Which lays more eggs, the Australorp or the Buff Orpington?

The Australorp typically lays more: 250–300 eggs a year against the Buff Orpington's 200–280. Strain matters, though — hatchery lines of any breed usually out-lay show lines.

Which starts laying first, the Australorp or the Buff Orpington?

About the same age: 20–24 weeks for the Australorp and 20–26 for the Buff Orpington. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.

Can you keep Australorps and Buff Orpingtons together?

Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 6 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.

What color eggs do Australorps and Buff Orpingtons lay?

Both lay brown eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

Australorp vs Buff Orpington: Which Chicken Breed Should You Get?

The short answer: the Australorp lays more (250–300 eggs a year vs 200–280), and both start laying around the same age (20–24 weeks vs 20–26).

Figures reviewed against hatchery and breed-registry guidance · Last reviewed July 2026

Side by side

	Australorp	Buff Orpington
Eggs per year	≈ 250–300	≈ 200–280
Egg color	brown	brown
First egg	20–24 weeks	20–26 weeks
Size class	standard	heavy
Coop floor per bird	4 sq ft	6 sq ft

The Australorp literally is an Orpington — Australian breeders took the Orpington and selected it hard for egg production. A century later the split shows: one lays, one lounges.

Australorp in brief

The Australian Orpington, and holder of old-time laying records (a hen credited with 364 eggs in 365 days). Docile, glossy black, and steady in winter.

More detail: when do Australorp chickens start laying?

Buff Orpington in brief

The golden retriever of chickens: big, gentle, lap-friendly, and one of the breeds most likely to go broody — great if you want chicks, mildly annoying if you want eggs.

More detail: when do Buff Orpington chickens start laying?

Which should you pick?

Pick the Australorp for eggs: 250–300 a year against the Orpington’s 200–280, with steady winter laying and less broody downtime.

Pick the Buff Orpington for a big, gentle pet that happens to lay — and the better choice if you want a hen to hatch chicks.

One practical note before you decide: these two breeds don't need the same housing. The Buff Orpington is a heavy-class bird, so plan around 6 sq ft of coop floor per bird if it joins the flock — the coop size calculator handles mixed size classes.

And honestly, most keepers don't have to choose. Both breeds eat the same feed and share a coop happily, so a couple of each is a common answer — use the coop size calculator to size the setup for your total flock, and the first egg calculator to see when each breed will start laying from your chicks' hatch date.

Frequently asked questions

Which lays more eggs, the Australorp or the Buff Orpington?: The Australorp typically lays more: 250–300 eggs a year against the Buff Orpington's 200–280. Strain matters, though — hatchery lines of any breed usually out-lay show lines.
Which starts laying first, the Australorp or the Buff Orpington?: About the same age: 20–24 weeks for the Australorp and 20–26 for the Buff Orpington. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.
Can you keep Australorps and Buff Orpingtons together?: Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 6 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.
What color eggs do Australorps and Buff Orpingtons lay?: Both lay brown eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

More breed matchups

Sources

First-egg age and egg counts are the consensus of multiple hatchery and breed-registry sources (no extension service tabulates per-breed figures), cross-checked and last reviewed July 2026.

The Livestock Conservancy — Chicken breed profiles