Birds have a variety of characteristics of great interest, which allows them to develop in different types of habitats. Due to this, many species have been domesticated, one of them being what we usually know as hens and roosters, depending on whether we are referring to the female or the male. These domestic birds have considerable phenotypic diversity. In fact, they are considered the ones that most present this trait[1]There are many types of breeds of these birds, and one of them is the Australorp chicken, about which we present information in this file on our site.
On the origin of the Australorp hen
The origin of the Australorp chicken breed dates back to the late 1800s and early 1900s when, from England, they were brought to Australia birds of the breed known as black orpington. Later, in the country of destination, various crosses were made of the latter with varieties such as minorcas, white leghorns and langshans, to finally give rise to the australorp breed.
Now, its name is a combination of Australia and Orpington, so the names of the country where the crosses were made were joinedand the first variety from which it comes. On the other hand, according to studies[2], only one variety of the breed originates in Australia, but the rest of the varieties that exhibit other colorations were created in South Africa.
Characteristics of the Australorp hen
Some of the characteristics of the australorps chicken breed are the following:
- It is a large bird: robust and heavy.
- Presentan sexual dimorphism: males reach mass ranges between 3.8 to 4.5 kg, while females 2, 9 to 3, 6 kg. If you want to know more about sexual dimorphism, its definition, curiosities and examples, do not hesitate to visit this other article that we recommend.
- His port: he is upright, and his tail is held high.
- The chest: it is rounded and prominent towards the front, but without protruding excessively.
- It has the comb, chin and earlobes: they are red.
- Features a comb: erect and has up to six points or less.
- It has eyes: deep black and the beak is also dark.
- It has some thighs: covered with feathers, but the tarsi are devoid of them, in which a grayish coloration can be observed, black or bluish. Regarding the fingers, they have four fingers.
- Your plumage: it is soft, close to the body. In Australia, the black, white and blue varieties are recognized, but in the United States, only those of the original color, which is black, are accepted. In South Africa, however, other variants such as gold, countersunk or beige and speckled are accepted, in addition to those mentioned. An additional aspect is that in the black ones, when they are exposed to the sun, a metallic green hue is observed in various parts of the body, which makes them it certainly makes some very beautiful birds.
- It has wings: which are relatively large and are folded to the body.
General aspects of the Australorp hen
Some of the generalities of the Australorp hen are:
- They are considered one of the best egg layers: as they lay more than 300 eggs per year. If you want, you can visit this other post on our site about the Reproduction of hens to learn more about the subject.
- The color of these is brown or creamy, and they weigh between 56 to 58 grams on average.
- These birds are considered protective mothers: they begin to lay eggs as early as approximately 5 months.
- They are characteristically docile: in terms of character. In fact, they are sought as pets also for this reason, to the point that they bond with their keepers, like other pets. On the other hand, they can be with other birds or animals, without this generating any problem, rather, in case of living with more territorial or dominant birds, you have to take care of the australorp, since it will be shy in these cases. You may be interested in this article about the Hen as a pet.
- It is about an active bird: although they have good adaptability to both closed pens and open spaces, the latter are recommended and necessary, since it rarely makes short flights. They like to move around, especially for the search of insects and worms, which they consume easily.
- They usually have good adaptability to climate: both warm and temperate temperatures, although it is always advisable to avoid sudden variations to take care of your he alth.
- Take a complete diet: since the compound food, whether commercial or prepared, must always contain all the protein, carbohydrate and, fats and minerals, is a good option in this regard. It is important to be careful, because because it grows fast, it can gain a little more weight than recommended, so the space for it to move around is also important. What do chickens eat? Discover the answer in this post that we suggest.
- The australorp hen has a longevity: its range is between 6 to 10 years, although it can even be longer if offered ideal conditions of space and food.
Curiosities of the Australorp hen
Between 1922 and 1923, a competition was established to evaluate how many eggs different breeds of hens were able to lay during that year. The result was that six females of the australorp breed broke the world record, since between them they laid a total of 1,857 eggs, which, without a doubt, placed this animal in the global sights of producers, for then it spread as a mainly laying hen
On our site, we always advocate that domesticated animals have excellent treatment and are in appropriate conditions to guarantee their he alth and good condition. All animals, whether wild or domestic, have the right to a proper life.
