Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

[cbnovick]

Thanks Vickie..I hand them around the windows at night.it really does work..thanks for the tip..
Some vetRX around the face and comb, wattle keeps them at bay also..and it smells great..lasts long time too..

Hung my sheets today in my grow out pen....along with vanilla scented pine trees (flies hate that aroma)....and I love VetRx too!!! I had not thought to use it as a 'skeeter' deterrent...I have used it diluted with a bit of olive or coconut oil on my birds after bathing...comb, wattles, shanks and feet. May have to try it on my big birds on the roost this evening...
don't know if I want to 'wrestle' all my month olds to apply it though

 

[crazy4eggsJulie]

Quote:
The birds were all the same age. I haven't wormed them yet so I will definitely start there. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sadly, the last little blue passed away shortly after I posted.

 

[Jobele]

Hello all new guy here. I have a question, I am in the process of building my coops runs and getting my birds. I'm in lobe with the orpington breed (looks and attitude ) due to the fact I have kids and a skidish wife. I am torn between these lovely birds and what everyone is telling I should get living in the Houston Tx area. If I can "shade them" or something it wouldn't be such an issue. I like the frozen water bottle idea and the frozen watermelon. But shouldn't I have birds that are cute as well as functional?

Help......please?

Welcome aboard! Sorry that I'm answering your plea for help so late....but I'm trying to catch up on the posts and I don't get on here that often since I'm so busy during the summer months. But, the best advice I can give you as far as a coop there in Houston, TX. is this: Make your coop VERY OPEN to allow breezes to go through. An open coop in this part of the country will serve you well! Open coop birds stay healthier because they are always getting fresh air. In this heat....if you get any bacteria in your coop....it will multiply 10 fold! Here is a pic of the coop that I use and I live up near Austin, TX....so I deal with the same heat as you do. I also put broadcloth wire around my entire coop because I don't want to deal with snakes! I also put timbers around the bottom to keep any animals that might get into the pasture from being able to dig under. I also put misters around the outside of the building so that it cools the coop off inside. I put sand inside the coop.....it also helps to keep the birds cool in the summertime. Our winters are so mild that my birds don't even notice it......we have very few days that we can consider REAL WINTER. If you want....you can put visquene (sp) around the wire to break any wind coming through in the winter time.

As far as breed.....I love the Orps because they come in so many colors and they are so sweet!

 

[jab2you]

Where do your birds nest/roost?

 

[alibra]

Im in love with my splash roo. He's handsome, Big, perfect shape, face, fluffiness, temperament, etc. but he has a few brown "splashes" and some yellow, which think the yellow is mostly from the sun and dirt. I hear that brown is a "no no" when breeding. I just got some exhibition quality black orp hens. Will his "flawed" color be bred out easily? If I get a blue hen and cross him with her, will the splash chicks have brown? Is it a bad idea?

 

[galanie]

Welcome aboard! Sorry that I'm answering your plea for help so late....but I'm trying to catch up on the posts and I don't get on here that often since I'm so busy during the summer months. But, the best advice I can give you as far as a coop there in Houston, TX. is this: Make your coop VERY OPEN to allow breezes to go through. An open coop in this part of the country will serve you well! Open coop birds stay healthier because they are always getting fresh air. In this heat....if you get any bacteria in your coop....it will multiply 10 fold! Here is a pic of the coop that I use and I live up near Austin, TX....so I deal with the same heat as you do. I also put broadcloth wire around my entire coop because I don't want to deal with snakes! I also put timbers around the bottom to keep any animals that might get into the pasture from being able to dig under. I also put misters around the outside of the building so that it cools the coop off inside. I put sand inside the coop.....it also helps to keep the birds cool in the summertime. Our winters are so mild that my birds don't even notice it......we have very few days that we can consider REAL WINTER. If you want....you can put visquene (sp) around the wire to break any wind coming through in the winter time.

As far as breed.....I love the Orps because they come in so many colors and they are so sweet!

I love that coop!

 

[galanie]

Im in love with my splash roo. He's handsome, Big, perfect shape, face, fluffiness, temperament, etc. but he has a few brown "splashes" and some yellow, which think the yellow is mostly from the sun and dirt. I hear that brown is a "no no" when breeding. I just got some exhibition quality black orp hens. Will his "flawed" color be bred out easily? If I get a blue hen and cross him with her, will the splash chicks have brown? Is it a bad idea?

If the blacks you have are "true black" and not from BBS breeding, it might be a bad idea. The gold/brown can be bred out but here's the problem:

"True" blacks have a "gold" gene that is there to enhance the black color and bring about the good beetle green sheen that a black is supposed to have.

Well bred blues and splashes don't have that gene, and are called something like "silver based." The brown leakage means he has that "gold" gene and if bred to a true black, you'll get no where with eliminating the brown.

I agree that he's beautiful though, brown or no brown.

 

[madamwlf]

If the blacks you have are "true black" and not from BBS breeding, it might be a bad idea. The gold/brown can be bred out but here's the problem:

"True" blacks have a "gold" gene that is there to enhance the black color and bring about the good beetle green sheen that a black is supposed to have.

Well bred blues and splashes don't have that gene, and are called something like "silver based." The brown leakage means he has that "gold" gene and if bred to a true black, you'll get no where with eliminating the brown.

I agree that he's beautiful though, brown or no brown.

Thank you for this explanation. I had always wondered why they were called true blacks.

 

[fowlman01]

I agree about this Sarah,

this has gotten to be to me a real eye roller.. there are some other things that go on as well for people who are new ...tom blow may be trying to ruin joe blow so there is also an assortment of childish undercurrents that go along with the poultry world..use your eyes when looking at birds..one breeder may be black listed by another clique or group and isolated and they may have the best birds..so use your eyes, not just somenes say so....do lots of window shopping..there are many web sites out there...if it doesn't seem right to you in some way, ask a lot of questions...if someone doesn't like it...Too bad.. ..know what you are after in your mind and hopefully you will find a good mentor who isn't into childish games but wants whats best for the breed and sets the antics aside to do whats right..for you and for orpingtons..people have a habit of assuming too much ..they assume they know everything, they don't...If I could give any advise it would be think for yourself.. I don't know how to candy coat things..this is just what I have learned the hard way...I accidently walked into peoples fights that I knew nothing about or had anything to do with then this guy is against that guy..all I could think of was GROW UP......

also buy a copy of the standard of perfection for your guide..look closely at the buff orpington pic as there is no pic of white blk or blue..use that body type as your guide..the faces on blue and black are a bit different but that type body is what they are supposed to look like..deep chested birds , look at the tail angle ect..its money well spent,,if you don't have a lot of money , sometimes amazon has current copies lightly used for less money.

The APA Standard has illustrations of buff, blue, black and white Orpingtons.

Walt

 

[aveca]

Im buying a new copy Walt..Mine is an oldie..around 1998, that was the last one I bought so check that copy out , there is only illustration of buff orp , no blk or white or blue ..in this copy English class there is also Cornish, Sussex, and dorking..and that's it oh , and australorp..great illustration from head to tail..I didn't know it would change so never bought another one

time to upgrade..I have always had the blk and white standard copy ...think I will get color this time..I have been using the old standard bred orpington as a bit of a guide as the original breeder built in a bit of a jolly face on the blk orps..I always look for that..