# Black Australorps



## MaransGuy

I have been considering getting a flock of Black Australorps and would like y'alls opinion. Some questions I have is, Are they good layers?, Do they grow fast? How well do they take the heat?, and last but not least, Will they forage for most of there food? Thanks!! Also, if anyone knows a good place to get them from please let me know.


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## Bee

MaransGuy said:


> I have been considering getting a flock of Black Australorps and would like y'alls opinion. Some questions I have is, Are they good layers?, Do they grow fast? How well do they take the heat?, and last but not least, Will they forage for most of there food? Thanks!! Also, if anyone knows a good place to get them from please let me know.


Excellent layers and will lay that way for years, well past most breed's laying life.
They grow much like any other standard breed.
They are very heat tolerant.
They are excellent foragers and may only need supplemental feed to keep them laying up to par if your forage is adequate for their nutritional needs. 
All hatcheries will sell this breed if you are looking for hatchery stock...if not, I'd be looking at the BA breeder registry in the country in which you reside to find reputable breeders. 
Here's a link to info on the breed and possible breeder info in the US:

http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/australorp.html


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## MaransGuy

Bee said:


> Excellent layers and will lay that way for years, well past most breed's laying life.
> They grow much like any other standard breed.
> They are very heat tolerant.
> They are excellent foragers and may only need supplemental feed to keep them laying up to par if your forage is adequate for their nutritional needs.
> All hatcheries will sell this breed if you are looking for hatchery stock...if not, I'd be looking at the BA breeder registry in the country in which you reside to find reputable breeders.
> Here's a link to info on the breed and possible breeder info in the US:
> 
> http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/australorp.html


Thanks! Have you raised them before?


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## Bee

Yep! Over and over. I don't feel any flock is complete with Aussies in the bunch so that the other breeds can take breaks on laying and we'll still have eggs. 

They are one of my top 2 fave breeds and I can't say enough good about them...they never fail to impress.


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## MaransGuy

I was worried that since they are black the heat would be bad on them. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get yours from?


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## kjohnstone

We went through triple-digit heat here a month ago, still getting 90's, and my BAs have done just fine with a little shade most of the time..


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## Bee

MaransGuy said:


> I was worried that since they are black the heat would be bad on them. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get yours from?


I've had some over the years..couldn't tell you their source but from individual farms that sourced them elsewhere. Some of the best I've had were from McMurrays and some from MyPetChicken who sources Meyers.

Got one batch from an individual that I killed after less then 3 wks... his birds were not well and I wouldn't have wanted to keep that stock in the flock.

Be careful when buying off an individual...if they say they are missing feathers because of a rooster, don't believe them. If they say they are laying and show you eggs, don't believe them.

Look for pale combs, dull eyes and feathering, raised leg scales, dry skin, bald patches, poor stool quality, etc. If anything is just slightly off and you feel it in your gut..trust that feeling and walk away, no matter how much you want the breed or the bird.

Do a thorough examination of the birds and ask other people who have bought birds from him...look at their birds and how they are performing in a flock before committing to the sale. Ask for records on their hatch date, POL dates, their egg records, bloodlines and sources of the bloodlines....some breeders aren't really so much as breeders as they are just chick mills, much like puppy mills.


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## jennifer

I agree. I drove 1 hour to pick up a hen. When I got there the place was filthy, dozens and dozens Of chicks In cages off the ground. Packed in like sardines. The hen I went to buy was paired with a rooster in a tiny cage. She looked nothing like the pictures he sent me. She was almost bald and used for breeding only. I ended up buying her and keeping her in a tractor I built for a month or so. Immediately she started looking better. I only bought her cause I felt sorry for her. She is here an free ranging now. Very flighty and shy. She lays some giant eggs for me and her feathers are all back in. Became a pretty hen. I paid top dollar for a rescue! Eerg.


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## MaransGuy

Bee said:


> I've had some over the years..couldn't tell you their source but from individual farms that sourced them elsewhere. Some of the best I've had were from McMurrays and some from MyPetChicken who sources Meyers.
> 
> Got one batch from an individual that I killed after less then 3 wks... his birds were not well and I wouldn't have wanted to keep that stock in the flock.
> 
> Be careful when buying off an individual...if they say they are missing feathers because of a rooster, don't believe them. If they say they are laying and show you eggs, don't believe them.
> 
> Look for pale combs, dull eyes and feathering, raised leg scales, dry skin, bald patches, poor stool quality, etc. If anything is just slightly off and you feel it in your gut..trust that feeling and walk away, no matter how much you want the breed or the bird.
> 
> Do a thorough examination of the birds and ask other people who have bought birds from him...look at their birds and how they are performing in a flock before committing to the sale. Ask for records on their hatch date, POL dates, their egg records, bloodlines and sources of the bloodlines....some breeders aren't really so much as breeders as they are just chick mills, much like puppy mills.


Great advice. I was considering getting them from Cackle Hatchery, but since you said that about McMurrays I may get them from them. How soon did they start laying?


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## Bee

Average is 5-6 mo....usually 5.


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## MaransGuy

jennifer said:


> I agree. I drove 1 hour to pick up a hen. When I got there the place was filthy, dozens and dozens Of chicks In cages off the ground. Packed in like sardines. The hen I went to buy was paired with a rooster in a tiny cage. She looked nothing like the pictures he sent me. She was almost bald and used for breeding only. I ended up buying her and keeping her in a tractor I built for a month or so. Immediately she started looking better. I only bought her cause I felt sorry for her. She is here an free ranging now. Very flighty and shy. She lays some giant eggs for me and her feathers are all back in. Became a pretty hen. I paid top dollar for a rescue! Eerg.


