Australorp Chicken Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Australorp is a pretty black chicken with bright red wattles, earlobes and comb.
These beautiful chickens were developed in Australia for the main purpose of laying eggs.

A true wonderful chicken for any back-garden chicken coop as they adapt well to confinement and are excellent foragers if allowed to free range about the garden.

Their shy, calm sweet nature makes them a perfect pet to keep about the garden. They are consistent egg layers in any weather and make great tasty table birds.

Their calm nature makes them a lot less noisy than other chickens and although they can fly but not very high and the hens do tend to put on weight quite quickly, so their diet has to be watched.

The Australorp is said to hold the record of the most eggs laid by a chicken with 364 eggs laid in 365 days by one hen.

HISTORY

The Australorp was originally called the Australian Orpington as it was bred from the Black Orpington by Joseph Partington and William Cook in Australia between 1890 and the early 1900’s. The Black Orpington was bred with the Rhode Island Red.

Other local Australian breeders out-crossed the Langshan, Minorca and White Leghorn to make the breed more for utility purposes.

There is a lot of speculation as to how the breed got its name Australorp but mostly it came about when William Scot Wallace went about getting the Australian Orpington recognized as a breed in 1925. Another claim to the name was from Arthur Harwood in 1919 who suggested that the Australian Orpington layers be named Australs with the suffix of orp added to it.

The breed was accepted into the Standard of Perfection in 1929 after being internationally launched in the early 1920’s.

CHARACTERISTICS
Country of Origin:	Australia
American Poultry Association:	Recognized as a breed of chicken in the United States
Chicken Category:	Large Breed
Chicken Class:	English
Bantam Variety Available?	Yes
Related	TOP 10 BANTAM CHICKEN BREEDS FOR BEGINNERS
IDENTIFICATION ⇒	Appearance: They are large stocky birds with very soft shiny plumage. Australorp’s have very red earlobes, wattles, combs and faces. Color(s): Both hens and roosters are only recognized in black in the United States. However, there are also white and, in some countries, buff Australorps. The Black Australorp beautiful plumage will have hints of green and purple in the sunlight. Related COLOR VARIETIES THAT ARE FOUND IN A LOT OF THE VARIOUS CHICKEN BREEDS Comb: They have a single comb Ave. Weight: Hens/Pullet 5.5 lbs. Cockerel 7.5 lbs.
Life Expectancy:	The average lifespan is 6 – 10 years the longest recorded is 12 years.
Good Starter Chicken?	They are a low maintenance chicken with a sweet gentle nature that makes them perfect for first-time chicken owners.
Related	10 BEST STARTER CHICKENS FOR THE FIRST TIME POULTRY KEEPER
PURPOSE ⇒	Eggs: They are excellent egg layers. They lay medium sized light brown eggs up to 360 per year They are consistent layers that lay eggs all year round. They start to lay eggs from around 20 to 22 weeks old. Related CHICKEN BREEDS THAT LAY BROWN, BLUE, GREEN, OLIVE, PINK OR DIFFERENT COLORS EGG Meat: Astralorps have sweet tasty white meat making them an excellent table chicken. Breeding: They are quite easy to breed as the hens do go broody. This can sometimes be a problem for egg collection as they are also very good, protective mothers. They are also good foster moms and will sit on other chicken’s eggs. If you are breeding breed the Australorp as a show bird choosing the correct bloodlines is crucial. For advice on breeding please check our guide to breed poultry. If you are a first-time breeder it is best to get professional advice from your local animal shelters, poultry farmers or vet. Foraging: These lovely ladies will spend all day foraging about and free ranging. They do tend to overeat so you may have to limit free range time and cut down on snacks. Show Bird: They are beautiful show birds Pets: They make wonderful pets as they are calm, sweet ladies that do not mind human interaction. Other: These ladies are sure to keep your garden pest and weed free. There is nothing they enjoy more than scratching and foraging about the garden. They will give your organic garden a lot of nutritious fertilizer to ensure great blooms and tasty vegetables.
Health:	They are not too partial to the heat but have no known health issues and very strong immune system which makes them resistant to most common chicken diseases.
You may Also Like:	HOW TO TELL IS A CHICKEN IS SICK
Temperament:	Sweet, docile, intelligent and calm birds.
Flyers?	They can fly but not very high
Noisy Birds?	They do love the odd chatter but generally are calm as the gently cluck about.
Interaction with other chickens:	Australorps get along with most other breeds and tend to shy away from any conflict. It is best to watch this if you have a mixed breed flock. As with any flock if you are introducing new birds it is best to slowly socialize them with the flock.
Good with kids?	They are a chicken breed that should be at the top of the list for chicken owners with kids. Although they are a bit heavy to be picked up they have no problem with the attention and cuddles.
Related	10 ROOSTER BREEDS THAT DO NOT MIND CHILDREN
Socialize Behavior?	Although they are not too bothered by other domestic animals they will shy away from contact with them.
You may Also Like:	HOW TO SOCIALIZING YOUR NEW CHICKENS
Known predators:	Most domestic animals leave them alone as they are not small birds, but it is always best to keep an eye on dogs and cats. If hawks and or foxes are in your area it is always best to take precautions. Check with local animal shelters, zoos, vets, animal control and or pet stores about common predators in your area.
Conservation Status:	These birds conservation status is recorded as “recovering”. It is best to check on any special license or instructions that may be set up for owning these birds. This can be checked with your local or national conservation centers.
IDEAL ENVIRONMENT ⇒	Garden Size: They are suited to any garden size from small to large. They do well in confinement as they like the security of their chicken coop. Ideal Climate: Australorps are hardy birds that adapt well to the cold but have to be watched in the heat. Ideal Coop: The rule of thumb for any coop is 50 cm x 50 cm per hen/rooster in the coop. Ensure there is a good space for the nesting boxes and nightly roosting rails at least 1.5 inches wide. Good ventilation for air but not too drafty especially in winter. It is always a good idea to raise the coop off the ground to give the birds a dry place to roost and lay especially in wet weather. Ideal Coop Run: Having a completely covered coop run is a good idea to keep the chickens safe from predators. Although Australorps can fly they cannot fly too high so it is not necessary to cover the top of run unless it is really low. Ideal Flock Size: It is always best to have more than one chicken in your flock. Chickens tend to love socializing and wandering about the garden with their friends. Special Instructions: Unless these birds are meant for showing purposes these ladies tend to be low maintenance with no special requirements. Accessories: The following accessories are ideal for your coop: Nesting boxes Straw for the boxes and roosting area Roosting rails Perches Water troughs/bowls Food bowls/feeders Heating lamp(s) Animal carrier for transport purposes
You may Also Like:	45 FREE DIY CHICKEN COOP PLANS, TUTORIALS AND DESIGNS

