Black and Blue Orpingtons - Opinions *PICS Updated 1/29 on pg2*

CountryMom

Songster
11 Years
Jun 21, 2008
985
13
141
South Texas
Ok, I have a trio of Orpingtons I have been raising. Well, I had more until some coons took care of a few. That is another long story, but in short situation corrected and coons gone. This trio I have left are right around 4 and a half months old. I had some issues getting them to come up and stay in the yard (they just wanted to free range) so I got my Chicken Wranglers busy and they worked them into the shop yard. Anyhow, I snapped a couple of pics and would like some fellow BBS Orp owners to tell me what they think. Being new to these I am not sure if they are good or not. One of the pics of the Roo - we call him Goose - kind of looks like he has white specks on his back, but he is definitely ALL black. Just must have been angle with my camera.

Here is my trio....
12214_black_orp_group.jpg



Here is my Black Young Orpington Goose (he sounds like one)

12214_goose.jpg


Chicken Wranglers! They actually just switched mounts.

12214_chicken_wranglers.jpg


Funny thing is if it hadn't been a day I let them free range, the two hens, Raven and Smokey would have wanted to be lap chickens. Not today. I guess it was the cold air that got them restless.
 
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He looks like a fine specimen. I can't really see the pullets. I would like a closer pic of his comb and wattles. He is definitly very large and will get larger.
 
Bama, here is a front view of him. His comb and waddles are really starting to grow. I am amazed at how big he really is. Only thing bigger at this moment we have is our Speckled Sussex Roo. I think Goose's comb is going to be nice.

12214_goose_front.jpg
 
Thanks for the close up. He is a big boy. Looks a little leggy right now but that may change as he continues to fill out. His comb looks good. You don't want a huge comb or wattles. Hopefully he will have 5 nice points.
My Blue Boy has way to big comb and wattles for exhibition quality. If your working to improve the standard , you can take your Large Roo and use him over Large but shorter legged pullets and throw some nice offspring to.
Like I said though, he will continue to fill out and fluff out more till he is 18 months.
I hope you will post some pics of him at a year old and 18 months or anytime for that matter so we can see his continued growth.
 
Thanks Bama. That gives me hope he will turn out good. Right now he looks like an gangly funny teenager. He is beginning to act rooish and has tried to crow. Good Lord that was scary. Like I said he sounds like a goose. You can only imagine.

I will see if I cannot get pics of the hens. I wondered about the blue hen's uneven coloring. Some parts of her are darker than others.
 
I had a friend who said her black Orp cockerel sounded like a sheep blating when he started to crow. I would need to see a close up of the blue. If you could hold her and spread her wings and let someone take a pic for you that would be good.
Here is a really good color for blue
IMGP5096.jpg
 
I will get to work on pics of the girls tomorrow. I just ran out of time and light today. I have to say that we have an interesting mix of colors in our one blue hen. She is darker than the one you pictured in spots, but then lightens on the bottom. Both of these hens are much bigger and stockier looking than my hatchery buff orpington. So I guess we are headed in the right direction.

Thank you for all your help and information. I really want to get a decent line started here even though I don't plan on showing. I really really love these guys and their color. I think my kids think I am nuts, but oh well! LOL I had a gorgeous splash hen that was lost to the coons. Ugh that is frustrating.

OH yes, and Goose's first crow was about 4:30 in the morning a couple weeks ago. I was out with my dogs and getting ready to feed and thought something was dying in the back paddock. It echoed from the coop and it was awful! I sure hope he gets better.
 
There is a breeder in Tx with exhibtion Orps. Cecil Moore I think is his name. He is getting older from my understanding and can't do as much as he used too. Did you get your birds from him?
Thanks for sharing your pictures because other than BYC there are not many places in the US that breeders show there birds.
I don't know why. I am looking for some exhibition size Buffs but have nt' see exactly what I am looking for. I want to start a Goldend laced project but I want to use some good stock to start with. I had some really nice buff hens but lost them to a dog when my mother was keeping them at her house.
 
I found some pics I took a couple months ago and worked on the first one I posted. I will get close up of feathers in the daylight tomorrow. Shadow (blue) was born black except she had a grey hint about her and white tips on her last wing feather each side. She has lightened as she has grown, but her head is dark still. She appears to have a kind of lacing about her feathers.
Here she is a few months back....
12214_shadow_toddler.jpg


And cropped of that first pic.....
12214_shadow_four_months.jpg



And the splash hen I lost. She was shorter per say in height, but feathered out quick and fluffy. Kills me that a coon got her....
12214_milkshake_young.jpg





I can't really claim these are from great lines as I just don't know. I actually hatched these from ebay eggs! I have had fears they were not good at all. I also lost a black roo to the coon and he was actually larger than Goose. It would be interesting to know if this Orpington breeder is anywhere close to me in south Texas. I suspect most quality breeders being up near Dallas/Fort Worth however. That is a good 6 hours north of me.

edited to add that I have had ideas of creating colored Orps and expanding the BBS since seeing some incredible pictures posted here of UK Orps. I have some ideas in the bator now and keeping my eyes out for more. LOL Gosh that is crazy - am I hooked or what??? Even to the point of having my dh cousin building me pens and aviaries. After all I have the room. LOL
 
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