Australorp

The hens are beautiful. The one rooster I kept had an amazing green sheen that would shine in the sunlight. The hens took about 30 and 35 weeks to start laying and once they got the hang of it their eggs were very big. One even had a tint of purple to it. The one rooster did turn aggressive but that is separate. Every rooster is different.

We've had chickens two different times so far over the years, and Australorps are always our first choice. Both times they started laying for us at 6 months old or a little before. We got them from Ideal Poultry. They let us pick up our birds there so we don't have to have them shipped in the mail.

We have had an Australorp hen for a few years and she has been one of our sweetest, most docile hens. She in particular is not a great layer, but has gone broody every June so far. I know that this breed in general are good layers and docile. I would recommend this breed as a great beginner breed to start with!

The black astralop breed is one of my favorite breeds. I have had two they were both very sweet, curious, and had great personalities. When I went out to the coop they'd walk over to me and just watch everything I was doing. They are also very smart and overall funny to watch. They are very good layers. Mine layed through out the winter and right from the start layed big eggs. I couldn't recommend this breed more, but they prefer to be with the older hens, and are at the top of the pecking order with their siblings and younger birds. If you have kids, or want a sweet disposition and hardy breed I recommend these very highly to you.

I will always have a few australorps in my flocks. They are great birds, who forage well, and don't wander far. I have never had one who would escape. Very docile, can pet them while laying in the nest. I have had a few picked on and over bred by roosters due to their gentle personalities.

We absolutely adore our little Australorp. She is sweet and gentle and gets along with all of the birds in our flock. She is beautiful and a nice elegant bird. Every day she lays a nice medium size brown egg without much noise or announcement. She is otherwise very quiet and just spends her days foraging with the rest of the flock. She does have a penchant for eating our cats food which means she spills it, but, otherwise, she's a good little chicken. We hope to someday get a few more Australorps.

I have a pair of Black Australorps. They get along well with the rest of the flock, very pretty. I will buy again.

So far I've had one Australorp Hen and a Roo. The hen lived to 2 (disappeared one day) and was a good layer the whole time. I still have the Roo and he is a BIG, but gentle Roo.

I am lucky enough to have two of these wonderful birds and I just love them. Their names are Rocky and Peppa (both of them are girls). Peppa was the first of my flock of six to lay. I love the greenish sheen on their feathers when the sun shines on them. All and all, they are just great birds and I would recomend them to anyone.

A wonderful bird that I would recommend to anyone, wether it is your first time keeping chickens or if you are a seasoned pro, these hens are perfect. Sadly my original australorp died of a vent prolapse very young, but I now have a new girl in the flock who is SUCH a cutie! My previous girl, Sadie, was an excellent layer of brilliant pink eggs. She laid everyday and her beetle green feathers always looked stunning. I would definitely recommend this breed to anyone looking for a nice, laid-back garden bird.

I got these as my first chickens. The two rooster had to be killed early because they kept on attacking me. They are great layers but mean when they are broody. I know that most people say that BA's don't get broody, but I have had 10 broodys in the past 2 months. Four currently... And the annoying thing is, is that they only have one chick, though I know this can be prevented. But overall I think they are very nice chickens!

These were my first ever chickens. I got six from a feed store, one turned out to be a rooster. He was beautiful, long tail, green shimmer, the perfect rooster. He did turn out to be a loud-mouth. When he first started crowing, we bought him a crow collar. It worked for about six months, then he started to overpower it. We had to rehome him because we live in town. The five hens were great. No problems health-wise except for some frost-nipped combs in the winter. Vaseline solved that problem. Since they were my first, I handled them daily since I got them. They all were friendly except one, she was flock leader and just a crab to everyone. One especially I consider a pet. She is extremely curious, and will always run to see what I'm doing, even enjoys being petted. They have regular large eggs, one egg every one or two days, depending on the bird and season. They are reactive to threats, but not skittish. I would definitely recommend these birds to any beginner, and intend to always have some in my flock.

We've had 4, but lost one to a predator. She escaped and was taken by a fox. One was attached by a hawk, but survived. They are good with the new chicks, great for kids, the easiest to catch, and I can tell ours apart. Some have larger waddles, different eye color and different size. They might be more of a target for predators since they aren't as flighty, but if I had to stick to just one breed, this would be it!

Oh my, I LOVE my Australorps! My first flock had 2 Australorps: Crooks (due to a crooked toe) and Dorothy (she developed a red comb early). After a massacre due to a raccoon Crooks was the only survivor. Her injuries healed and she is like a dog now. She comes sprinting to meal worms (or any snacks you have in your hands- watch out!) She sleeps with the silkies but whenever anyone is outside she has to be with us and checking out everything that we are doing. She lets my two year old pet and hold her. Even the day of the attack when she had significant injuries she didn't stop laying her beautiful large light brown egg daily. Now we have a pullet Crow that will be her counterpart when she is old enough who is very sweet already but has yet to start laying. Someone dropped off four Australorp chicks which will also be added to the flock.

I can't speak highly enough about Australorps. I highly recommend them to anyone that asks what breeds I like best. They are reliable layers of large eggs, they are VERY friendly, VERY resilient, and absolutely stunning birds. In the sunlight they are not just black- they are black with glimmering hints of green, blue, and purple. Love, love, love. I do need to get leg bands in order to tell the chicks apart though.

Based on my experience, Australorps are my favorite breed of chicken for multiple reasons.

1. My current Australorp hen, Dolly, lays large, beautiful brown eggs- consistently- and she's 3!
2. They have the sweetest temperaments, and tolerate being picked up amazingly!
3. Black Australorps have a beautiful green (sometimes even bluish) tint to their feathers.

Have five of these black Australorp ladies, and I'm very impressed. They push out a lotta eggs and look gorgeous in the yard. Whether it's overcast and you see nothing but black or it's sunny and they get that impressive green and purple sheen, I love watching them do their thing.

Have one, not a good experience.

This is an awesome bird to have around children. Very good bird.

It's very important that our birds be friendly, as we have kids. We have raised several of these birds and I'm currently hatching some too! We are very hands on with our flock and our girl Raven is very very personable. She was actually kept inside the house for a bit and loved being around people, sitting in laps, running around or sleeping with the dogs and cats. Also loves to fly to you when you go into the coop. Lays a consistent 6 eggs weekly, all large and light brown. In the right conditions will lay through summer and winter as well if needed. Definitely in my top two for good friendly layers. The other is Buff Orpington.

I've had one of these beauties for about 5 years. She is the sweetest hen that we have. She's one of the few birds who you can walk right up to, reach down and pick her up. She's nearing 5 years old and is still constantly giving us eggs.
I also ended up with a cock this year, and he's is a very nice roo.