A little disapointed

[Ole rooster]

I got my 3 Buff Orpingtons because of what I've read about their laying. So far I've been very dissapointed in the laying ability and certainly the size of the eggs. I'm now wondering if I have what I thought I did. These eggs I'm getting are what looks to be banty eggs. Not quite as the size of a bluebird but mighty small for a chicken of this size. And my have they been slow to lay. The black Sexlink and the Pro red a Red just about every day, but these buffs eat like horses and do nothing. Is this what to expect?

 

[aoxa]

When did they start laying?

 

[Chemguy]

They're just getting warmed up.

 

[CMV]

I have not been overly impressed with BOs, either. The eggs should increase in size if your girls are still pullets. They are slow to lay and slow to grow out to full size. In fact, I really have yet to see anything impressive about them. They are a decent standard breed, but nothing special.

Good luck with yours.

 

[blefky]

Mine have really sweet personalities (they are the ones who will always tolerate my granddaughter carrying them around the yard), and one is a great little broody mama, but I don't find them impressive as egg layers. Their other qualities will probably be enough to insure that I always keep a couple around.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's a little hard to generalize or compare. I don't know what breeding is in the background of your others. They could easily have some "commercial" blood in them, where they are specially bred to lay a lot of large eggs early in life. Different hatcheries use different chickens to make their sex links and production reds. If they have commercial blood in them, it would be a bit unfair to compare others to them. But maybe they don't have any commercial blood. I don't know.

Part of it depends on where you got your Buff Orps. Different flocks have different traits. While there are breed tendencies, individual strains have different traits.

The Buff Orps I got from Cackle were my first to lay, compared to my Black Australorp, Delaware, and Speckled Sussex. The eggs were fairly good sized, but the Delaware and BA laid bigger eggs when they matured. The SS eggs were about the same size as the Buff Orps eggs. And they did start off pretty small when they first started laying. Once they started laying, they lay real regular, almost every day, but so did the others.

 

[rancher hicks]

Some questions please.

1. Where did you get them?

2. How old are they?

3. What are you feeding them?

I have only had three two buffs from Ideal Hatchery and they weren't as prolific as my Dels but did lay a nice sized large egg.

Also I am not concerned with getting "jumbo" eggs. These are usually attributed to Hybrids and can result in prolapse.

Productivity is one thing to be concerned about when breeding for appearances. A big part of a Heritage breed is it's purpose characteristics and that is egg production and weight. These things are what they were developed for. Of course personality is nice too.

Also some purebreds are slower than others to "take off". My Dels are early but the orps I have are not. I should be getting more eggs than I am from 15 birds in the pen and I got three yesterday. 7 of these are Orps. 4 lav. , 1 bbs, 1 wht, and 1 buff. Only the BBS is from a different breeder and I've only seen the wht and the BBS in the nest. I am disappointed in the lavs to say the least. I'm hoping in the spring things will pick up.

I know many downsize for the winter but I will never do that again. I need the eggs for sales.

 

[Ole rooster]

The gentleman I got all of mine from said he got the eggs or chicks, I don't know which, from McMurray Hatchery. Mine are not cuddly, which is ok for me. I'm not a chicken squezzer. Matter of fact the only time I've touched them is when I caught them to bring um home.

My EE chicken is growing into just about the largest bird I have. That is cept the rooster. I don't know her breeding but I thought she was a RIR till she layed the green egg. She has a gold bar on the tip of wings when they are folded in place. She also has what is called the P comb if that means anything. But the thing is I suppose I'm tired of waiting on the buffs. One started laying 2 weeks ago. One day before yesterday and one not yet.

RR.......thanks for your reply. You are always so logical and to the point with your post.

 

[chickchicks]

i have read up on them when i got mine

they are late layers - start laying later than other breeds
and start small till they work there way up to normal size eggs just like other chickens


i got my two Bo when they were about 1 1/2 years old
they laid an egg each eveyday and they were a lovely size

i will admit i have not had an egg in 16 weeks ish hence the past tence on eggs ( they have been broody and raising 3 cute babies )

they have amazingly soft personalities and easy to care for , but each chicken does its own thing so yours may be compleatly different to what mine nad what i have found out !

 

[emmalynn]

How much light we have is going to be affecting everything soon. Less light means fewer eggs. I don't have BO any longer, not due to lack of eggs but going to only silkies. Needless to say I now buy eggs at the store.