Black Australorps - I need some answers!

[accio! chickens]

I'm looking for some extra hens. We want to add probably 6 more chickens to the flock in the spring (to include a rooster). I'm looking at Black Australorps but I have a few questions first...

1. Are they cold hardy? I live in Ontario, Canada! For the record I have a bunch of hens already with single combs and we do pretty okay in the winter.

2. Do they brood/set well? I'm looking for a broody breed

3. How are they for laying? I'm looking for a hen that lays well.

4. What are the roosters like? Friendly?

I'd also be interested in seeing photos of anyones chicks who have come out of Australorp crosses, specifically EE/Australorps or RIR/Australorps... something along those lines. I already have 19 hens, 5 EEs and the rest RIR/Col. Rock x's (or production reds).

 

[mtnhomechick]

They are cold hardy, lay BIG light brown eggs like crazy and are SUPER friendly.......don't know if theyare broody. I love them.

Mary

 

[Megs]

hi, i have australorps (1 roo 7 hens). in my experiance they lay well, are cold hardy (im in BC Canada, so not quite as cold as you guys!! my coop is unheated), but i have only had 1 hen try to go broody (didnt let her). my rooster is awsome! friendly towards me (and any people who come in the coop) and takes care of his ladies well.

 

[accio! chickens]

Hi Megs! ... No snow or anything in my part of Ontario yet though

Every is grey and brown and mucky here. I'm lucky, we don't get lake effect weather since we're about 30 minutes north of Lake Ontario so although it gets super cold, there isn't a lot of ice.

 

[Krodsorin]

one of my australorp hens was a broody, she had only just started laying, then she went broody. and she was back to laying when her chicks were 2 weeks old.

 

[felidaet]

Most people here report how great their BA are but I have to say that I have been very disappointed with mine. I have two of them (pullets) that are 32 weeks old. They are very flighty and not friendly. They are very noisy. Even as young chicks I had a hard time getting them to let me hold them. I am not certain but I don't think they have laid any eggs yet. All of my other pullets have been laying for awhile. I am hoping that in the spring they will start laying and change my opinion of them.

I am sure that with any breed you are going to get a few disappointing chickens. I probably just got unlucky with these. All of my other pullets are great and friendly.


I am more than doubling the size of my flock in the spring. BA's are definitely not on my wish list for 2010.


I have no idea about the cold hardiness of them. This is not a consideration where I live.

 

[greathorse]

The Henderson breed chart defines them as very cold hardy. They are single combed so I would guess they may be a bit susceptible to frost bite on combs and waddles.

the chart also calls them very docile. Good luck with them they are considered very good layers of brown eggs

 

[Bantimna]

Of what I've read Australorps are:
1.Good layers - before ISA browns they were the champion egg layers
2.They go broody and are good mothers
3.The temperament of the roo differs from roo to roo some friendly some not

Regards

 

[Kim_NC]

We have BAs and really like them. They're one of my favorite breeds. Ours are very quiet and kind of stately. In a mixed flock they're at the top of the pecking order, and yet I never see them scrapping or being mean with others. To answer your questions...

1 - Yes, cold hardy

2 - Not all, but some hens will go broody. Here's a pic of one of ours with 20 chicks last November....6 from her own hatch and 14 hatchery 'adoptions'. She raised them all and lost none. But she did not go broody this year.

3 - Ours lay well, 6 eggs per week per hen, occassionally 7 per week. They lay through Winter. (We supplement light for the short Winter days.)

4 - Here's our BA roo, a VERY big guy. I call him Zephyrus (god of the west wind in Greek mythology). He's very tame and good with the girls. He's never acted aggressive toward humans. He's about 8 mo old in this pic.

edited to fix broken pic

 

[DawnSuiter]

I've gone two rounds with Australorps now..
first round... only a few and most turned aggressive just before they started laying
2nd round... I have a bunch of curiously trusting nice girls.

luck of the draw maybe...?? I wasn't going to get anymore, but I ended up with... well.. that's a long story... short version is that I tried again and got lucky. I have 14 now and think they are great!

I don't know about broody, but they do fine here in our open coops in the winter, lay eggs, seem healthy... of course we have a mild winter here in E. TN.