All about Buff Orpington's AND Rhode-Island Red's !! CHECK THIS OUT!

[oldchickenlady]

I have 6 Buff O's and 5 RIR's, all hens. I did have a roo, but he was tearing the hide off one of my Buff O girls (he was relentless!) and I ended up culling him. I am planning on getting some SLW's in the next few weeks, just need to decide if I want a trio (1 roo, 2 pullets) or start over with chicks. I have been having a sort of feud with one RIR hen who had decided to be the head chicken after the rooster was gone. The wench would peck me and try to claw me when I went to pick up the eggs or just check the girls out before bedtime! We had a good old fashioned "throw down" the other night...I have various bruised peck marks and scratches on my hand and lower arm...she got her dignity bruised when I picked her up and gave her head a little shake and then put my hand on her back and made her squat! Last night I went in to check everyone and pick up eggs and she was suitably humble! No more coming up to me with her "What do YOU want?" attitude! Finally...she and I have been sparring for 'head hen' position for several weeks now...I guess I outlasted her! Anyway, love all my girls! I call them all my "Biddy girls" collectively. I do have different colored zip ties on some, but it is just too much hassle trying to remember names of hens that look identical!

 

[<3ChickenForever]

Lol! That'll teach her! Haha I had an aggresive roo who thinks he was the boss of every chicken. He was very human aggresive.. sadly he died last summer...

 

[<3ChickenForever]

ANYONE else have stories to share? Or pics? I'd like to see them!!

 

[Illia]

Well, I guess I was looking to chime in here on what true Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds were originally for, but, I wouldn't want to crash the party. To me, I imagine Orpingtons as they were - huge, fluffy, meaty, dual purpose. Same with RIR's - brick shaped, large, solid blood red in color, dual purpose.

To each their own. Still, nice breeds, both of them, but I like mine heritage in type.

 

[rarely bored]

LOL, well, all about Buff Orpingtons & Rhode Island Reds must include the hastily bred hatchery types too.

Even if, as most commercializing of anything is, it is not good. But alas, most of us do not know local breeders of these excellent breeds and must resort to utilizing the feedstore sales for our chicks. However, as we learn more about the breed, and begin to meet wonderful people who take pride in their poultry stock, we can educate ourselves to the heritage type and pass that knowledge on to the next generation. And hopefully, with time, have good breeders of the heritage types in all the counties in this country.

we can hope, yes?

I appreciate the gentle nature of my BO hens, find their coloration to be striking in the green winter months and enjoy how they blend into the gold colored grass in the summer. They seem to lay well, but I can't tell them apart (maybe I'll name them all Ethel -- love that!) so I'm not sure which one is laying what! In the next couple of months I do hope to get some good heritage type orpington eggs to make my flock better.

In my flock, there is one Rhode Island Red and a production red, and I find their nature to be more pushy, a little more demanding and to be quite frank, I have two young boys and get enough of that! But they are both excellent layers and I'm very impressed with how meaty my little production red is. Ohhh, but they both go through periods of time where they hide their eggs. The day the Rhode Island came flappping off of my roof, I nearly cried to think she was laying up there!!

 

[supercalliefragilistic]

I know I'm a vegetarian so most meat eaters hate me...BUT I do agree that animals are put on the earth to be eaten, I just think the meat industry is screwed up and that America especially as a country is ungrateful and eats wayy too much, and also it just grosses me out. But I don't think anything bad of people when they eat meat and I'm definitely not about to go around telling people not to, especially farmers who have raised their own meat and provided it a good, healthy life before they ate it.
Anyway, that aside, I just can't even imagine people eating BOs. I love mine soo much, and vegetarian or not, it's just such a crazy concept to me! The more time I spend with my chickens, the more I see their personalities and spunk, and they show more and more qualities similar to humans, and the more I can't fathom someone eating them.
It kinda blows my mind.
But hey, to each his own, right?

 

[<3ChickenForever]

Lol good points. When my dad butchered my roosters I told myslef I would NEVER eat them... I just don't like the thought of eating my OWN chickens. And ILLIA BO's and RIR I guess are really used for meat (Roosters) and for the eggs (Hens) . Just making a guess.

 

[supercalliefragilistic]

They are both definitely a dual purpose chicken. They lay QUITE well and also get huge! When my girl isn't at skinny as she is right now (from being broody) she weighs like 7 or 8 pounds! quite large, especially compared to our california white who is like 3 or 4 pounds...haa. They also have amazing temperaments, are motherly, and are hardy. Great for starters, or anyone!

 

[<3ChickenForever]

I agree! And wowow big bird! Haha!!

 

[BobwhiteQuailLover]

<3ChickenForever :

I agree! And wowow big bird! Haha!!​