Rate of lay

mbrock

Chirping
5 Years
Sep 12, 2014
119
0
61
Sw Fla
Does anyone know if it is normal for different types of orpingtons to lay at different rates. My buff lay 5 days a week. My black only one or two a week. Just wondering if this normal.
 
You have too small of a sample size to be able to tell. They're individuals and will all be different in their production rate. Orps or any other breed, regardless of variety, should lay at a rate analogous to their breed but many things will affect that including a bout with disease, parasites and this time of year, how that bird is reacting to shortened day length.
 
You have too small of a sample size to be able to tell. They're individuals and will all be different in their production rate. Orps or any other breed, regardless of variety, should lay at a rate analogous to their breed but many things will affect that including a bout with disease, parasites and this time of year, how that bird is reacting to shortened day length.

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There is also the matter of the breeding behind the particular bird. For example, if a breeder is primarily focused on color rather than production that can lead to using birds that are not as prolific in laying as others....and vice versa for birds coming from lines bred for production that may not be entirely "correct" for other things (comb type, color, pattern, etc). Were these hatchery sourced birds or breeder sourced? How old are each of the birds?
 
The Buffs or hatchery and the Blacks are from a breeder. I am almost sure that the Blacks were geared more to being the the perfect color and temper. They are close in age give or take a week or two. I have been watching the black like a hawk because I had a pair of the black hens and lose one to being egg bound. My neighbor volunteers at a local vet and he took her in after the fact. The vet said that there was no way that hen could have layed that egg with out help. He said the cloaca was to small for that egg size and that he would have had to drain the egg and break it and remove all the pieces. He sent me some things to do at the first signs of egg bound, although he did think that they would have saved her. She had been laying for about a month with increasing egg size, but I had not know that that could happen. I am worried that since the hens were sisters that the other might have the same issue. I was in the hospital at the time so my wife and son were taking care of them and said that she was fine in the morning when the left school and work. When they got home she was in the run but laying around, went to roost that night and dead in the morning. I'm not so concerned about egg production with her since we got the blacks because my wife fell in love with the big fluffy girls.The one in the profile pic is her. They are in good condition with no issues other the egg bound one. There is a light that goes on at four a.m. to some extra light hours. I'll post pics of them. Thank you for listening there is so much to learn.
 
I do think that the breeder picked the trait he wanted, I just hope that a propensity to get egg bound is not triat that was passed to the sisters and only any issue for the one girl. The one left big black( named by my son because she is so much bigger that the production buffs. He calls the biggest buff Big Mama.
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Update: Brought her in bathed her long blow dry due to her fluff. she seemed like she was in heaven. Put her the large dog create with roost bar and nest box. She sat in one spot for about an hour but is now eating which we were going on day to, so happy to see that. She also continued drinking. I can feel no egg or any thing else other than her hips are narrow. Maybe she was not laying and her dead egg bound sister was and she is just run a little slower. Like I said we got her to be look at and any egg are a bonus. I don't believe that she is egg bound but still going to be careful. I side for the next day or two.
 
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She seems happy and her self. She has been a little down since her sister died.
We have hatching eggs coming tomorrow so maybe she'll bond with one of them. Unlikely because of the age difference. Thank you for the help. I will update as I know more. Maybe chicken depression.
 
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