Any Experience With Buff Orpington's???...

[mandylovespets]

I will, and thank you sooo much for all the info! I love this site hehehe!!!

I would love to hear from anyone else who has experience with Buff Orpington's!!! ... Here is a pic of the blue chick I got for Easter! Someone suggested to me that it is a White Leghorn...

 

[farm_mom]

Our last laying flock was of Buff Orpingtons and we absolutely loved them. They were friendly, gentle, calm, good with my small children and we never had a problem with them health wise or behaviorally. The only reason we moved to a different breed was because we felt it important to try to help save a heritage breed. If it wasn't for that, we would still be raising the Buffs. Ours free ranged our property and never wadered off it. They could "fly" just for a few feet when excited, but not enough to clear a fence, I wouldn't think. Great birds!! Good luck!

 

[mandylovespets]

I was wondering, how are Buff Orpington's as far as egg laying???...

 

[speckledhen]

Mine lay almost as well as my RIRs and Barred Rocks. In fact, for egglaying, you can't go wrong with just those three breeds. And although Buff Orpingtons are supposedly a broody breed, the hatchery ones are a bit less likely to retain that trait than the breeder strains, in my opinion.

 

[lockedhearts]

My Buff , Babs, is the sweetest girl. I got her last year as a day old and she has always been sweet. She laid everyday until she started molting. Anytime I get in the pen , can't free range mine, DOGS, she follows me or gets in my lap.
I got 6 new BO chicks this weekend a couple are a couple weeks old and the rest are a little younger, they are calm and sweet. Haven't named them yet though.

 

[wegotchickens]

Our BO's are more friendly than our silkies or EE's. I recommend Orps to everyone who mentions being interested in chickens as pets. Our BO's never fail to race up to meet me when they are out in the yard free-ranging. They eat out of my hands so much that they LOOK for treats and let me pet them. They are awesome birds!!

 

[KierBri]

Quote:
it would be ok if they did, ducks need grit too.

 

[mandylovespets]

What does it mean when a chicken starts molting?

 

[airmom1c05]

Molting is losing old feathers before growing new ones. It's sort of like a cat shedding, I guess! Layers don't lay when molting. Some chickens molt all at once, and others molt a little bit at a time all year round. The ones that molt a little all year don't stop laying. Only a hard molt makes them stop laying until their new feathers come in. This takes three months sometimes! I have read all sorts of things that may (or may not) speed up the molt so laying will resume quicker. Take these suggestions with a grain of salt.

Feed lots of cayenne pepper mixed with cook rice.

Dust bird with food grade DE to promote quicker feather regrowth.

 

[mandylovespets]

I'm sorry

I'm sooo to all of this! What is DE?...