Australorp

out of 25 hens, 0 good year round layers

I want one (maybe two) of these to add to our flock.
First I would like to learn how to pronounce their name.
Is it Ahh strah lorp or Ow strah lorp?

The Australorp is my favorite breed. They are beautiful with their large combs and regal mantles of black feathers that flash brilliant metallic green in the sun. They are also one of the most flexible breeds you can get for whatever set up you desire.

These are large heavy chickens that are good all-purpose birds and good for beginner chicken owners. If you want eggs, meat, or pets, this is an excellent breed to pick. I've used them for all three. They are a popular favorite here in the Pacific Northwest as they don't seem to mind the constant rain and mud very much.

Their personalities range from very friendly to aloof. They can be big snuggly lap chickens, or they will regally patrol your farm at a distance from you. They often continue to lay through the winter. They will not disappoint on meat!

I highly recommend including these in your flock.

These are good birds to have. They tend to be way more stand offish than the other breeds. About 1 in 4 will act like a pet while the others will keep there distance. They have a cool green shine to them when the light hits them right.

These are about a year old

very good egg layer, does well in cold weather, OK In hot climates, tends to be shy and often ends up at the bottom of the peck order

Australorps are one of my favorite breeds. Not only are they a beautiful bird, but they have very sweet personalities and the hens have very long production lives. I will definitely keep at least 1 Australorp in my flock. I hope to one day have a breeding flock of them.

I bought a mix of hatchery chicks from TSC: RIR's, EE's, BR's, and BA's.

My Australorps are by far the most docile and by far the best layers. They consistently layed through the winter. Even though they were hatchery bred, one of my Australorps went broody.

The Australorps seem to be the friendliest of the bunch since they will hang around you and are not skittish or frightened easily. They don't mind being held.

Great bird for a beginner, too since they are so easy to care for and are great layers.

Black Australorps are Sweet,Tame,Pretty,Hardy, and lay good sized eggs. They are from Australia and they are good for both meat and eggs. I have two black australorp hens and one rooster. They are a great breed to have. I love this breed.

We have a flock of 20+ Australorps on our hobby farm. Having tried Brahmas, Plymouth Rocks, and Delawares, we settled on Australorps as the best breed all-around. They've thrived in our high desert climate, with temps from 15 F to 100 F. Our roo is a perfect gentleman with his ladies, humans (large and small), and other poultry.

i love them never had any problem with this breed. The roos can become rather large and loud but have an even temper. They dont seem to be afraid of people even with minimal direct human interaction, they are hardy, and they can live practically in any climate making them a good first chicken

i do recommend this breed

I love these beauties. They are calm, sweet, and lay large brown eggs. They hardly take a day off.

I have six BA's and I took them in reluctantly from some one who was moving and had to give them away. I have since fallen in love with them. They are friendly, easy going, good foragers, great layers and lots of fun to just watch. Of all the breeds and barnyard mixes I've had over the past 3 years, the BA's are my absolute favorite.

beautiful birds to look at, nice egglayers

this hen has let me down she hasnt brooded doesnt lay much and eats alot. 2 of my production hens have become broody while my heritage breeds havnt so i am starting to wonder of it was worth it

I think every flock should have one or two. Our Australorp is our friendliest bird. She loves to be picked up and petted. She is also our best layer beating out our production chickens for egg/year. She is also so big and heavy she cannot fly, which means we don't have to clip her wings to keep her in our yard. I personally like a variety of breeds but Australorps will always be a part of that mix because they have everything I like in a hen. They are very pretty birds (black with green iridescence), but in a flock of only Australorps it may be difficult to tell who is who.

Our Australorp has been a bit of a disappointment after hearing such wonderful things about them from others. Ours has never been particularly docile and didn't begin laying until almost 34 weeks. We got her for her supposed friendliness and for the claim that she would be a prolific layer despite the Texas heat - we'll have to wait and see on the second point.

I think they are great, Once they started, they have laid eggs nearly everyday and its winter. My hens are very calm and quiet, would be great for a in-town setting. Love to free-range when I can let them. Friendly and will come when called. I plan on more when I get a bigger coop.
I don't know about their taste "yet" but that is why I wanted a duel-purpose breed, would like to hear more about that.

I love my australorp! She's a gorgeous bird (love the contrast of a bright red comb/wattle against the glossy black feathers). Plus she's just an easy keeper - calm and easy going with people and other chickens. She's friendly too, and very responsive when I talk to her. Lays a large, pretty, light brown egg. She enjoys free ranging, but would do fine contained as well.

I got my black Australorp as a newly-laying hen from a craigslist listing. She pairs well with my RIR and gets along with the Wyandottes as well. The green sheen on her black feathers is rather stunning. Overall, I'm super happy to own this breed.