breeding

[Flowers of Abba]

Most feed stores will re home for you if you picked them up there. Also if they're good looking list them in the forum. (there is an auction/buy it now page) It's worth a shot. Or narrow your run and stall into sections and give them a few hens each? I'm surprised you are dealing with four roosters. Your coop must be far from the house?

post about your buff orphs breeding project please...

they're such a good breed.

 

[siroiszoo]

Quote:
One coop is only about 15 feet from the house; the other is more like 80 feet. But its much like our clock in the living room. It chimes every hour and used to drive me nuts. But years later, I have to really pay attention to it to see if it chimes at all. It does, of course, I just don't hear it anymore; or its that I don't notice it anymore. Last summer, it was a nightmare to deal with all those roos (I actually have 6 total - two of which are housed less than 10 foot from the back door); lots of lost sleep. Two are older and were born here. The other 5 (now 4) came in a shipment of chicks in which I specifically requested 2 roos AND ONLY 2. But now, I don't hear them unless I walk outside or make an effort to listen for them when I'm inside.

I had hoped to have an old garage turned into a hen house by now but a tree fell on it during a bad winter storm last month and ended that project for now. Good news! It did it BEFORE I remodeled and put birds in it.

I'll let you know how it goes on the orps. I ordered them along with austrolorps last year; always kept strictly egg layers in the past. I definitely like the orps better than the australorps. I think the orps are gentler, quieter birds. I do have some BEAUTIFUL australorp roos but they are a bit aggressive for my taste. They are especially hard on the hens which is why two of them got thrown in the "I don't know what to do with these birds" jail aka the other hen house- LOL. I think I will eventually cull the australorps out.

 

[Flowers of Abba]

Our friends had ONE nice australorp, so when they moved we took it and crossed it with our auracauna roo (gone now-too mean) beautiful olive eggs, every day, and huge. Named her Grace, because she it!

Orphs dont lay as well as I like 3/wk. I have one but will end up crossing her with a better layer when I can....

My roo right now is a barnvelder. SO docile beautiful double laced feathers. I am happy crossing him with any of my pure hens because their eggs are so big they barely fit in the carton!!! I crossed him with my bantam leghorn, americauna, barred rock, and some pure barnevelder hens. They're in the bator right now due to hatch on monday!

Cant wait to see how they feather out!!!

 

[siroiszoo]

Quote:
Got pics? I'm not familiar with the barnvelder.

 

[siroiszoo]

Update:

I decided to postpone my Orpington venture. It took a month just to get all my roos socialized into the flock without a blood bath. So I have decided that I'm not ready to separate one from the main flock so soon. Maybe I'll get back on the project later in the year; or even next year.

Thanks for the comments. I will save them for future use.