Australorp Chickens: Complete Breed Profile

In the 1920s, one Australian hen laid 364 eggs in 365 days. Your backyard hens won't match that, but the Australorp is still one of the most dependable brown egg layers you can keep. It's also calm enough for kids and first-time keepers.

There are a few catches, though. Egg numbers online range from 190 to 300, and there's a real reason for the gap. Black feathers soak up heat. Gentle hens can get bullied. And if you want to hatch your own, Australorp eggs have a few quirks worth knowing. This guide gives you real numbers, straight answers, and the steps to hatch Australorp chicks at home.

Quick answer: The Australorp is a dual-purpose chicken from Australia, known for glossy black feathers, large light brown eggs, and a calm, friendly nature. Hens weigh about 6.5 lb and roosters about 8.5 lb. Most healthy hens lay 200 to 250 eggs in their first full year, and strong lines can reach 280 or more. Hens start laying at 5 to 6 months and live 6 to 10 years. They handle cold well but need shade in hot weather.

In This Guide

• At a glance
• History
• Size and looks
• Temperament
• Eggs
• Broodiness
• Meat
• Lifespan
• Care
• Pros and cons
• Breed comparison
• Price
• Hatching
• FAQ

Australorp Chickens at a Glance

What Is an Australorp Chicken?

The name blends "Australian" and "Orpington" because the breed grew out of Black Orpingtons. Between about 1890 and 1900, Black Orpingtons from English breeders were shipped to Australia. English breeders were shaping the Orpington for meat, but the Australians wanted eggs. They bred for laying, and according to the [Livestock Conservancy], they also made outcrosses to Minorca, White Leghorn, and Langshan chickens.

It worked. At a 1922–23 laying contest in Geelong, Victoria, a pen of six "Australorp" hens laid 1,857 eggs in 365 days, an average of 309.5 per hen. Single hens soon posted 347, 354, and then 364 eggs in a year. The breed reached England and America in the early 1920s, and the American Poultry Association added it to the Standard of Perfection in 1929.

Today the Australorp is Australia's national chicken breed and a favorite in U.S. backyard flocks. It is also no longer on the Livestock Conservancy's conservation priority list [VERIFY year and wording on their site before publishing].

Australorp Size, Weight, and Looks

Australorps are medium to large birds. They look sturdy and rounded, but they are leaner than a fluffy Orpington. Roosters weigh about 8.5 lb and hens about 6.5 lb, per the Livestock Conservancy. Hatchery lines often run a little lighter, and hens in the 6 to 8 lb range are common. Bantam Australorps are much smaller, usually under 3 lb.

An Australorp has a broad back, a full chest, and a single red comb with five to seven points. The legs are black to slate with no feathers, and the soles of the feet are pinkish-white. The dark brown eyes give the face a soft look.

Colors. The classic Australorp is solid black with a beetle-green sheen that flashes purple and blue in sunlight. Black is the only color the American Poultry Association accepts. Australia also recognizes blue and white Australorps. Some U.S. breeders sell blue ones, but they aren't accepted in the American show standard. Like other blue chickens, they don't breed true, so a batch will include some black and splash chicks.

Telling them apart from other black breeds. Check the feet. White soles and pinkish-white skin mean Australorp. Yellow soles and skin point to a Black Jersey Giant, which is also larger. A Black Orpington is fluffier with a lower, wider body, and a black sex link often has some brown or red in the feathers. If you want a bird that is black all the way through, see our Ayam Cemani breed profile.

Australorp Temperament

The Livestock Conservancy describes Australorps as active yet gentle, and says even the roosters are friendly. That makes them a good fit for kids, including 4-H members who show birds.

Most hens let you walk up and pet them, and many follow you around the yard hoping for treats. New birds are often shy for the first few days. They're quiet, which helps with close neighbors, and they do fine in a run or free-ranging.

