Black Australorp thoughts and opinions

[Iluveggers]

Just wondering, what else did you order? Good luck w the new additions!

 

[gtaus]

I’m putting together an order for this summer and I like to add 1 or 2 prolific layers since I’m getting some breeds that don’t lay as often. I’ve had my eye on black australorps for a while. To those who keep this breed, how do they lay? how early do they come into lay? How is their behavior? My birds are always confined so they would need to do well in a very large run but without access to free range.
Thanks!

I have had 2 Black Australorps. They are very nice, gentle, birds. Mine were good egg layers for the first 2 years, but like most of my flock, they really slowed down laying eggs their 3rd winter. I originally got 10 different breeds of chickens, and I think they started laying eggs in the middle of the group. I don't let my chickens free range either, but they do very well in the chicken run. My Black Australorps would go broody much more than I expected. More so than what their breed characteristics would suggest. But individual birds can have traits outside of average. Also, for whatever reason, my surviving Black Australorp is the lowest ranking hen in the flock despite her larger size.

If you want prolific layers, I don't think you can beat the ISA Brown for production. At least for the first 2 years. Then you would have to replace them. But I have found that all my hens slowed down laying eggs so much that I am no longer going to keep them a third winter. My plan going forward, for egg production, is to replace half the flock every year.

Maybe egg production in older hens is better in other locations, but my experience is that I only get two years of egg production and then it basically slows down or stops that third winter. If your chickens are pets, then it's not an issue. If you keep chickens for egg production, then you might find that they have to be replaced after that second year.

Good luck with your flock.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

I have had 2 Black Australorps. They are very nice, gentle, birds. Mine were good egg layers for the first 2 years, but like most of my flock, they really slowed down laying eggs their 3rd winter. I originally got 10 different breeds of chickens, and I think they started laying eggs in the middle of the group. I don't let my chickens free range either, but they do very well in the chicken run. My Black Australorps would go broody much more than I expected. More so than what their breed characteristics would suggest. But individual birds can have traits outside of average. Also, for whatever reason, my surviving Black Australorp is the lowest ranking hen in the flock despite her larger size.

If you want prolific layers, I don't think you can beat the ISA Brown for production. At least for the first 2 years. Then you would have to replace them. But I have found that all my hens slowed down laying eggs so much that I am no longer going to keep them a third winter. My plan going forward, for egg production, is to replace half the flock every year.

Maybe egg production in older hens is better in other locations, but my experience is that I only get two years of egg production and then it basically slows down or stops that third winter. If your chickens are pets, then it's not an issue. If you keep chickens for egg production, then you might find that they have to be replaced after that second year.

Good luck with your flock.

Good to know! we do plan to rotate the flock as laying slows down since we have limited coop space. Im curious to see If climate plays a roll in laying too! While everyone here was talking about production slowing or stopping over the winter mine were acting like nothing happened. I think we actually get a little more sunlight here than up North. We shall see!

 

[ForFlocksSake]

Just wondering, what else did you order? Good luck w the new additions!

Im working on a colorful egg basket. I already have 3 green layers, a white layer, a blue layer and some light brown layers. In addition to the Australorps I just ordered

Back copper Maran
Wheaten Maran
Austra White
Bountiful Blue Easter Egger

 

[gtaus]

Im working on a colorful egg basket. I already have 3 green layers, a white layer, a blue layer and some light brown layers. In addition to the Australorps I just ordered

That was my idea when I got my first flock. I loved getting all kinds of different colored eggs. If it was up to me, that's what I would still do.

However, Dear Wife sells our excess eggs and the people she sells the eggs to only want large brown eggs. You would think a green egg, a speckled egg, a blue egg, or a dark brown egg would be more valuable, but they are not to the people we sell our eggs.

As I replaced older/dying hens of the different breeds, I have settled into getting ISA Browns which are a brown egg production bird. Everybody loves their large brown eggs and that is our best seller. I truly miss having all kinds of colored eggs, but the brown eggs we sell cover the feed and maintenance cost for my flock. If my chickens were pets, that might not be a concern. But I got a backyard flock with the idea that they should pay for their keep, more or less, from egg money.

I also factor into our egg income how much I sell eggs "to myself" as if I was a customer. So, for the few colored eggs we still get, or a smaller egg, or the occasional cracked egg that gets cooked up immediately, I count those as egg income as well even though I am not selling them to others.

When I got my first flock, I was only interested in eggs for us. But it turned out to be a good deal for us to sell our excess eggs and cover our costs for having a backyard flock. It's really hard to beat the value of the production birds in that respect. Our goals with the backyard flock changed over time and the egg income we get from selling our excess eggs has been able for me to justify keeping a backyard flock.

My main "income" from my backyard flock comes from all the compost they make in the chicken run. I save hundreds of dollars every year from the black gold compost I harvest from the chicken run composting system that I don't have to buy at the big box stores. I have doubled the number of gardens I built and maintain now that I have access to so much chicken compost. I tell people I have composting chickens and get fresh eggs as a bonus!

