# How many to start



## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

I haven't gotten chickens yet. I am wondering how many black australorps should I get. I am getting black australorps because I think they are docile and fairly hardy and not too hard to work with. I am in it for the eggs.

My goal is at least half a dozen a week during winter and at least a dozen in summer.

More is fine but I don't want more than 20 a week and have egg explosion in my fridge. Yes, I've seen egg explosion. The owners typical response is "Take my eggs, PLEASE!" It is typically takes up the entire fridge. 

You know you have this when you have this when your fridge is full of eggs and each large and small shelf has their own color.

I am flip flopping between 2-3. 2 may be enough in the winter. 3 would definitly meet all my goals.

My numbers are coming from my current egg consumption. Typically about 1 dozen a week in summer and half in winter. 

The coop is a 16 sq ft tractor with 2 nest boxes. I'm getting started pullets from a reputable breeder.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Oh what a lovely breed!!! I have one australorp and she's just a doll! She's very sweet and just gorgeous with those irridescent black feathers and big brown eyes. Lilah is my best egg layer out of the various 6 breeds I have. She will be 3 years old this Spring and still an excellent layer even with the shorter daylight hours.


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## rob (Jun 20, 2012)

i started out with 3. dont know why really, just seemed a nice number to start with


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## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

rob said:


> i started out with 3. dont know why really, just seemed a nice number to start with


I'm leaning that way too. I've heard the average being 4-5 eggs a week. and the record 7 eggs a week scares me. I don't want 21 eggs a week. I don't think I have the conditions for the record.

Yea, I like it's cousin the orpington's personality but I'm going for more egg production. So I decided to go with australorp for it's better heat tolerance than the buff orpington and slightly more eggs per week.

I think it's more a well rounded hardy to the point it does ok in both extremes but not exceptionally well. Year temp range average is 10-110 Fahrenheit. I'm in northeast texas.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

doesnt matter. chicken math will take effect soon after and next thing you know... you have a real problem.. haha... I started with 10. I live in an area with a lot of predators as well as a very long hard winter. 
I am now at 9, and only my rooster is part of the original flock.. predators, and dogs. but I solved those issues and have not lost a bird since


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## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

powderhogg01 said:


> doesnt matter. chicken math will take effect soon after and next thing you know... you have a real problem.. haha... I started with 10. I live in an area with a lot of predators as well as a very long hard winter.
> I am now at 9, and only my rooster is part of the original flock.. predators, and dogs. but I solved those issues and have not lost a bird since


In a couple years, I probably will have a flock of 30 something but for right now i'm restricted to 4.

I plan on having a bigger flock when me and my husband move but we need to move.

I also need to complete my degree (animal science pre vet with a minor in poultry science). They are partly being used to help with that.

My husband and I want to move to a small country home on 40 acres.

The coop now would become a broody hen or quarantine coop.

I want to move to commerce, tx, become an NPIP member possibly sell birds and eggs, manage a couple closed flocks. Docile and calm is important so probably orpingtons or australorps. Maybe both and get a rare color orpington like lavender.

I am a really hard sell when it comes to poultry breeds. Most typically, I only like orpingtions or related to orpingtions. For example, I hate barred rocks, easter eggers, wynadottes and rhode island red and they are docile according to most. After working with them, I just don't like them. I cull off the whole flock and make it soup if they were mine.

I would also have sheep (Katahdin and a suffolk), horses (2 Clydesdale and 1 Tennessee walker), and probably a small herd of 2 brown swiss cows but not too large because selling dairy is hard but 2 because of the 2 month dry period. I would use artificial insemination starting out.

I'd probably start a meat bird flock and killing shed later down the line.

But the degree comes first and the yard isn't big enough for a large flock.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Gee, that's too bad you had such a bad experience with the other breeds. I have them all in my mixed flock and no troubles. One of my sweetest chickens that loves to be held is my barred rock, the other was a rhode island that died of unknown causes at 1 years old. My barred & rir's I've had since day old chicks. The others I've had since they were within a few months old to a year old and still no problems with temperment.


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## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

7chicks said:


> Gee, that's too bad you had such a bad experience with the other breeds. I have them all in my mixed flock and no troubles. One of my sweetest chickens that loves to be held is my barred rock, the other was a rhode island that died of unknown causes at 1 years old. My barred & rir's I've had since day old chicks. The others I've had since they were within a few months old to a year old and still no problems with temperment.


It's not them. It's me, I swear. I just don't like flightiness or anything that make a chicken more difficult to work with. The barred rocks at my mother in laws house were nice but flighty. We'd have to herd the chickens if the weather was turning bad because the run wasn't covered and they couldn't get to the coop. The only one that wasn't a pain in my butt was the buff orpingtons. Yes there are better ways to solve the problem of chicken herding but it's what we had to do at the time.

I want the chicken that sits there and gets picked up easy, forages around and is fairly productive is some way being meat/eggs/both. Heritage breed preferred.

My best luck with breeds is a friend's australorp and my mother in law's orpingtons.

If the australorps I get drive me nuts, they will become chicken soup and I'll get buff orpingtons.


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