Lavender Orpington Thread

[jhhess]

Finally got some pictures of the ladies free ranging. I love their fluffy butts. - Janis

 

[microchick]

Great picture. Cute girls! I wish we could free range our flock. Unfortunately we have breeding red tailed hawks, great horned owls and too many 4 legged predators to risk it. We also have too many grasshoppers to count and I don't know how often I go outside to see a row of hopeful little beaks lined up at the fence watching to see if I'm going to catch them a couple of fat juicy hoppers to turn loose in the run for them to catch.

It finally dawned on me one day that they had me working really hard doing their job for them. About the time I'm tempted to let them loose for an hour I hear one of the hawks in our timber scream and go back to hunting grasshoppers for them. Sometimes I'll take a peanut butter jar out and try to catch hoppers while I'm working in the garden or orchard. It's always worth a chuckle to take the lid off the jar, set it in the middle of the run and watch the excitement. It's funnier than watching a dog eat peanut butter.

 

[jhhess]

My girls are truly urban chickens. I don't have any real predators to worry about, plus I have guard dachshunds! They think their new job is to protect the hens. It's very cute to watch. How did I ever get along with chickens????

Janis

 

[robgray]

Thanks. I'll do a search and see what I can come up with. This boy had HUGE legs and feet from the start but the feathering was pullet like until his recent molt. Our dominate Buff O rooster was the same as he grew up. He feathered out with the pullets, grew in a pullet like tail but he had these large, thick legs and feet that kept us guessing until his saddle feathers, comb and wattles developed like the LO's has done. That cockerel was supposed to be a pullet also. The two BO that were sexed as males as day olds, feathered out as males, except they were rumpless at 22 weeks when I rehomed them due to one showing signs of human aggression and the other aggression towards the other roos to the point that they ganged up on one of the Welsummers and damaged his hock on one leg. At 24 weeks the remaining BO is the flock master and in general a wonderful boy to have around. I'm hoping the LO developes and matures the same way.

Oh dear lilly is definately a boy...even has hackles...

 

[WVduckchick]

A couple new pics of my Louie

 

[microchick]

Handsome boy.

I was giving our birds their evening treats (funny how spoiled they can get. If I don't show up with their evening bread, popcorn and raw oatmeal, they will stand by the fence and stare at the house and if I don't show up before dark, they have somebody watching for me in the doorway and will come out even with barely any light to have their evening snack) and Larry Bird aka/Lily was standing on the parameter of the flock as he usually does. In the scramble to get a treat, he fell over a hen, turned around and fell over another one. I've never seen such a clutzy bird in my life. I'm hoping it's just an awkward adolescent phase he is going through.

My husband and I were talking tonight. Given this boy's size (he is taller than the other roosters who co-exist with minimal aggression) we are both holding our breath in speculating what kind of h-e-double toothpicks is going to break loose in the run and coop once those hormones really switch on. It's fair to say that he would more than likely be able to defeat any one of our three boys if he cut loose on them. To date though, we have yet to hear him crow but those lovely hackle feathers are getting longer and longer every day.

To date, none of the hens are overly impressed with the poor clumsy boy, and even the other roosters generally ignore him. That's gotta change if we expect to see some colorful LO/BO/Speckled Sussex/Welsummer crosses running around next spring.

 

[WVduckchick]

Handsome boy.

I was giving our birds their evening treats (funny how spoiled they can get. If I don't show up with their evening bread, popcorn and raw oatmeal, they will stand by the fence and stare at the house and if I don't show up before dark, they have somebody watching for me in the doorway and will come out even with barely any light to have their evening snack) and Larry Bird aka/Lily was standing on the parameter of the flock as he usually does. In the scramble to get a treat, he fell over a hen, turned around and fell over another one. I've never seen such a clutzy bird in my life. I'm hoping it's just an awkward adolescent phase he is going through.

My husband and I were talking tonight. Given this boy's size (he is taller than the other roosters who co-exist with minimal aggression) we are both holding our breath in speculating what kind of h-e-double toothpicks is going to break loose in the run and coop once those hormones really switch on. It's fair to say that he would more than likely be able to defeat any one of our three boys if he cut loose on them. To date though, we have yet to hear him crow but those lovely hackle feathers are getting longer and longer every day.

To date, none of the hens are overly impressed with the poor clumsy boy, and even the other roosters generally ignore him. That's gotta change if we expect to see some colorful LO/BO/Speckled Sussex/Welsummer crosses running around next spring.

Thanks.
Yours sound more like mine than most I've read about. Clumsy and late developing. Mine do crow though. I had 3 males with 7 females. Gave one male to my SIL, and she said he has not crowed since she's had him. He crowed at my house! Lol but now he is with more dominant roos, soooo... Even her little banty bullies him. She said maybe one day he will figure out he's 10 times his size! Haha
But so far, my 2 cooexist quite well with the small number of hens. The girls have not laid an egg yet, at 22 weeks. I haven't even noticed any squatting, but some do have really red combs now.

 

[microchick]

I have a few hens, 4 I think, that are only 18 weeks old and not laying yet. We now have 4 cockerels and a dozen hens since Larry decided he just had to be a boy. Originally we had 5 roosters and 7 hens. Not a good ratio. Two Buff O cockerels were rehomed/culled. One was aggressive to humans and they were both aggressive to the other roosters to the point that one wound up with an injured leg and permanent limp. We added 6 pullets and the balance was working. The Buff O cockerel and a Welsummer cockerel mostly share dominance while the third Welsummer rooster tries to stay out of their way. Strangely enough, the cockerel with the handicapped leg seems to come up as most dominant more often then the Buff O cockerel.

The hens seem content. Red has his loyal following of hens, which strangely enough seems to be the majority of laying pullets. The flock dynamics are fascinating to say the least and at times goes against what I have read here on the site.

So with a forth cockerel thrown into the mix, I have no idea what is going to happen. Hopefully Larry Bird will keep doing what he is doing and that's getting along with everyone by hanging out on the edge of the flock along with Bo and hope that a stray hen wanders close enough to be mated. If he doesn't the first aid kit is on standby.

Thanks.
Yours sound more like mine than most I've read about. Clumsy and late developing. Mine do crow though. I had 3 males with 7 females. Gave one male to my SIL, and she said he has not crowed since she's had him. He crowed at my house! Lol but now he is with more dominant roos, soooo... Even her little banty bullies him. She said maybe one day he will figure out he's 10 times his size! Haha
But so far, my 2 cooexist quite well with the small number of hens. The girls have not laid an egg yet, at 22 weeks. I haven't even noticed any squatting, but some do have really red combs now.

 

[Jennschics]

I just picked up my first Lavender Orp. chicks. They breeder didn't give me definite ages but 2 weeks to 4 days was the range. I am hoping to have lots of hens as I've lost a few to predators and sickness.

Second largest chick non clue on age

Larger chick and the sweetest. No clue how to sex these but this one screamed roo until I researched this breed and now hoping maybe the early feathers scream pullet

The gang after I brought them home 6 days ago.

 

[jhhess]

I just picked up my first Lavender Orp. chicks. They breeder didn't give me definite ages but 2 weeks to 4 days was the range. I am hoping to have lots of hens as I've lost a few to predators and sickness.

Second largest chick non clue on age


Larger chick and the sweetest. No clue how to sex these but this one screamed roo until I researched this breed and now hoping maybe the early feathers scream pullet


The gang after I brought them home 6 days ago.