Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Black Australorps are my favorite standard breed. I've raised them for years and they are extremely hardy, calm and gentle (my children, and now my granddaughter, made lap pets of ours), and excellent layers of large, brown eggs. My Australorp hens typically give me five eggs (occasionally six) per week per hen. My BAs don't go broody often, but when they do, it definitely affects their egg production. Hens of all breeds stop laying when they go broody. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.