Australorp

I love my Australorps (I call them Austies!) We bought them from the hatchery at 2 days old. They act like parrots, lol, climbing my arm until they get to my neck and try to nuzzle me! It's bizarre to see a chicken behave this way!

When they were little, they would run underneath me when I would crouch down to talk to the other hens in the gated run.

They are inquisitive and would walk straight up to hens and for some reason they are the only chicks that were never picked on much when it came time for the new pecking order to be established. I would buy these again any day of the week!

Am I the only one who has come to the conclusion that Australorps are cats in chicken suits? My girls are almost a year old and are the first Australorps I've had. Spending a lot of time observing them over the past year, I've decided they are like cats! Maybe it is just my birds but they are fastidious! I've never once found poop in a nest box and not once have I had to clean an egg. They come out of the nest box pristine - just like from the store. I do keep their coop and run clean and they are not crowded but I'm not that obsessive about it. I never see poop on their fluffy butts. Even when they were chicks they didn't spray water everywhere or dump stuff over.

Their personalities remind me of cats - very feisty but affectionate on their own terms. They are exceptionally curious and have to be elbows deep in whatever we are doing. Which can be problematic if we're trying to do a construction job in their coop. They want to "help". If I sit or squat in their run, they will be on my lap or shoulder - particularly if it puts me in an awkward stance and particularly if I don't want them to - exactly like cats...

My girls are also really quiet. They yell a little bit when they lay and if they see me outside they will screech to get my attention but otherwise you wouldn't know they were there. They've been exceptional backyard pets in our typical suburban neighborhood.

They love to be held and petted but on their own terms and usually if you have food.

Unless my girls are just weird - I would think if you adore the sassy, independent but affectionate personality of cats, you would just love this breed!

My australorp hen, Lady, is such a sweetheart. I love her more than anything. She always has something to say every morning when I let the birds out of the coop. She doesn’t put up with other hens bullying each other. She’s always happy to see me. Not to mention she lays jumbo sized eggs, one every day. She doesn’t like snow, but who can blame her?
I would 100% recommend this breed, especially if you’re new to chickens and/or if you have a family. These birds are super docile and don’t mind being man handled children. They’re very cold hardy, so you don’t have to worry about them freezing in the the winter. The australorp roosters I’ve met have always been well behaved birdies as well.
They’re also beautiful.

My first chickens were a trio of Australorp pullets, and oh boy were they wonderful. They each give me an egg everyday, even now when they're 3 years old. I've used them to hatch out ducks over the summer as well, and they are excellent mothers.

This breed is one of my favorites. They are extremely intelligent! The hens are brave, and if handled often as chicks they are even more open and friendly like a BO. They are not a flighty breed. Very large birds! Their large brown eggs are so large they sometimes do not fit into an egg carton.. so take caution when closing the lid. They are also excellent with free ranging! I have never had to herd them in the barn, they are always in with in the hour or 1/2 hour before dusk. They are a very independent breed that requires no fussing over them and will make due and find what they need with or with out you, but at the end of the day still appreciate the treats you bring them. Very weather hardy! I live with winter temperatures that drop -0 (F) with windchill and they have no problems, and continue to lay. They come and go as they please and come when I whistle a specific tune. I would 100% would suggest this breed! Great with kids and dogs.

I absolutely love Australorps. They are gentle, sweet, docile and have a friendly disposition that makes them perfect for first time chicken owners and families. Australorps get along amazingly well with each other. However, Australorps are often competitive with other breeds. Australorps love to roam free but they bear confinement well and do not usually fuss about being cooped up. Australorps are pretty hardy chickens. They are also beautiful to look at. In all, they are one of the best, most popular, classic breeds of all time.

Australorps are basically like Orpingtons (not surprising considering their lineage) except they're readily available in only one color and have more variable temperaments. They often lay better than Orpingtons, but I don't think they lay so much better (if at all in many lines).

I've met a lot of difficult Australorps--both hens and roosters. Domineering hens, ones that are downright bloodthirsty concerning injured birds (even people, because I've had some that followed me and my kids around just to peck at scrapes and scabs on our lower legs), ones that are always broody, ones that are incredibly noisy. I've met nasty tempered Australorp roosters who refused to give ground--regardless of their odds in the fight. They're often very mean to the ladies and likely to start fights with other birds.

They're pretty and not always nasty (not even usually, in all likelihood), but the nasty one's I've met have pretty well put me of the breed. Even when nicer, they tend to be boring, especially if one is only keeping a single breed.

They are striking, have a very discerning glance to them and seem to do well in the cold weather. Not the best foragers in my experience and they waste more food than my other breeds. The few I have had are 'tame', but not very approachable. Seem to do well in confinement and get along with their flock mates. Australorp breeders seem to be enthusiastic about their flocks, however very sensitive. These are not high volume production birds, but over all do have a certain charm about them that makes them definitely worth trying once.

