(...)
>> Found it though..it's Murray McMurray's catalogue, but went ahead and
>> bouught some black australocks (sp) for $3 each.
>         So why would you buy these for anyway?  Are
> these chicks - like chicken chicks or birds or what?
> Just curious!
RS> They are a special breed of chickens that originated in Australia.
RS> Supposed to be super layers..I'll be finding out pretty soon, they
RS> should be laying by spring.
(...)
     I've got 15 chickens.  Started out with 18, but lost 3 to cats.  We live 
on 18 acres in the country, complete with barn and pasture and hay field and 
I didn't wait long after we moved here to get chickens. (We also got guinnea 
hens, but that's another story.)
     I got three varieties, Barred Rocks, Black Australorps and Rhode Island 
reds.  They're all what are considered heavy breeds for meat production, but 
are also reasonably good layers.  In fact, of the brown egg layers, Rhode 
Islands are considered the champs.
    Black Australorps are indeed a variety developed in Australia and are a 
strikingly handsome bird.  I got them because I'd never had an all black 
chicken before and thought they were attractive.  I also like the heavier 
bodied birds and think they fair a little better in our colder climate (MN).
We ordered all pullets and we either have one rooster or lucked out and got 
all hens.  They began laying *much sooner than expected and are wonderful 
producers.  I only have 4 Black Australorps left and had heard rumors that 
they were poor winter producers, but they seem to be laying right along with 
the rest of them.
    Murray McMurray has a wonderful reputation and is one of the biggest 
chicken marketers in the world.  I have one of their catalogs and use it as 
a resource.  We got our present batch of birds from a local hatchery, but 
I'll adding some more this spring and I'm planning on ordering from McMurray 
because they have a greater variety to choose from.  I again plan on ordering 
mostly heavy breeds, but we plan on keeping them primarily for egg 
production.  I'm planning on getting more Black Australorps, but I'm also 
thinking of Buff Orpingtons, More Reds, Partridge Rocks and Buff Rocks.  
While egg production is important, I'm more hobbiest than farmer and so I'm 
looking for birds that will create a good *looking flock as well as one that 
produces well.  I don't plan on keeping any white birds at all, and no white 
egg layers as well.
        Byrd Mann
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