WHERE TO FIND THESE BIRDS TO ADD TO YOUR FLOCK

Australorps can be found at most hatcheries and live poultry outlets and farms, that specializes in the breed. As they are on the livestock conservation list as recovering it is best to check with your local conservation centers, reputed poultry breeders for help with any special requirements, attention or care they may need.

CARING FOR THE BIRD(S)

Please click here for our full guide to “Taking care of chickens”. This is a comprehensive guide to owning chickens. It covers where to start from choosing your ideal flock, the coop that would best suit your garden, your bird and you to buying and bringing your bird(s) home.

GENERAL

This Australian breed is a very popular backyard chicken in Australia due to it dual purpose as both a table bird and exceptional egg layer. They are also popular because of their wonderful natures making them one of the most delightful chickens to keep as a family pet. These pretty ladies with their soft shiny plumage are fast recovering in the United States and becoming more popular for backyard chicken coops.

They are fast growers and mature to lay eggs a bit earlier than most other hens.

GROOMING

In the summer months, especially in the hotter climates, these ladies need a lot of low shady branches to perch on, nice shielded dust-baths to groom and cool off in and some ice-cubed fruits and vegetable treat. Maybe even a cool bird bath for them to perch on or in. They have no other special grooming requirements except for regular mites, lice and various other parasites weekly/bi-weekly checks. The chickens will need to be de-wormed on a regular basis especially if they are around other animals or interacting with kids.

DIET AND NUTRITION

As Australorps will overeat it is essential that their diets are closely watched. Feed them first thing in the morning with their regular chicken pellets, grains, grain mix or chicken mash. Limit their snack intake of table scraps of which they will eat most vegetable or fruit leftovers.

For baby chickens, the best is always Chick Starter when they are under 8 weeks old.

Laying hens should get extra protein and calcium in their diets to ensure the quality of their eggs and to keep them in tip-top health.

Please see our comprehensive guide to “Feeding your chickens” for more information of the different types of chicken feed for chicks, hens, laying hens, roosters, etc. and where to buy the feed and approximate cost of the feed.

SOCIALIZING THE BIRD(S)

These gently docile birds tend to shy away from conflict but can still be bullied by more aggressive hens. Before adding other breeds to your flock make sure that their temperaments will match that of your Australorps as not to stress your ladies out.

Always check on how well a breed will get on with your current flock most breeders and or hatcheries will be able to advise you on the most suitable breeds to mix.

As with any newcomer to the roost, you will have to quarantine the bird for 7 – 31 days to ensure it does not have any unwanted critters or disease that could spread to your current flock.

Even though they are friendly sociable birds, even they have a pecking order, so it is advisable to socialize them slowly and determine when it is right to allow them to become a permanent part of the flock.

NOTES / SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

As they are registered as a “recovering” conservation status they may need an extra license to own or keep in your garden. For advice on what the bird’s conservation status and orders are please check with your local conservation department.

For breeders, it is imperative that you always check your bird’s bloodlines and ensure you are buying your birds from a reputed breeder/farm. In order to sell birds of such stature, they have to be recorded and documented, always check with local animal breeding organizations for these records.

These legitimate documents are also required should you wish to show your bird(s) in various poultry shows/competition showings.

For information and advice on adopting rescued animals, you can visit or contact your local animal welfare center.