Australorps

In all the tough times and bad news regarding the chickens, I should take the time to write about something awesome. This is my ode to the Australorp.

The Australorp is a large black chicken that originated in Australia. They are known to be hardy, meaty, friendly, good mothers, and prolific layers. The world record laying hen (at 364 eggs in 365 days) was an Australorp. They are a great dual purpose bird because while they lay phenomenally, they still pack on enough meat to be worth butchering.

When we ordered chickens we ordered three Australorps. They are the best. With this infection sweeping through the flock, they never got more than a bit sneezy. We’ve lost three birds of three breeds to various ailments… not one Australorp. Their combs and wattles are much larger than any of other the other breeds, meaning they’ll be the first to lay. We still have some chickens whose combs haven’t even turned red let alone grown any. They’re much meatier than the others… I believe they’ll be very hardy in the cold.

Rog and I recently took a homesteading class. The man who taught the class owns a goat farm and chicken hatchery. When asked what his favorite breed of chicken was, he said Australorp. He said he would keep only Australorp if they weren’t so plain looking.

So, for anyone thinking about getting a few chickens for their backyard flock, get Australorps. Seriously. You’ll thank me.