular. However there is only one true Australorp and that is a bird of curves, looking longer than tall, tight in feather, open and bright in face, with a bold black eye and the glossiest beetle green plumage.

austf.gif (1923 bytes) Thankfully in Australia, this correct type of bird is returning in large numbers on the showbench and as a result is again one of the strongest breeds found at shows. To breed correct type Australorps, one must start with the very best foundation stock as can be found. Turn the birds front-on and avoid any which are narrow and slab sided. Choose birds with tight plumage, showing thigh and with good width between the legs. The eyes MUST be jet black with the face very finely textured, bright red and open, the eye seeming as a large black spot dead centre of the face. The birds must feel heavy and be free of deformity, though Australorps seem to be relatively free of the faults most commonly found in similar heavy breeds. Choose birds which are active and alert, the Australorp is a lively forager. Ideally the feet will have white soles, but do not reject any bird which shows some black here as they are good breeders. Look for sound dark beaks, white in the beak is a sign of weak colour and birds bred from white beaked stock will lose the beetle green sheen. NEVER breed from birds showing purple in the plumage as this is a bad fault in Australorps. Australorps come in large and bantam sizes.

In Australia, black is the only colour seen, but there have been the odd white sport appear from time to time. Overseas, blues are also found but to show a blue Australorp in Australia would be somewhat akin to blasphemy! Anyone contemplating getting chickens for the first time would be hard pressed to find a better breed to start with than Australorps, but then again.... maybe I'm just biased because I am a dinki di Aussie too!