Black Australorps broody

[Cindychlvr]

I have a flock of 22 Black Autralorp birds. They are about 9 months old. One is a known roo. I have had a large number of them go broody. so far 7 of them at once. I don't have that many broody breaker isolation cages. There goes my egg production. I also discovered a late bloomer who turned out to be a roo. Has anyone else had these problems with this breed? They have been very high maintainence. I had read that they were fantastic egg layers....if you can get them to lay. Has anyone else had ANY experience with this breed like I am having. I am just about ready to swear off this breed for future flocks. Any input is helpful.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Mine are pretty awesome. Started to lay at 18 weeks, and like to sit on your lap. No broodys yet.. Where did you get them from? I ordered 15 got an extra, and all were pullet. Used Mt Healthy in Ohio. Have already hatched 3, was lucky to find a Roo and gave him 4 girls.

 

[Cindychlvr]

Mine are pretty awesome. Started to lay at 18 weeks, and like to sit on your lap. No broodys yet.. Where did you get them from? I ordered 15 got an extra, and all were pullet. Used Mt Healthy in Ohio. Have already hatched 3, was lucky to find a Roo and gave him 4 girls.

I got them from the local feed and tack store. I may look into a different supplier hatchery in the future. Been getting a lot of roos from this same supplier. Thanks for your input.

 

[Judy]

I've had 5 for a few years, plus a few mutts with BA in them. Two go broody once a year at most. the rest not at all. I've been pleased, they are calm even though most are not lap chickens, and they are great producers. One is 4 years old and lays every other day.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
My girls are really sweet and gentle, I do spend a lot of time with them since we are putting cattle fence in. They all free range a lot during the day and think they need to help me. Out of all my breeds I enjoy the australorp the most. Move slow and give treats, once they trust you they are lovely birds.

 

[Bulletproof Roo]

I gave an adult Black Australorp rooster a home with my free ranging flock of Rhode Island Red and Delaware hens last spring. He was fixing to be eliminated by the previous owner. He's not tame, but seems friendly for an untame rooster. I hatched out two chicks from him and a Rhode Island Red, and they are both almost nine weeks old now and free ranging with the flock. One looks almost exactly like a BA and the other looks literally exactly like a pure bred Rhode Island Red. The one that looks like a pure Rhode Island Red is the sweetest and most trusting chicken I've ever had. I hope she stays that way. I believe they are both hens, but can't tell for sure as I'm not experienced in distinguishing at this age.

My hope is that the BA tendency towards broodiness will pass on to them both and I will have at least one broody hen from the crossing. I would like to be able to hatch out chicks without needing an incubator. It would also be nice not to need to provide the level of care necessary for the weeks after hatching.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I gave an adult Black Australorp rooster a home with my free ranging flock of Rhode Island Red and Delaware hens last spring. He was fixing to be eliminated by the previous owner. He's not tame, but seems friendly for an untame rooster. I hatched out two chicks from him and a Rhode Island Red, and they are both almost nine weeks old now and free ranging with the flock. One looks almost exactly like a BA and the other looks literally exactly like a pure bred Rhode Island Red. The one that looks like a pure Rhode Island Red is the sweetest and most trusting chicken I've ever had. I hope she stays that way. I believe they are both hens, but can't tell for sure as I'm not experienced in distinguishing at this age.

My hope is that the BA tendency towards broodiness will pass on to them both and I will have at least one broody hen from the crossing. I would like to be able to hatch out chicks without needing an incubator. It would also be nice not to need to provide the level of care necessary for the weeks after hatching.

I had 4 of 16 of my BAs broody late summer. These were all "hatchery" girls, hatched last december, and I just love the breed.
I will let my hens raise them next year. Its a lot of work, and our purpose is food supply and eggs.
My GLW (12) were breeder stock and only 1 went broody, all were over a year old.

 

[Chicken-nugget]

I have one 3 year old BA and she has NEVER gone broody! She is so sweet! I wouldn't trade her for a whole new flock of the best layers around! She lays basically every day all through winter. Swearing off this breed is your choice, of course, but I would maybe rethink it. Just my input...

 

[Chickhelper99]

The breed in general lays lots but doesnt go broody frequently my friend has one and i visit her all the time the hen has gone broody before but not in the past 9 months so far

 

[Ms Kurtis]

I got 3 Australorpe hens and a roo in fall 2020. They were pullets. Have them in a very large (for chickens) barn and run. Once they began to lay, they have laid one egg each per day even during the great Texas freeze, but none have really gone broody. I'm fixin' to incubate b/c I have so much room, but no hens laying on the nest consistently. They'll lay for a bit and then lose interest even with 20 eggs in the box, which is a large hay filled drawer nailed inside the barn. They are great birds and the roo is gentle. I'm gonna incubate. I donated a dozen fertilized eggs to a friend with an incubator a month ago and she got five chicks hatched. With milder weather, I believe incubated chicks will be OK when put with the others bc they are so docile. Mine are low maintenance. Made it through the freeze without additional heat besides their well built old tin barn and heated daily water just fine. We get extremes in temps both summer and winter. Have shade tree branches over the run covered with chicken wire. Now with milder weather, the hawks are circling, but can't get in. Run was lined at bottom with corrugated steel dug at least a foot down and couple feet up. So far foxes caught on night video haven't even tried to dig under. Fingers crossed that the incubated chicks are accepted into this small mild mannered flock.