The BANTAM ORPINGTON Thread

[Lacy Blues]

Have you tried looking into a local BYC thread? You may be able to buy what you want from a breeder rather than a hatchery. No shipping charges or min order to deal with. IMO- the quality is also better. My hens are very healthy - even the "mutts" keep laying year after year.

There will be shipping charges, unless you find someone extremely generous. But then if you're talking about LOCAL, like in the same town, you're definitely right on that one.

Unfortunately, I'm only in 6th grade and I can't move or anything. I am the one who is doing all the research and that kind of stuff (like paying for everything) and I have to work with what I have.

Good for you! It really is a good way to go, though it seems hard. Definitely find the thread for Rhode Island people and find some contacts that way! I believe if you look under "Forums" you will find one entitled "Where am I? Where are you?" and then scroll through those until you find your state.

 

[Faraday40]

There will be shipping charges, unless you find someone extremely generous. But then if you're talking about LOCAL, like in the same town, you're definitely right on that one.

Good for you! It really is a good way to go, though it seems hard. Definitely find the thread for Rhode Island people and find some contacts that way! I believe if you look under "Forums" you will find one entitled "Where am I? Where are you?" and then scroll through those until you find your state.

Yes, a local breeder or farm is what I meant.

We used BYC to make many local contacts for fertile egg purchases & chick sales.

Craigslist is another option, but sometimes scary to deal with when selling or donating chicks after a classroom hatch. (I once had someone call wanting to buy one of our chicks after killing hers by feeding them only bread & tortilla pieces when she ran out of the free sample of chick feed. Not sure who sold to her in the 1st place, but I simply gave her the contact info to a local feed store. Can't imagine someone getting an animal on impulse w/o knowing the care involved - or at a minimum, asking what it eats.)

 

[Lacy Blues]

Yes, a local breeder or farm is what I meant.

We used BYC to make many local contacts for fertile egg purchases & chick sales.

Craigslist is another option, but sometimes scary to deal with when selling or donating chicks after a classroom hatch. (I once had someone call wanting to buy one of our chicks after killing hers by feeding them only bread & tortilla pieces when she ran out of the free sample of chick feed. Not sure who sold to her in the 1st place, but I simply gave her the contact info to a local feed store. Can't imagine someone getting an animal on impulse w/o knowing the care involved - or at a minimum, asking what it eats.)

Oh my gosh! That is HORRIBLE!

That kind of care may stem from stories of people that have chickens that survive well on scraps. What they don't take into account though, is that these are generally adult birds and if chicks are involved at all, it is with a broody and they also have pretty lush free range to partake of.

 

[peopleRanimals2]

Have you tried looking into a local BYC thread? You may be able to buy what you want from a breeder rather than a hatchery. No shipping charges or min order to deal with. IMO- the quality is also better. My hens are very healthy - even the "mutts" keep laying year after year.

Yes, actually, we just found one local place. It only does ameraucanas and one other breed, so, hopefully last change of breed, we will be getting 4 ameraucanas in spring. Like you said, no shipping costs. We did not, however find it from a BYC thread, the place that we are going to buy food and other supplies from gave us a business card. thanks for all of your help!

 

[edahcsmac]

I just wanted to introduce my bantam isabel cuckoo rooster I got from fancy chicks. He acually came from two LF parents, but ended up weighing a little less then 5lbs. Now I just need to track down some girls for him... I need typey black, chocolate, cuckoo or chocolate cuckoo pullets/hens. Anybody have any Idea where I could find some?
.

 

[OnlyOrps]

I just wanted to introduce my bantam isabel cuckoo rooster I got from fancy chicks. He acually came from two LF parents, but ended up weighing a little less then 5lbs. Now I just need to track down some girls for him... I need typey black, chocolate, cuckoo or chocolate cuckoo pullets/hens. Anybody have any Idea where I could find some? .

I just got isabels from fancy chicks! He's gorgeous! If any of mine end up tiny I will let you know!

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Today has been all about "chuckles."
Besides all the chicks, we have monarch butterflies, black swallowtail butterflies, tadpoles, & praying mantises hatching.
(My daughter chose to do many science projects for 4H & everything is hatching NOW!)


Then my preschooler discovered the joy of picking & pitting cherries today. My kitchen is covered in so much red it looks like a horrific crime scene.

Oh well. He's certainly having fun. Looks like a cherry pie will be on the menu tonight. (It's not like I have any other work to do today.....)

How did that cherry pie turn out?

Your family pics are fabulous, you are very blessed.

Did you give the incubator chicks to Princess Lay-a?

 

[Peanutsmomma]

I just wanted to introduce my bantam isabel cuckoo rooster I got from fancy chicks. He acually came from two LF parents, but ended up weighing a little less then 5lbs. Now I just need to track down some girls for him... I need typey black, chocolate, cuckoo or chocolate cuckoo pullets/hens. Anybody have any Idea where I could find some?
.

Oh my goodness, what a handsome little man! I have been toying with the idea of adding a couple of these to our flock as well.

 

[Faraday40]

Well we cleaned up the cherry massacre - but not before DH came home. He was able to figure out the story by tracing the path of red cherry juice dripping from the counter, down the cabinets, to the garbage can, then on the walls up the stairs to the bathroom, hamper, & towels. We'll be reminding him of this story for a while.....

I ended up making a delicious cherry sauce. Went well over crepes & ice cream.


I made the mistake of giving Princess Lay-a my shipped Dominique eggs. We did not count them as part of our experiment b/c they arrived scrambled. Two managed to survive, so I moved them on their Day 18 to Princess. I found them cold, buried & covered in sticky, stinky, broody poop. I quickly put them under Cookie (who was still trying to hatch her last egg) & set up an emergency incubator. This morning, Cookie got off the nest, so i moved the eggs into the incubator. This time they at least were still warm! I'm not expecting them to hatch, but might as well give them a few days.

My daughter doesn't want to give up a single incubator chick, so Princess is out of luck. We disassembled her broody apartment & she spent the day moving her way up to top hen.

Meanwhile, Cookie took her brood into the run & taught them how to scratch, eat, & drink. It's so much fun seeing the little ones scurry around & then disappear under her. Because Cookie was never removed from the flock, there were no squabbles. A few hens stared a while, but none approached.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Good luck on the dominique eggs!