Black austrolorps good for laying eggs?

[pringle]

Well sadly at the moment I cant order cubalyas

so I was thinking at least for this year ill be ordering 4 black austrolorps from my local farm store.A few questions though first are they docile?Do they go broody?How good are they at laying eggs like how many a week if you can guess.If I clipped one of there wings could they fly over a 5 ft fence?Are they decent foragers and do they still have some of there intstincs left to look out for hawks?If you have one how are the roos sweet?aggresive how much crowing?Sorry for so many questions.

 

[melody]

I had australops a few years ago. They were very sweet and docile and layed an egg about every other day or so.

 

[Ang]

I love my Australorps. They are decent layers and some of my sweetest hens. I have a one-eyed hen and a rooster who are 2 out of 3 chickens that survived a fox massacre a few years ago. The rooster is as sweet as can be and is a true free ranger. He roosts in the barn rafters and will not be locked in a coop. Overall they are a good breed.

 

[MaggieRae]

I adore my australorps. Dora is by far one of my friendlier birds and my rooster is absolutely one of the sweetest things. Except, he gets a bit violent when it comes to fashion. He HATES blue boots. Don't ask me why. Any other boots and he flips over on his back for belly rubs. He's good at protecting his hens, and Dora is one of my best layers. Don't know about true broodiness, but Dora loves to sit on golf balls. Lucifer doesn't crow too much. Both of them are kind of fat and squat, so they don't fly well, without having their wings clipped. Mine don't free range full time, but they're good at it when they do.

Dora:

Lucy:

 

[Cats Critters]

Mine are pretty good layers and also one of my two went broody last year and was a good mom.
Here is one of my girls:

 

[Mahonri]

I've never had an aussie. If buff orps are similar then I'd say they'll do fine.

 

[Preservation Acres]

Australorps are wonderful birds. Great personalities, and mine lays every single day even through the winter.

 

[Ang]

Come to think of it...my hen survived the fox attack because she was off setting somewhere. She raised a beautiful blue pullet.

 

[Rlilchickadee]

Mine are very friendly and docile. Get along well with the other chickens. They lay an egg almost everyday. Probably 5-6 per week. Mine don't fly much either w/o their wings clipped. But they also free range, maybe if they were shut in their run they might try to get out.
Yours are beauties!

 

[19hhbelgian]

My BA's are very nice girls. They were giving me an egg a day/hen over the summer, and are now taking turns laying in the winter! Sometimes I even get 2 eggs out of 3 hens - not bad for winter

They are very nice girls - will come running when they see me, and take reats from my hand. They aren't into being held and carried around like some of my seramas and polish, but that's fine with me. They are excellent foragers, and they do go broody. I had a hen set on 2 batches of eggs in a row last year... She never waivered! They are also nice when I'm trying to get eggs out from underneath them. No pecking or anything - unlike my bantam cochins, who are banshees if you go into their nest

We have our yard fenced in with no climb horse fence for the dogs. It is right around 5 feet tall, and my australorps never even bother looking to fly over it - & I do not clip any of my birds wings. My girls are a bunch of piggies, so I think as long as they have enough room to scratch around and forage in your yard they'd stay put, wings clipped or not. I do have other large fowl that fly up and over the fence (marans roo for 1) so I know it's not impossible for the large breeds to get out. That is just my experience with them though. Also, you'll need a general name for each hen - You cannot tell them apart for anything... Hence, "the Girls"

This girl just wouldn't stop! These chicks were hatched out but not by her! They are 3 months old in this pic, and she's still "keeping them warm & safe"

Oh, there are actually 3 chicks under her!