The Australian Australorp Standards
Male Characteristics
Carriage
Erect and graceful, denoting an active fowl, the head being carried well above the tail line. The bird must be balanced.
Type
Body deep and broad, showing somewhat greater length than depth.
Breast full and rounded, carried well forward without bulging breast bone long and straight.
Back broad across shoulders and the saddle, with a sweeping curve from neck to tail.
Tail full and compact, rising gradually from the sickles. Gracefully curved but not long and streaming.
Wings compact and carried closely, the ends being covered by the saddle hacks.
Head
Finely modeled and skull rounded
Beak slightly curved, strong and of medium length
Eyes large prominent and expressive; high on skull, standing well out when viewed from the front and back.
Face full, fine in texture, clean, free from feathers, whrinkles and overhanging brows.
Comb: single, medium in size, erect, evenly serrated (4 to 6 serrations) and blade tending downwards without touching the neck, texture fine, but not of glace appearance
Wattles: medium of size, rounded at the bottom and corresponding in texture to the comb.
Ear lobes: small and elongated
Neck
Fairly long, fine at the junction of the head, with a gradual outward curve to the back, widening directly at the shoulders.
Plumage
Feathering soft, but close, with a minimum of fluff, only sufficient to cover the thighs.
Skin
Fine in texture
Legs/Feet
Medium in length, strong bayonet shaped, and spaced well apart. The hocks being nearly covered by body feathering and the whole of the shanks showing below the underline. Shanks and feet free from feather or down. Four toes, straight and well spread.
Female Characteristics
The general charecteristics are simular to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences. The pelvic bone should be more pliable, not showing an excess of fat or gristle, abdominal skin being fine and pliable, without an excess of internal fat. All these partto be of fine texture; any indication of coarseness should be discountenanced.
Freedom from coarseness
A) Shanks strong, as differentiated from either extreme coarseness of fineness of bone.
B) Pelvic bones strong at the baselong and straight to be as free as possible from gristly covering. Undue importance not to be attached to male birds.
C) Abdomen to be elastic, avoiding sagging down or hardness, indicating excess fat; skin to be fine and pliable
Colours
Black
Plumage
Black throughout with lustrous green sheen.
Beak
Black, with allowable gradation of white (horn)
Eye
Black or dark brown iris, black is preferred.
Face
Face, comb, ear-lobes and wattles bright red
Shanks and feet
Black, dark slate permitted in adults.
Souls of feet and toenails
White
Skin
White
Blue
Plumage
Male Plumage: Hackles, back, tail, sickles, side hangers and wing-bow: rich deep slate, the darker the better. Flights blue slate.
Remainder of plumage; clear slate blue ground colour, each feather distinctly laced with dark slate. The contrast between ground colour and lacing to be well defined.
Beak
Black, with allowable gradation of white (horn)
Eye
Black or dark brown iris, black is preferred.
Face
Face, comb, ear-lobes and wattles bright red
Shanks and feet
Black, dark slate permitted in adults.
Souls of feet and toenails
White
Skin
White
White
Plumage
White; free from straw tinge or brassiness
Beak
Blue-ish White, Slate tones or Off-White (Horn)
Eye
Black or dark brown iris, black is preferred.
Face
Face, comb, ear-lobes and wattles bright red. A little sootiness is allowed
Shanks and feet
Slate blue
Souls of feet and toenails
White
Skin
White
Weights
Large Australorps
Rooster 3,60 - 4,10 kg (< 1 year: 3,20 - 3,60 kg)
Hen 2,75 - 3,10 kg (< 1 year: 2,25 - 2,75 kg)
Bantam Australorps
Rooster 1,00 - 1,23 kg (< 1 year: 0,96 - 1,19 kg)
Hen 0,85 - 1,04 kg (< 1 year: 0,79 - 1,02 kg)