They are so sweet and good-natured. They aren't mean to each other or us. This is very important to me. The only thing they do bad is pick on the one being held because they are jealous, so I have to stand to give them loving. I also had to buy crocs as my chicken shoes to protect my toes from hens pecking my toes declaring that it is their turn for loving.

They are giving us lots of eggs for very little food. I guess that leads to another small con. They have 1600 sq. ft of Chicken Yard, but about half of them easily fly over the fence that is over 5' tall. We lost one and I tell myself that she joined the flock a few houses down.

I love my oynex shes just simply sweet. Only problems is she does not like to be picked up and is very bossy to new birds who enter her space. But over all great bird!!!

I got my four australorps girls as laying adults who were not handled regularly, so mine are not the friendliest birds, but are not anti-social either. They came with an australorp roo who is extremely gentle and an absolutely gorgeous bird, though he does like to crow. I lend that to being raised around a dozen other roosters though. Highly recommend this hearty breed for clockwork layers with a beautiful look.

Very quiet roosters, and beautiful. Huge black birds with iridescent feathers and bright red comb and waddles. They hatched a day earlier than every other chick (of different breeds) in the incubator, all set at the same time. On the other hand, they were sensitive to the cold as chicks, and I had to revive them when the brooder light was not intense enough for them. But they came back to life after I held them close to my chest for warmth. If not handled regularly they can become flighty. But if you play with them a lot, they can be very personable. Unfortunately, mine succumbed to the heat during a very hot summer in California.

I love these birds. They are docile and quiet towards human and other hens, usually.

They lay almost every day, even through most of the winter. My birds are four years old and still lay that much.

Hot and cold hardy.

Although I have not used them for meat, they are large enough to use as dual purpose.

They go broody fairly easily, which for me is a plus. One of my hens raised a clutch of baby ducks after setting on the eggs for the longer incubation time duck eggs have.

One small con I've noticed is that one hen (I have no roosters) will become the "rooster hen" and be a little aggressive sometimes toward the lower hens. Nothing resulting in injury, just the roo mounting behavior.

Use caution mixing this breed with more dominant breeds, such as RIR, as Australorps usually end up near the bottom of the pecking order.

We've always had a few Australorps in our flock for their steady laying, communal personality and beautiful colors. Never had a problem with them until one ended up as the top of the pecking order and let it go to her head... we tried to give her time to settle down, but the abuse of the other girls just got to be too much and we had to rehome her. The other Australorp we have is just fine, so it may have just been that particular bird. I wouldn't say they are the most docile of breeds and wouldn't necessarily consider them a "must have" in our flock moving forward, but at least the one we still have now is still producing well and behaving like a good girl.

I have 2 Australorp, 2 Barnevelders and 2 Easter eggers. I find that the Australorps are very aggressive to the other birds. My 2 Barnevelder have no back tail feathers, thanks to these birds. So they are about to become dinner. My Barnevelders and easter eggers are so gentle and calm and get along with each other. The Australorp are always coming up behind them and taking out a feather. Will be looking to replace them with another breed.

Due to a coyote family in the area, we are down to ONE Australorp, down from ten EEs, Wyandottes, and Australorps.
We've done our best to protect Hildy from the coyote family, hence, she's been sleeping in our youngest daughter's room at night in a large dog crate.
She knows her name, comes when called, responds with a buk-buk or trill when called, and waits until outside to drop her 'marshmallows'.
She's escaped from coyote attacks three times (downside of free ranging) with all but a few tail feathers intact. Through these attacks, she's continued to lay 4-6 days a week!
All of our Australorps have been friendly, social girls, unlike the Wyandottes, who were just plain bullies.
Nothing is more entertaining than watching the backside of an Australorp when running (oh, that waddle!), lol.
We've only had three different breeds, so my opinion is limited; but I wholeheartedly recommend Australorps for anyone considering chickens.

I have one australorp, and she is such an awesome chicken. She's never had health problems, is very heat tolerant, friendly to people, and is so beautiful. I definitely want to get more when I expand my flock some day.

I love my Australorps! Excellent layers, even in winter, even at over three years old.

They are easy to raise, low maintenance, eat almost anything, they like the cold, but hate the snow!

Lay large brown eggs, are dual purpose so they are big enough to eat in a pinch.

They forage well and are curious and affectionate (though all with different information).

Perfect birds for first time chicken owners.

I've only had one adult black australorp (BA), but she was the sweetest thing. I got her as an adult along with 4 other breed hens. She was the only sweet one. She let me hold her, etc. Very soon after getting her, she went broody and was the best mother I've had. Definitely recommend for beginners, and experienced chicken owners.