The catch is that they sit in the middle of the pecking order. They aren't bullies, but they won't always stand up to pushy breeds. In a mixed flock, give everyone room, set up two feeders and two waterers, add hiding spots in the run, and introduce new birds slowly with a see-but-don't-touch period. For another famously gentle bird, see our Silkie chicken profile.

Are Australorp Roosters Aggressive?

Usually not. An Australorp rooster is large and protective of his hens but often friendly toward people. Every bird is different, though. Handle young cockerels often, keep about one rooster per 8 to 10 hens, watch him around small children, and remove any rooster that draws blood.

Roosters also have bigger combs, so they're more prone to frostbite in damp, freezing coops. Keep the coop dry and ventilated to prevent it.

Australorp Eggs and Egg Production

Egg color and size. Australorp eggs are light brown, sometimes with a soft pink tint. They're large, and a dozen weighs about 26 to 27 ounces, or roughly 2.2 oz per egg.

How many eggs do they lay? Listings range from 190 to 300 a year, and each number is true for something different:

A fair plan is 200 to 250 eggs from a healthy hen in her first full year, or about 4 to 5 a week. Molting, broodiness, heat, and stress all pull that number down. Some commercial hybrids lay more, but they often lack the calm nature and long life of an Australorp.

When do they start laying? Most start at 5 to 6 months (18 to 24 weeks). The first eggs are small and sometimes oddly shaped, and they reach full size within a few weeks.

How production drops with age. A common rule of thumb is a drop of roughly 20 percent each year. For a hen who lays 250 in her first year:

Many keepers keep older hens as pets and flock leaders. If egg count is your goal, add a few new pullets each year.

Do they lay in winter? Better than many breeds, but expect a dip. Hens need roughly 14 to 16 hours of light a day to lay steadily, and shortening days slow production for almost every breed. A timed coop light can fill in the dark hours. Our coop and poultry supplies can help you set up for winter.

Why did my Australorp stop laying? The usual causes are molting (typically in fall, lasting weeks to months), shorter days, broodiness, heat or a predator scare, mites or illness, age, or feed low in protein or calcium.

Do Australorps Go Broody?

It depends on the line. Early Australian breeders worked to remove broodiness because a sitting hen stops laying, so hatchery lines rarely go broody. Heritage and show lines are more likely to, and the Livestock Conservancy notes the breed is generally good at sitting and mothering. If you're buying from a hatchery, don't count on a natural hatch.

A broody hen sits on the nest all day, puffs up, growls when you reach under her, and may pluck her chest feathers. If you have fertile eggs and want chicks, give her a quiet nest with food and water nearby. If you want eggs instead, collect daily and lift her off the nest several times a day to break the cycle.

A hen covers only about a dozen eggs, picks her own timing, and may quit early.

Want a bigger batch on your schedule?

See incubators by batch size below, or our incubation time and temperature chart.

Is the Australorp a Dual-Purpose Chicken?

Yes, though most keepers raise it mainly for eggs. Market weight is about 5.5 to 7.5 lb, and the skin is white to pinkish-white. Cockerels are often processed around 16 to 20 weeks, though birds keep filling out after that.

Australorps grow faster than many heritage breeds but nowhere near meat hybrids. A Cornish Cross reaches table size in 6 to 8 weeks. If you want the quickest, cheapest meat, a hybrid wins. If you want years of eggs and a good roast from your extra roosters, the Australorp is a smart middle ground.

Australorp Lifespan

Most Australorps live 6 to 10 years. Lines bred only for high production may live closer to 5 or 6, while heritage-type birds with good care can reach 8 to 10. What helps most is a predator-proof coop and run, a healthy weight, shade and cool water in summer, dry bedding, and weekly checks for mites and lice.

Australorp Care

Care is simple, which is part of the breed's charm. A few details matter more than usual.

Coop and run. Plan on about 4 sq ft per bird in the coop and 10 sq ft in the run, 8 to 12 inches of roost space per bird, and one nest box for every 4 to 5 hens. Use clean, dry bedding, offer a dust bath spot, and keep water fresh and unfrozen all year.

Feed.

Grit helps if they don't free-range, and treats should stay under about 10% of the diet.

