There are plenty of reasons why people choose to keep chickens. Not only do chickens make great pets, they are also productive backyard friends and pay for their own upkeep with delicious and healthy fresh eggs. The beautiful Austra White Chicken is a great addition to any coop if you are looking for a dual-purpose chicken with a lot of personality. Many people start out prizing them for the food they produce and then later discover they love the company.
| Breed Name: | Austra White Chicken |
| Place of Origin: | Oregon, United States |
| Uses: | Eggs and meat |
| Rooster/Cock (Male) Weight: | 6.5 to 7 lbs |
| Hen (Female) Weight: | 5 lbs |
| Color: | Rooster is generally all white; hen is white with some black flecks |
| Egg Color: | White or cream |
| Lifespan: | 6-10 years |
| Diet: | Omnivore |
| Climate Tolerance: | Can tolerate heat and cold |
| Care Level: | Low maintenance |
| Production: | Dual purpose layer and broiler |
| Annual Egg Production: | 200-290 |
| Time To Harvest: | 16-25 weeks |
| Forages | Yes |
| Pros and Cons: | Very heat and cold tolerant Dual purpose Great for backyards |
| Personality: | Mostly friendly |
| Temperament: | Docile |
| Aggression toward flock members: | Low-moderate |
| Noise Level: | Normal |
| Beginner Friendly: | Yes |
| Child Friendly: | Yes |
Austra White Chicken Origins
Austra White Chickens are a hybrid breed, created by crossing a Black Australorp Rooster with a White Leghorn Hen. The Dunlap Hatchery in Junction City, Oregon, developed them in the early 1900s. The result is a white egg laying breed that is larger than the White Leghorn and calm like the productive egg laying Black Australorps. As a hybrid breed, they are not recognized by the American Poultry Association. And you won’t get Austra White chicks if you breed male and female Austra White parents. Every brood of Austra Whites needs an Australorp Rooster and a White Leghorn Hen.
Austra White Chicken Characteristics
Let’s take a look at why you should consider having an Austra White in your farmyard. What do Austra Whites gain from having the Australorp cock and a White Leghorn hen as parents?
Austra Whites are bigger and less flighty in comparison to White Leghorns. From their Leghorn mother, Austra Whites get their prolific egg laying abilities and white coloring. They inherit their size from their Australorp lineage. Usually they are quite large birds. A typical cock can weigh up to seven pounds, and the average hen can grow to be around five pounds. The result is a big, meaty hen that can lay eggs and is full of energy.
In addition to their hardiness, they also get their docility and gentle dispositions from their Australorp side. Austra White chickens are known for their calm temperament. Due to their friendliness, they are ideal for homes with small children. The Austra White is an excellent choice if you are looking for an active breed of chicken. Instead of sitting on eggs, they like to get up and move around a lot. Because of this, they flourish under free-range conditions.
Uses
The Austra White is a dual purpose chicken—a breed of chicken whose hens lay a lot of eggs and whose roosters have a good weight. Prior to the era of industrial farming, most barnyards had dual-purpose chickens. Austra Whites are excellent meat chickens, as well as providing ample eggs for your family. Their meat is tasty and they quickly gain weight. This breed lays efficiently, with a feed-to-egg ratio. They are an excellent layer of off white to cream colored eggs. A hen usually lays over 240 large eggs per year, which is about 4-5 eggs per week. Additionally, hens can start laying eggs as early as 12 weeks old, and they can lay on a year-round basis.
Appearance
Austra Whites have sturdy, heavy bodies. Cock birds are pure white with big, straight combs. Hens will be almost all white but some will have black specks throughout their plumage. The appearance of these chicks will be light creamy white, through pale yellow shades with black flecks.
The Austra White’s lack of melanin in their plumage does not affect other parts of their bodies: this bird has red combs and wattles, orange feet, as well as grey down their legs. It is true that their white color can make them easier to spot and so they are more likely to be picked off by predators than darker varieties of chickens. To counteract this, we recommend maintaining a safe habitat for them if you live in a predator rich environment.
Population
Before modern day production hybrids, Austra Whites were a standard industry layer. However today, brown eggs are more popular with supermarket shoppers than the white eggs laid by the Austra White. Only about 250,000–300,000 of Britain’s 40 million egg-laying birds lay white eggs, according to estimates. We can’t be sure how many Austra Whites are out there, but it’s reasonable to assume it’s just a small fraction of the overall chicken population globally.
Habitat
They are great backyard birds because of their meaty bodies, prolific egg laying abilities and low feed to egg ratios. They are perfect for smaller spaces. As they have bright white plumes, they may be an easy target for predators, so it is important to keep that in mind when allowing them to roam free.
If you don’t plan to free-range your Austra Whites, make sure that their enclosure has plenty of space. If they are given enough room to roam, they can do well in coop. It’s likely that your chickens need more room if they start pecking, acting aggressively, or seem agitated.
Are Austra White Chickens Good for Small-Scale Farming?
Austra Whites are a wonderful bird for a small homestead or backyard. One of their many advantages is that they do well in both cold and warm weather; in fact, white chickens are a better choice for hot countries as their feathers reflect light and heat. The Austra White’s friendliness makes them ideal for free range conditions. Although because of their light coloring they are more easily targeted by predators, they are good at avoiding danger and will defend themselves if necessary. On a smaller amount of feed, they can produce a great deal of eggs and meat. They are high energy, active birds. That said, they will handle confinement well. Ideally, they need time to forage for their own food.
Despite its benefits, one drawback that small-scale farmers may face is that because hybrids are not true breeds, it will not be possible to breed more Austra Whites yourself. Mating a male Austra White with a female Austra White won’t produce Austra White chicks. Rather than trying to breed more yourself, you’ll need to order more when you’re ready to expand your flock.
Conclusion
Starting your very own hobby farm and raising chickens is a great way to provide food for your family or to earn a second income at your local farmer’s market. The Austra White Chicken is a perfect combination of a brown egg laying heavy meat producing bird and a productive white egg layer. If you want lots of white eggs, a larger chicken that can be used for meat, and a bird that is tame, calm, and gentle around other animals and children, then the Austra White is the breed for you.
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