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Black

Characteristics

Colour: Black with green sheen. Also Blue and White varieties.

The Australorp was developed from the Black Orpington. William Cook’s Orpingtons were imported into Australia from the British Isles in the nineteenth century. Australian breeders wanted a quality dual-purpose breed, and this was achieved by crossing the Black Orpington with the Langshan, Minorca, the White Leghorn and a touch of Rhode Island Red. The Australorp was born. Several people wanted to take the credit for choosing the name “Australian Laying Orpington”, but it didn’t exactly trip off the tongue! In 1919 Arthur Harwood suggested “Austral” with an added “orp” to honour the bird’s ancestors, and the name was accepted. In 1921 the breed was imported into the British Isles.

It is a beautiful bird and a good all-round breed, laying in the region of 250 light brown eggs a year. A group of six Australorps hold the world record (1922–3) for laying 1,857 eggs, an average of 309.5 eggs per hen, over 365 consecutive days. They make good pets, being docile and friendly, and are happy in a run or free range: a good choice for a beginner. From its origins in Australia the breed is now found throughout the British Isles and most major continents.