Australorps gain weight easily, especially in a small run. Run a hand along the breastbone: you should feel firm muscle on each side of a bone you can find. If it feels buried in padding, cut back on treats and scatter feed on the ground to get them foraging. Good feeders and waterers keep feed dry and water clean.

Keeping black chickens cool. This is the biggest care issue. Black feathers absorb sunlight, and the Livestock Conservancy advises ample shade in warm weather. Watch for panting, wings held away from the body, weakness, or heavy drinking. Provide all-day shade (trees, tarps, or shade cloth), cool water in several spots, and an open, breezy coop. Move a stressed bird to a cool, shaded spot right away, and call a poultry vet if a bird collapses or doesn't improve.

Cold weather. Dense feathering keeps them warm. The real risk is damp air, which causes frostbite on combs and wattles. Keep bedding dry and the coop ventilated but draft-free at roost level.

Common health concerns. Obesity is the big one, so limit treats and encourage foraging. Bumblefoot (a foot sore from small injuries or hard landings) is less likely with low roosts and regular foot checks. Check weekly for mites and lice under the feathers and around the vent. Any laying hen can become egg-bound, so call a poultry vet if a hen strains or looks weak.

Pros and Cons of Australorps

Are Australorps good for beginners? Yes. They're calm, hardy, and forgiving. Here's the honest list.

Australorp vs. Orpington vs. Rhode Island Red

The Australorp came from the Black Orpington, but breeders aimed it at eggs instead of meat and looks.

In short, the Australorp is a trimmer, egg-focused cousin of the Orpington. For the biggest, fluffiest bird, read our Orpington breed profile. For a busier bird with top egg numbers, see our Rhode Island Red breed profile.

How Much Do Australorp Chickens Cost?

[Insert current price range. Typical hatchery pricing is a few dollars per sexed pullet chick, with started pullets costing considerably more. Verify against current hatchery listings before publishing.] Prices vary by hatchery, quantity, and season, and spring orders often sell out or carry minimums. Hatching your own cuts the per-bird cost once you own the equipment, which is covered below.

Buy Chicks or Hatch Your Own?

Hatching your own lets you pick the date and batch size and avoid shipping stress, and it's a great lesson for kids. For fertile eggs, buy from a breeder or hatchery in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), a USDA program that helps keep flocks healthy. Ask about the parent hens' laying numbers, size, and temperament. Our guide to buying hatching eggs covers what to look for. Shipped eggs hatch at lower rates than local pickups, so set a few extra.

How to Hatch Australorp Eggs

Australorp eggs follow the standard 21-day schedule.

1. Store eggs well. Keep them at about 55 to 65°F, pointed end down, and set within 7 days if you can.
2. Warm the incubator first. Run it for 24 hours. A forced-air incubator should hold 99.5°F.
3. Set clean, fertile eggs and turn them several times a day, or use an automatic turner.
4. Hold humidity at 45 to 50% for the first 18 days.
5. Candle on day 7 and day 14. Remove clear eggs or any that stopped developing. See our egg candling guide.
6. Lockdown on day 18. Stop turning and raise humidity to 65 to 70%.
7. Hatch around day 21. Let chicks dry and fluff up before moving them.

Australorp eggs are large, so make sure your tray fits them. Listed capacities are for standard eggs, so you may fit a few fewer. For more detail, see our beginner's guide to hatching eggs, shop automatic egg turners, and browse egg incubator humidity control tools.

Pick an Incubator by Batch Size

New to this? Browse all chicken egg incubators, tabletop incubators, the first-time hatcher collection, and our combo kits, which bundle the basics to save on shipping.

Two tools that help. Light brown shells are easier to see through than dark brown ones, but a strong light still helps you spot veins and the air cell (see our Incu-Bright candler review). The Incu-Bright LED Egg Candler has a 250-lumen LED, stays cool, and fits any egg size. For steady heat and humidity, the IncuTherm Plus Hatch Monitor uses a remote probe so you can check conditions without opening the lid. Not sure which thermometer to pick? Read our digital incubator thermometer guide. Every purchase comes with the 2-Year IncuCare Warranty, and our EGGsperts can help you choose.

