Australorp Chickens: Care and Egg-Laying Abilities

Are Australop Chickens Good Egg Layers?

Astralorp Chickens are increasingly popular due to their superior genetic traits. They are well suited for breeding both meat and egg production. Australorp chickens can an average of 250-300 medium light brown colored eggs annually and are one of only a few chicken breeds that can lay many eggs annually.

Their reputation as top performers was cemented in a famous egg-laying contest at an Australian college in 1902. They managed to lay an astonishing record of up to 364 eggs within one year without any artificial lighting support!
Due to some changes in the breed, not all Australorps continue to lay record eggs, but they still average up to 300 eggs a year.

History of the Autralorp Chicken

Australorps make good mothers with average broodiness. Cocks can weigh up to 3.85-4.5 kg (8-10 lbs) and hens up to almost 2 kg (6-8 lbs). Even though they are a larger bird, they take confinement well.

Australorps hail from Australia. They were originally called the Australian Black Orpington. They are a cross between Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds. They also had crosses of Minorca, Lanshan, and White Leghorn.

Even though the parent birds have much of the same lineage as the Orpingtons, the breed doesn’t resemble Orpingtons. For many years, the breed was called numerous names. These names included Australian Laying Orpingtons, Australian Utility Orpingtons, and Australs.

Features of Australorp Chickens

Australorp Chickens are usually black with fluorescent blue-green feathers, but they can be white or blue also. But, only black Australorps are recognized by the Australian Poultry Society.

A true Australorp doesn’t have speckled or splashed coloring. Their comb has five distinct points. They stand upright.  

Australorps were admitted into the American Poultry Association in 1929 in the black variety. They live 6-10 years naturally. They are considered a heritage breed.

Australorps were a declining breed, but have recently started to make a comeback. They are listed as recovering by the Livestock Conservancy.

Caring For Your Australorp Chickens

Australorps are good foragers and easy to care for. This makes them a great bird for beginners. They are not noisy, which makes them a good bird for neighbors. They also don’t fly much, which makes them good for backyards.

But, they can be prone to obesity so free-ranging Australorps allows them to be more active and helps hens to fight weight gain. They are shy, gentle, and calm. Even the roosters are mellow. That means that they can be bullied by more aggressive chickens.

Australorps do well in cold climates because of their larger size. They are also very heat hardy and have no special health considerations or needs. They live for 6-10 years.

Climate	Personality	Use	Size	Eggs/ Yr	Brooder	Forages
Hot & Cold	Shy, Calm	Eggs &Meat	M: 8.5 lbsF: 6. lbs	250-300	Average	Yes

• Dual Purpose 300+ eggs 10 lbs
• Shy & Calm
• Cold & Heat Hardy