Australorps breed Thread

[ronott1]

Hi,

I'm new to chickens, and my husband and I are planning our coop. We are also planning our flock… we can only have 4 chickens and I would love to have one as an australorp because of how friendly I hear they are (the egg laying is just an amazing benefit.) The thing is - we aren't planning on breeding and I have been advised that these birds are just too broody for a 4 chicken, non-breeding flock. What are your thoughts?

Find a feed store that has chicks next spring and get an assortment.

TSC here has a minimum of 6 though. A different place will sell you down to 1 though.

 

[Turk Raphael]

Hi,

I'm new to chickens, and my husband and I are planning our coop. We are also planning our flock… we can only have 4 chickens and I would love to have one as an australorp because of how friendly I hear they are (the egg laying is just an amazing benefit.) The thing is - we aren't planning on breeding and I have been advised that these birds are just too broody for a 4 chicken, non-breeding flock. What are your thoughts?

I had them for some time and I can tell you, it would be extraordinary for Australorps to be so broody as to cause you any real problems with four birds. Heck, they might never go broody as much of that has been bred out of most lines, especially from hatcheries. They are better than average layers and four should give a small family plenty of eggs and perhaps even a few to give to friends.

Turk

 

[MrsBrooke]

Hi,

I'm new to chickens, and my husband and I are planning our coop.  We are also planning our flock… we can only have 4 chickens and I would love to have one as an australorp because of how friendly I hear they are (the egg laying is just an amazing benefit.)  The thing is - we aren't planning on breeding and I have been advised that these birds are just too broody for a 4 chicken, non-breeding flock.  What are your thoughts?

Australorps are more broody than other breeds, but hatchery BAs are less likely to go broody than breedery birds.

You can break a broody by locking her in a separate pen (with food and water) with no nesting material. As soon she she lays an egg, you can let her rejoin the flock. Google "how to break a broody" for more info.

If you want nice chickens, just hand raise your chicks!

Good luck!

- MrsB

 

[Turk Raphael]

Australorps are more broody than other breeds, but hatchery BAs are less likely to go broody than breedery birds.

You can break a broody by locking her in a separate pen (with food and water) with no nesting material. As soon she she lays an egg, you can let her rejoin the flock.

Google "how to break a broody" for more info.

If you want nice chickens, just hand raise your chicks!

Good luck!

- MrsB

Sorry MrsB...I just don't know where you get the idea that Australorps are more broody than other breeds. Aside from owning them myself for almost four years, my dad had them for decades and they are just NOT more broody than most other breeds.

Dark Cornish, Game birds, Naked Necks ...the list goes on and on of birds that are more likely to brood than Australorps....especially hatchery birds, as you say.


Turk

 

[adam73]

I

Find a feed store that has chicks next spring and get an assortment.

TSC here has a minimum of 6 though. A different place will sell you down to 1 though.

i have to agree with Ron on this one goto a feed store next spring & buy a mix(breeds) of birds this way they can grow up as a flock....& welcome to BYC....

 

[adam73]

Gonna be a long night

 

[ronott1]

Gonna be a long night

They should hatch soon.

 

[Turk Raphael]

Gonna be a long night

I'm assuming this is an incubator...what kind is it?

 

[adam73]

Those are the first 3....of 8.. the others are still in the incubator

 

[Turk Raphael]

Ok...then it is a hatcher/helper of some sort. I need to buy an incubator (mid-sized) and I'm lost with so many products claiming to be the best.