*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[MorgansManor]

baby buf!f!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love buffs they ar so cute!

Oh me too just love chicks and buff chicks are so sweet. Beautiful

 

[zooweemama]

Too true! I have an 8 month old cockerel, named Clifford, who is now head roo. He came from a line heavily mixed with show birds, with I think maybe some hatchery stock, mixed in years ago. The old lady who raised this line stood for no nonsense, and happily stewed those who didn't perform up to her expectations.What I ended up with is a small flock of Buff Os that lay an egg a day, even through 2 weeks of 100+ heat, and a Cockerel who knows what being a head roo is all about. Here's what I think being a head roo is all about......

When goodies are thrown out, Clifford does not eat them, but calls his girls. He will drop a treat for the girls, or for one of his chicks to eat.While the birds are out ranging, he is constantly running back and forth to all the different age groups checking on them. At the same time he has his eye out for predators, or for any of the young cockerels who are getting in trouble such as picking on chicks, or fighting. He stops that immediately.

During this heat wave he has managed this flock so that they would survive...with my help of course. Any time I put out more cold water, spray down the sand, or turn on a fan, Clifford calls his flock to me. I have been thrilled to see this. We are not breeding canaries. We are breeding Orps, no matter how beautiful, who should have some survival instincts.

While Clifford is totally gentle with me, he views with suspicion any strange man initially. All I do is tell him,"No", and he leaves that person alone. He did run off the tax accessor who came unannounced to see what I had done recently, though. Good boy!

This is so awesome and wonderful to read. One of the really important qualities to me personally when I selected BOs as my main chicken was their utility. Eggs, meat, broodiness, free ranging...I am looking for some much more than a pretty bird. The pretty is a big huge lovely bonus. Clifford sounds amazing!

 

[Spifflove]

Hi All! I was wondering if anyone could critique my two roos and which one they would keep (if they had too

) Also, why are my Orpington eggs so small? I thought they layed large to extra large but they are tiny so far compared to my Pekin eggs (some of which are double yokers). All input would be appreciated; good or bad.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

True, you have Buff Orpingtons, but hatchery quality. As for the egg size. Pullets lay a smaller egg than the hens. They should increase size in a few weeks, though they will never compare to a Pekin duck egg in size.

Here is a wonderful comparison of a hatchery and a Standard bred Buff Orpington. And then one of our own Buff Orpingtons.

Hi All! I was wondering if anyone could critique my two roos and which one they would keep (if they had too

) Also, why are my Orpington eggs so small? I thought they layed large to extra large but they are tiny so far compared to my Pekin eggs (some of which are double yokers). All input would be appreciated; good or bad.

 

[galanie]

He's right, but if you are going to keep one, keep the second. The first has no chest. Better to get stock from a breeder of course. But as I said, if you wish to keep what you already have, keep the one with some chest on him.

 

[Spifflove]

Wow thats amazing.

 

[Spifflove]

He's right, but if you are going to keep one, keep the second. The first has no chest. Better to get stock from a breeder of course. But as I said, if you wish to keep what you already have, keep the one with some chest on him.

Perhaps the first one is leaning a bit? The first one is in the distance in the 2nd picture and not leanining. I like the first one because he has a nice upsloping back and I thought a better chest as the 2nd seemed to be a little too tall? I was simply looking at the painted pictures that hatcheries have assuming those are sop. I am still torn as to which to keep because the 2nd is more massive.

Could you peek again?

 

[galanie]

I still say the second. And since you say he's more massive, even more so. When I say big chest, I mean from the side, not the front. The second bird has a lower deeper chest. The underline is closer to standard.

 

[Spifflove]

Ah. Thanks for the replies. I have decided not to cull for the time being [until I select the best layers] but to keep two as a backup. Thanks again.

 

[countryhen]

Hi everyone glad i found this group! I have fallen in love with orpingtons. Just got new large buff rooster he's 1 year old he needs some girls still, I'm working on it. I hope to have different color orpingtons in my flock. they are all so sweet & are great pets. I'm still learning about chickens some said you can tell the sex of chicks by their color of combs& waddles? any other info on orpingtons would be great. Can You breed any colors together? what will chicks be? Do yall have any good names for orpingtons? Also I need to name my coop just got it finished. Will have to post pics later.