"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Are pure bred Australorps 100% black or is it possible to have a little
red-brown on the front of the neck?

Australorps are pure black (including the flesh of the legs which is one
good indicator of the true breeding).
If there is any degree of 'colour' in the feathers it is not what I'd call
a true colour but more of a sheen if/when caught in the light. All of my
Australorps have only ever had this sheen in the blue/green specturm (never
any reddisheness at all). If viewed in shade, a true Australorp will be all
black feathers.

I've just had a look at the breed standards and no red. You can read them
he
http://www.australorps.com/4.html

I've just bought 4 more Australorps and am busy building them a new night
house after I got the irrits with the last one and demolished it. Once this
one is done their current one will get removed too - after 30+ years of
keeping chooks I've finally decided that I am sick to death of substandard
chook housing and I finally want Rolls Royce housing for my fancy.

Barter and sons at Luddenham are a reasonable source I've found - good
service, moderate price and seem to produce a true to type domestic bird:
http://www.barterandsons.com.au/

Any red feathers suggests to me a hybrid with RIR or Isa brown genes, but it
could be a from a grandparent rather than a parent.