Blue Orpingtons

[Beekissed]

Can anyone tell me what hatchery sells Blue Orpington chicks? I just saw pics of these most beautiful birds on here the other day, and for the first time....I got the want-mes over a chicken!

They have to be the most lovely breed of chicken I've ever seen, and I assume they still retain the good traits of the Orpington breed. I just can't seem to find a hatchery that offers them for sale.

Can anyone tell me about their Bl-Os and post a few pics of hens and mature roosters? Tell me about their egg-laying capabilities, health issues, hardiness?

 

[MissPrissy]

You can't buy them from the hatcheries.

There are a few specialty type hatcheries that are very small but they are sold out through 2009 is my understanding.

You have to find someone breeding them that will sell them to you or get in line for eggs and hatch them yourself.

I have been hatching eggs for a year to get my few blue orpingtons.

I have finally come full circle and my first hatched pullets are now laying.

I do have a list forming for hatching eggs. Most people with eggs have a long list.

 

[gumpsgirl]

The only hatcheries I know of that sell them is speckledhen's and MissPrissy's, but you have to pick them up though. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my blue girls! They are just as sweet as they are beautiful! They have such mild temperaments and have seemed to be very hardy. Mine have not started to lay as of yet, but the hatching egg they came from are HUGE! See if you can't get some hatching eggs and hatch your own.

Here's a recent pick of one of my 12 wk. pullets, Daphney.

 

[speckledhen]

Mine lay pretty well. They almost always skip a day in the week, each of them. Right now, mine are molting heavily. One quit laying a week ago and her feathers are coming in quickly. The other is still laying and naked, LOL. They are certainly hardy and fare very well in cold weather due to their extreme fluff and size. Suede, my rooster, is right about 12 lb and the girls are maybe 3 lb lighter. They dont eat anymore than any other birds I have, in spite of their size.
MissP is right. It takes awhile to get up a decent laying flock. My rooster and older hens arent even two years old yet and it took several batches of hatching eggs to get them and the two 10 week old pullets I have growing up-those two are from entirely different lines than my older ones.

 

[halo]

That blue girl in the middle is absolutely gorgeous. Is that Velvet?

 

[KKluckers]

Mine are really winter hardy and are ok layers. Not the best. But hey at least they look good

Also with a breeder you have the chance to get better stock because of selective breeding for the correct traits.
Black hen

Young blue pullet Angela Stanleys line:

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks for the info, people!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Hey Beekissed, I raise Blue, Black, Splash and Buffs and I'm in WV... I have some very pretty cockerals if your interested and maybe next Spring can send you some eggs...I have molting going on and the roosters aren't in the pens with the hens at the moment....

Acouple young hens here to show you...

One nice pen of cockerals...

 

[Beekissed]

Absolutely beautiful!!!! I PMd you, Tuff!

 

[speckledhen]

Kathy, the middle girl, the one next to the Brahma in the pics is Skye. I think Skye has a prettier face than Velvet, more feminine, but Velvet is very typey and a complete goofball-she keeps me laughing all the time.