People have all kinds of reasons to keep a backyard flock. All I am saying is that our goals changed over time, and I had to find a way to cover the costs of keeping chickens. They are not our pets, so they have to add value in other ways.

 

[Iluveggers]

That was my idea when I got my first flock. I loved getting all kinds of different colored eggs. If it was up to me, that's what I would still do.

However, Dear Wife sells our excess eggs and the people she sells the eggs to only want large brown eggs. You would think a green egg, a speckled egg, a blue egg, or a dark brown egg would be more valuable, but they are not to the people we sell our eggs.

As I replaced older/dying hens of the different breeds, I have settled into getting ISA Browns which are a brown egg production bird. Everybody loves their large brown eggs and that is our best seller. I truly miss having all kinds of colored eggs, but the brown eggs we sell cover the feed and maintenance cost for my flock. If my chickens were pets, that might not be a concern. But I got a backyard flock with the idea that they should pay for their keep, more or less, from egg money.

I also factor into our egg income how much I sell eggs "to myself" as if I was a customer. So, for the few colored eggs we still get, or a smaller egg, or the occasional cracked egg that gets cooked up immediately, I count those as egg income as well even though I am not selling them to others.

When I got my first flock, I was only interested in eggs for us. But it turned out to be a good deal for us to sell our excess eggs and cover our costs for having a backyard flock. It's really hard to beat the value of the production birds in that respect. Our goals with the backyard flock changed over time and the egg income we get from selling our excess eggs has been able for me to justify keeping a backyard flock.

My main "income" from my backyard flock comes from all the compost they make in the chicken run. I save hundreds of dollars every year from the black gold compost I harvest from the chicken run composting system that I don't have to buy at the big box stores. I have doubled the number of gardens I built and maintain now that I have access to so much chicken compost. I tell people I have composting chickens and get fresh eggs as a bonus!

People have all kinds of reasons to keep a backyard flock. All I am saying is that our goals changed over time, and I had to find a way to cover the costs of keeping chickens. They are not our pets, so they have to add value in other ways.

Hi @gtaus ! Could you link me to your chicken run compost thread again please? Thanks!

 

[gtaus]

Hi @gtaus ! Could you link me to your chicken run compost thread again please? Thanks!

Yeah, that was a good thread at Harvesting my Chicken Run Compost - Black Gold!. I remember you had a number of good comments in that thread as well. Lots of good info from the members who visited.

 

[Australorpfamily]

Hi! So I did see you ordered two. Last year around this time we got 14 straight run, 8roos/6hens, will definitely do things differently in future... bUT we love our BAs. They each, we have 8, have unique personalities.

We are in Indiana and our summer's can get brutal for a bit, they did very well as long as shade. We do have a covered run for them so shade was easy. We don't free range due to location. They love leaves and veggie green we can give them but seem happy and content.

We had a fan for our Brahmas during the summer and our BAs were soso for it. The Brahmas would lay in front of it while the BAs would do walk bys.

They are very good egg layers we've noticed. Ours started laying 16weeks to 18 weeks. With the exception of winter due to molting and cold. And haven't had any even remotely entertain the idea of brooding (our buff Orpington is on her second batch now lol)

And while they are the oldest they do seem to be top of the flock. We also chose breeds that would be good with our BAs having read several threads where BAs could be bullied by some(RIR for example--just what I've read)

Their green sheen in the sun is beautiful

Good luck with them!

 

[ForFlocksSake]

Hi! So I did see you ordered two. Last year around this time we got 14 straight run, 8roos/6hens, will definitely do things differently in future... bUT we love our BAs. They each, we have 8, have unique personalities.

We are in Indiana and our summer's can get brutal for a bit, they did very well as long as shade. We do have a covered run for them so shade was easy. We don't free range due to location. They love leaves and veggie green we can give them but seem happy and content.

We had a fan for our Brahmas during the summer and our BAs were soso for it. The Brahmas would lay in front of it while the BAs would do walk bys.

They are very good egg layers we've noticed. Ours started laying 16weeks to 18 weeks. With the exception of winter due to molting and cold. And haven't had any even remotely entertain the idea of brooding (our buff Orpington is on her second batch now lol)

And while they are the oldest they do seem to be top of the flock. We also chose breeds that would be good with our BAs having read several threads where BAs could be bullied by some(RIR for example--just what I've read)

Their green sheen in the sun is beautiful

Good luck with them!

thanks you! Actually added a third to my order because I just know I am going to love them! Im definitely nervous about summer but honestly ALL my chickens need assistance with the heat here. Even the ones that are more heat hardy. I also realized my local library has an australorp in their outdoor flock! So if she can handle it then I have no worries mine can.

 

[Chickenberg Goldenegg]

I've got 10 and I get 5-8 eggs daily, 7 often. Super friendly. Great at foraging and keeping themselves alive. Racoons are kind of scared because they are about the racoons size. I have foxes but they haven't attacked the hens, the foxes seem small in comparison.

They can fly 5ft+ high and even flex that at me when I try to contain them. Very chatty.

I really like the breed just because they take care of themselves and they are friendly.