Breeds

Australorp Chickens: Breed Facts, Brown Eggs, Laying Records and History

Field guide · Updated October 19, 2026 · about 8 min read

The Australorp is a black, medium-heavy breed developed in Australia from English Black Orpingtons, with the breeding aimed at egg production. Oklahoma State University says the breed holds the world egg production record (one hen laid 364 eggs in 365 days in official Australian trap-nest testing), and Georgia Extension describes the birds as quiet, docile and easily handled. This page collects the standard facts, the egg figures each source reports and what the breed asks of a backyard keeper.

Quick facts

Appearance

Oklahoma State and Purdue Extension describe a very active, deep-bodied black bird with dark eyes and an intense beetle-green sheen on the feathers. The Livestock Conservancy adds fairly close-fitting feathers, a moderately long, broad back, slate shanks, pinkish-white feet, a black beak, dark brown eyes, red earlobes and a moderately large red single comb. Oklahoma State gives the skin as white, and Kentucky Extension lists the Australorp among white-skinned breeds.

Color is where sources diverge. The Livestock Conservancy says black is the only color recognized in the US, and Mississippi State calls black the most popular US color while noting other varieties exist worldwide. Oklahoma State lists Black, Blue laced and White. Wikipedia reports that the Poultry Club of Great Britain recognizes black, white and blue, and that South Africa's poultry club recognizes several more. A blue or white Australorp is a real bird, but it is not an APA-standard one.

Weight and size

The APA weights from Oklahoma State match The Livestock Conservancy's (males 8.5 lb, females 6.5 lb), which makes the Australorp noticeably heavier than a Leghorn but, as Oklahoma State puts it, smaller and trimmer than the Orpington it came from. Mississippi State gives adults a wider 4.5–8.5 lb. Wikipedia lists standard males at 3.20–4.10 kg (about 7.1–9.0 lb) and females at 2.25–3.10 kg (about 5.0–6.8 lb), with bantams near 1 kg. Kentucky Extension notes that although the breed was developed for eggs, it is raised as a meat bird for live-bird markets in many parts of the US.

Eggs: typical hens and record hens

The Australorp's reputation rests on laying contests run in Australia in the 1920s. Mississippi State says the breed became popular in that decade for breaking numerous world records. Those were exceptional hens and pens under test, so they are not what a backyard hen will lay. For an ordinary hen the sources give lower figures: The Livestock Conservancy says a backyard Australorp lays 250 or more eggs a year, while Wikipedia gives about 190 light brown eggs a year averaging 55 g (about 160 for bantams).

The Livestock Conservancy's 2026 breed chart rates the Australorp's rate of lay "Excellent" (the number printed beside it reads "250-250"). Wikipedia notes that the contest results came without the lighting regimes of modern laying sheds. For how laying drops as hens age, see how long hens keep laying, or estimate a flock with the egg production calculator. Brown shells, like white ones, say nothing about what is inside; the egg color chart explains where shell color comes from.

Temperament

• Gentle and easy to handle. Georgia Extension calls Australorps quiet, docile and easily handled; Mississippi State puts them in its "Friendly" group.
• Still active. Oklahoma State and Purdue call them "very active," and The Livestock Conservancy sums them up as "active, yet gentle." Georgia Extension adds that they mature early.
• Friendly roosters. The Livestock Conservancy says the breed is friendly, roosters included, and good for children showing in 4-H and other youth programs. Its breed chart rates the breed suitable for novice keepers.
• Flock mix. The Conservancy says they get along with breeds of similar temperament. Very docile birds can be bullied by more aggressive breeds (see the breed directory).
• Housing. Georgia Extension says they can be caged or free-ranged; The Livestock Conservancy says they do well in confinement if they can also forage, but may get fat if kept only confined. Check minimums with the coop space calculator.

Broodiness and mothering

Here the sources pull in two directions. The Livestock Conservancy says Australian breeders selected to eliminate broodiness, yet the breed is generally considered a good sitter and mother, and its breed chart lists Australorps as "setters." Georgia Extension says they are usually good mothers, Mississippi State credits good mothering instincts, and Kentucky Extension lists the Australorp among breeds that may go broody. Oklahoma State records that broodiness was one of the problems of the Australorp × White Leghorn cross. Expect some hens to sit; a broody hen stops laying while she does (see broody hens).

Heat and cold

Georgia Extension says Australorps can be raised in cold temperatures, and Kentucky Extension names them among breeds that handle harsh winters. The Livestock Conservancy's chart says they do well in both cold and heat, but its breed page warns that black birds need ample shade in warm weather to avoid overheating. More in winter care and heat stress.

History

1. English stock. Black Orpingtons from the yards of William Cook and Joseph Partington went to Australia between 1890 and about 1900 (The Livestock Conservancy). In England the breed was refined for meat; Australians kept selecting for eggs.
2. Outcrosses. Australian breeders added Minorca, White Leghorn and Langshan blood to push egg production (The Livestock Conservancy; Wikipedia).
3. Early contests. In a six-month winter laying contest at Hawkesbury Agricultural College in 1902, Black Orpingtons took seven of the top thirteen places among 41 pens (The Livestock Conservancy).
4. Bloodlines. Five main bloodlines (Graham, Burns, Christie, Bertelsmeier and Drewitt) were developed between 1900 and 1922 (The Livestock Conservancy).
5. The name. Early names included Australs, Australian Utility Black Orpingtons and Australian Laying Orpingtons; "Australorp" was in use by the early 1920s (The Livestock Conservancy). Wikipedia reports that credit for the name is disputed among William Wallace Scott, Arthur Harwood and W. Powell-Owen.
6. Export and standard. Birds reached England and America in the early 1920s, and the APA added the breed to the Standard of Perfection in 1929 (The Livestock Conservancy; Wikipedia).
7. The AustraWhite. In the 1930s and '40s the Australorp × White Leghorn cross replaced purebreds on many Midwestern farms, until broodiness and discounted tinted eggs saw it give way to inbred hybrid lines (Oklahoma State).
8. Recovery. The Livestock Conservancy took the Australorp off its Priority List in 2023.

Is it a fit for your flock? A checklist

1. You want steady brown eggs from a calm bird. That combination is what extension sources describe.
2. Your figures are realistic. Plan on the typical numbers above, not the 364-egg record.
3. You can offer shade. The Livestock Conservancy says black birds need ample shade in warm weather.
4. You are open to a broody hen. Some hens will sit, which is useful if you want to hatch chicks.
5. You want APA color. In the US only black is standard; blue and white birds come from other standards.
6. Compare breeds. See the Rhode Island Red for another brown-egg dual-purpose breed, the Leghorn (the other half of the AustraWhite cross), and the glossary for terms such as APA Standard and broody.