Sounds worth it to me, lol. I rescued a rooster from an inhumane/abusive home and I'm still trying to give him away, lol. When I got him he was, as I call it, pre-plucked. He was packed in a small pen with no sunlight whatsoever, the only thing in the pen for them to walk on was mud and poop, he was packed in there with 5 other roosters, and was not fed well. The lady had let there spurs grow out until they were curving back in and the soles of there feet had huge holes in the bottom of them with poop and mud packed in and they were very sore. I cleaned them all up very well and they all did well except one of them that died a couple of days after. I sold all of them after they had healed up except the worst one so far (the pre-plucked one). They had never had hens before and were trying to breed each other. Pitiful. If it was up to me she wouldn't have any chickens right now. They were all good looking roosters after I had taken care of them. They were fat and very friendly.  I was happy to get them out of there. It was my understanding that they had been like that since they were chicks. So sad.


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## MaransGuy

Bee said:


> Average is 5-6 mo....usually 5.


That's very good. Were they good looking hens when they grew up?


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## MaransGuy

kjohnstone said:


> We went through triple-digit heat here a month ago, still getting 90's, and my BAs have done just fine with a little shade most of the time..


Where I live it get over the 100's mark all the time in the summer. It's in the 90's now though.


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## Bee

I rescued a milk cow like that once..and only had an acre on which to keep her but I kept her, built her up, let her calve and re-bred her and sold her for a $500 profit to a very, very nice home. When we got her she was missing patches of fur, terribly skinny and with chronic diarrhea, dirty and tired. Dull of eye and coat, and starved for attention.

I only had her about 2-3 mo. but it made all the difference in her life. She came to us lethargic and weak and left with a spring in her step and a different personality. Very much a character!

Blossom before.....










Blossom less than a month later...fed up on raw eggs, sweet feed, mother vinegar and garlic drenches and with Basic H in her water a few times. In that time she delivered her calf and was also fostering a few other bottle calves...and still looked like a different cow! When I took her to be bred again the farmer accused me of getting a different cow...he couldn't believe it was the same cow he had sold me.


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## MaransGuy

Bee said:


> I rescued a milk cow like that once..and only had an acre on which to keep her but I kept her, built her up, let her calve and re-bred her and sold her for a $500 profit to a very, very nice home. When we got her she was missing patches of fur, terribly skinny and with chronic diarrhea, dirty and tired. Dull of eye and coat, and starved for attention.
> 
> I only had her about 2-3 mo. but it made all the difference in her life. She came to us lethargic and weak and left with a spring in her step and a different personality. Very much a character!
> 
> Blossom before.....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Blossom less than a month later...fed up on raw eggs, sweet feed, mother vinegar and garlic drenches and with Basic H in her water a few times. In that time she delivered her calf and was also fostering a few other bottle calves...and still looked like a different cow! When I took her to be bred again the farmer accused me of getting a different cow...he couldn't believe it was the same cow he had sold me.


Awwww, that makes me want to go out and rescue a cow, lol. So sweet I could just about cry, lol.


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## jennifer

Me too! Lucky ol' girl!


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## MaransGuy

Anymore advice or answers to my questions would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## RickaRae

We just got a batch of BA. It's our first, & ours are intended for the freezer, but my understanding is they are a great dual purpose bird. I would say go for it! Good luck!


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## MaransGuy

Thanks! I would have so many breeds of chickens if I had the room and the money, lol.


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## RickaRae

Much to my hubby's dismay, I continually come home with different breeds of chicks. We have a ton of property & my excuse is always, "what's a few more?". Well, that adds up to 55 chickens & 9 turkeys! Lol! 38 of them will eventually end up in the freezer, but I LOVE my chickens! ;-) So far, my favorite breed is the Brahmas & I'm on the hunt for a good quality Brahma roo. They're really friendly & have great personalities!


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## MaransGuy

I love Brahmas! I know a good place to get beautiful Brahmas if you don't mind getting them as chicks. I bought from them before and I was very satisfied. They are awesome! My favorite breed of chicken is the French Black Copper Marans. I plan on creating my own bloodlines one of these days.


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## RickaRae

We do chicks all the time, so that's not a problem at all! Who is your Brahma supplier? ;-) I have a fellow "chicken lady" who just hatched some Marans. Hers are beautiful & her roo placed 1st or 2nd at our county fair. It's pretty neat, not a lot if Marans in our area (Northern Cali).


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## MaransGuy

She lives in North GA and I'm in South GA. I went up to Alabama to visit some family and went to her house from there. It took about 2 hours from where I was. She does ship and she has very reasonable prices. Their website is taylorhobbyfarms.us . Let me know if you decide to get some from her  . She has some of the most beautiful chickens. She also has goats, rabbits, and livestock guardians that she sells.


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## MaransGuy

Also, she has a chicken forum on her website. I'm a member and you're welcome to join.


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## RickaRae

Thank you! I'll most definitely check her out! I'm hoping my daughter will want to enter a Brahma roo in our fair for 4H if we can get a show quality guy!


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## MaransGuy

Good luck!


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## RickaRae

Thank you! I checked out her website & I think I'm actually going to order some Jersey giants. We have cold winters & they tend to continue laying through cold weather (or lay better anyway).


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## tegaily

I just got 2 Blue Australorps! So pretty.


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## RickaRae

tegaily said:


> I just got 2 Blue Australorps! So pretty.


Those are beautiful!


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## kjohnstone

Yes, they are gorgeous!<--Blrrrrt - my envy face and raspberry


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## MaransGuy

Awww, cute.


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