Raising Australorp Chicks

Australorp chicks hatch mostly black, with white or pale patches on the belly, head, and wings, plus white skin and soles. The white fades as the glossy black feathers come in.

You can't sex them at hatch because Australorps aren't sex-linked. By 6 to 8 weeks, young males often show bigger, redder combs, and crowing starts around 8 to 16 weeks. About half your chicks will be roosters, so decide ahead of time what you'll do with them (many keepers raise extras for meat), and check local rules on roosters.

Spring hatches mean first eggs by fall. A late-summer hatch means first eggs in the dark months, so plan on a coop light.

Newborn chicks can't keep themselves warm. The Insta Brooder with Vrooder Heater Plate handles up to 30 chicks with a heater plate that acts like a mother hen, and you can browse all brooders and heating plates to match your hatch size. Follow the heater's instructions, and watch the chicks: huddled and loudly peeping means too cold, while panting or hiding in the far corner means too hot. Our poultry hatching guides and after-hatch supplies cover the first weeks in more detail.

Are Australorps Right for You?

Choose Australorps if you want a reliable layer of large brown eggs, a calm bird for kids or beginners, a quiet flock for a suburban yard, or a dual-purpose bird that lives for years. Look elsewhere if you want the absolute most eggs (commercial hybrids lay more), a fast-growing meat bird, a fluffy show-type look, a hot, sunny setup with no shade, or hens that reliably hatch their own chicks.

Give them shade, watch their weight, and keep the coop dry, and they'll reward you for years. And if you want to grow your flock the fun way, hatching is easier than most people think. With a good incubator, a bright candler, and a simple brooder, you could be collecting eggs from your own Australorp hatch in about six months.

FAQ (People Also Ask )

Q: How many eggs do Australorps lay?

Ans: Most healthy hens lay 200 to 250 eggs in their first full year, about 4 to 5 a week, and strong lines can reach 280 or more. Production drops with molting, broodiness, stress, and age.

Q: Are Australorps good for beginners?

Ans: Yes. They're calm, hardy, quiet, and easy to handle. New keepers should watch their weight, provide shade in summer, and keep the coop dry in winter.

Q: How big do Australorps get?

Ans: Hens weigh about 6.5 lb and roosters about 8.5 lb. Bantams are much smaller, usually under 3 lb.

Q: What color eggs do Australorps lay?

Ans: Light brown, sometimes with a soft pink tint. The eggs are large.

Q: How long do Australorps live?

Ans: Most live 6 to 10 years. High-production lines may live closer to 5 or 6. A safe coop, good feed, and a healthy weight help.

Q: Are Australorp roosters aggressive?

Ans: Usually not. They're often calm with people, though they protect their hens. Watch young males around children and remove any rooster that attacks.

Q: Can Australorps handle hot weather?

Ans: They can with help. Black feathers absorb heat, so give all-day shade, cool water, and good airflow. Panting and wings held away from the body are signs of heat stress.

Q: What's the difference between an Australorp and a Black Orpington?

Ans: The Australorp descends from the Black Orpington but was selected for laying in Australia. It's sleeker and lighter, at about 6.5 lb for a hen versus about 8 for an Orpington. In the U.S., it comes only in black, while Orpingtons come in many colors.

Q: Do Australorps go broody?

Ans: It varies. Hatchery lines rarely do, and heritage lines are more likely to. For chicks on a set schedule, an incubator is more reliable.

Q: Can I hatch Australorp eggs in an incubator?

Ans: Yes. They follow the normal 21-day schedule: 99.5°F in a forced-air incubator, 45 to 50% humidity until day 18, then 65 to 70% for lockdown. Candle on days 7 and 14.

Ready to hatch your own Australorps? Explore our egg incubators and combo kits, visit the Learning Center, or reach out to our EGGsperts with questions.