Coop Setup

Australorps are large ladies so they will need at least 4 square feet each inside the coop.

Remember the more space the better (especially if they are confined). They are not
aggressive girls but they still like their own personal space so give them plenty of room
to move around in.

The standard 8 inches of perching space will be a bit tight, so give them 10 inches of
perching space each if you can.

Also try to provide several perches of differing height so they have a choice of roosting
spots.
Finally you will need to provide standard sized nesting boxes (12×12 inches).

This size will mean they cannot share nesting boxes but gives them enough room to
comfortably sit for a while. While sharing a nesting box may seem cute it can lead to
dirty or broken eggs – so really should not be encouraged!

Run and Roaming

As mentioned before this breed just loves to free range.

They enjoy the group activity of patrolling the yard for tasty grubs and bugs.

Australorp hens in particular are good foragers and will gobble up pests like ticks,
caterpillars and even slugs.

Of course they are non-selective so make sure to keep your veggies and plants well
protected as they will sample these too!

They tolerate confinement well but will always benefit from free range time. If you do
have to keep them penned then make sure they have enough room – 8 square feet of
pen space per chicken.

Also give the run some variety: perches of differing heights, quiet spots and dust
bathing areas. It is important to keep them busy and active for both their physical and
mental wellbeing.

Australorp Breed History

The ancestor of the Australorp chicken is the Orpington – a quintessential English breed.

As you may already know Mr William Cook of Orpington, Kent set out to produce a
chicken that laid well and was an excellent table bird.

He succeeded with the Orpington in the late 1800s.

This chicken was a huge success both in England and Australia. The ever practical
Australians loved the bird but wanted a bird that was a prolific egg layer with meat
being a secondary consideration.

So they began the process of modifying the breed to suit their particular set of needs.

The Orpington was crossed with Rhode Island Reds, Minorcas, White Leghorns and
Langshans. It is unclear whether or not Plymouth Rocks were added to the mix as well.

In poultry circles at this time it was common to have egg laying contests to see which
breeds laid the most eggs. Australia was no exception to the practice and this new
breed (Australorps) was added to the competition pens.
One year after the addition of the breed one chicken laid 347 eggs in 365 days. The
current record is 364 eggs in 365 days – unlikely to be beaten I think.

After such an eggs-plosive start the Australian poultry industry became highly interested
in the Australorp.

This breed could lay eggs year round without much help from humans.

They lost their place as the industry darling in the late 1930s when the breed was
crossed with the white Leghorn to produce the Austra white – an even more productive
breed.

Summary
This chicken was born out of necessity as the Australians wanted a chicken that was a
prolific egg layer.

They succeeded in creating the best egg layer of the time and the Australorp has held
its place well over the years. Even despite the egg laying abilities of the more recent
hybrid hens, she can still hold her own in the egg laying department.

Overall she is a sweet hen that enjoys human company and can even become a lap
chicken.

You will not find an aggressive, pushy or mean Australorp.

They are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures and environments and do not require
any special treatments or housing.

Over the last few decades this breed has gone into a decline but thankfully conservation
efforts have seen this trend reversed.

Will you be one of the many people that have discovered the benefits of this beautiful
hen?

Let us know in the comments section below…