buff opington issues -- mixing breeds possible with them?

[wannabe4birds]

I was at a hardware store (Mennonite one near my town; super-cool) yesterday and saw their little buff opington chicks. I told an old farmer there I'd've grabbed all of their 20+ op. chicks except that I don't even have a coop yet. Painful to leave 'em. Not to mention, in my town we're only allowed 5 birds.

Having said that ..... I've read lately that ops are so laid-back and docile that other breeds bully them. Is that really the case? What if the other breeds tend to be just as docile? If that would help, any recommendations as to other easy-going types?

Would it be best to just get ops and forsake all others? My goal is to have friendly, cool hens -- no skittish, scaredy-pusses, or beeyoches, thx. Then again, I wanted to have some variety among the girls -- maybe 2-3 ops and 2 or so of other varieties. Rainbow-chicken nation, maybe.
Much obliged for any insights/anecdotes/experiences with this.....

Mitch

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi.

Orp are NOT the easiest to push over and I've raised well over a hundred birds.

I would NOT go with all orps... IMO they are too heavy bodied for the amount of eggs they put out and NOT nearly as "friendly" as people claim... in addition to the broody beeothces!

My TRUE opinion... yes, some breeds have a certain reputation. But ALL birds are individuals. I have ran a mixed flock for a while and even Orp and Silkies *can* be bullies!

Get what you want! In my opinion, and experience... a rainbow nation IS the way to go. You get a variety eye candy on pasture which my neighbors all love. You get to try different breeds. And I feel like a kid everyday when I go collect eggs and see what the basket holds. It also makes it easy to notice if something is wrong with an individual and make it easier to keep track of which one might need help. It helps to combat everyone molting at the same time as well and to know who is or isn't laying.

I suggest getting 3 this year and adding two more next year that won't molt when this years 3 do and you will still have eggs through winter.

My starter flock was a Rhode Island Red, an Easter Egger, and a Barred rock. Even after a ton of birds and different breeds... I will probably ALWAYS have a rock and an EE in my flock... just for personality. Only thing is... among the breeds, still all are individuals. The skittishness really is about confidence. So when you pick out chicks, pick the ones that aren't hiding in the back... being aware that SOMETIMES the confidence is an indicator of mistaken gender identification. Personality totally breeds forward. I have had skittish and confident in most of my breeds, EVEN from the same batch.

What I will suggest... don't get one white bird if all your others are black or vice versa. And also don't add like a crested polish on with all non crested as that does SOMETIMES invite picking. Truth is there are not MANY hard fast rules in chicken keeping. ONLY 2 that I know of so far... roosters don't lay eggs and females don't grow pointy saddle feathers. Everything else... seems to have exceptions... Hens can crow and even grow spurs, though it isn't super common. And I've totally seen a rooster sing the egg song.

A couple breed comparison charts for your consideration...
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

https://livestockconservancy.org/images/uploads/docs/pickachicken.pdf

Hope this is helpful!

One last thing... get a second opinion on ANYTHING you are told by a feed store employee. They are often well meaning but with little to NO animal experience of their own, and WAY too often giving REALLY bad suggestions. For example... you DON'T need a 250W heat lamp for 3 chicks inside a home... that is the standard for the industry where they are raising hundreds of chicks in outdoor barns. So what's right for one person may or may NOT be right for you. I like lower wattage non light emitting bulbs that allow my chicks to sleep through the night as they would if they were under mum. The temp they say to keep chicks at... is the temp it should be directly under your heat source (I tried mama heating pad, and it ain't my style). But chicks should still be able to access cooler regions to eat, drink, and play... while just popping back under the heat to warm up and sleep.

Best wishes on your chicken adventures!

 

[gallo pinto]

It also makes it easy to notice if something is wrong with an individual and make it easier to keep track of which one might need help.

I feel like this is especially true with Buff Orpingtons. I have two who are only about 13 weeks old, but I'm glad I didn't get more. From day to day I'm not sure if I can tell them apart. When we first got them, it was a bit easier because one pretty much didn't have a comb, but now that they both have a bit showing their names may have flipflopped a couple times already.

 

[wannabe4birds]

Hi.

Orp are NOT the easiest to push over and I've raised well over a hundred birds.

I would NOT go with all orps... IMO they are too heavy bodied for the amount of eggs they put out and NOT nearly as "friendly" as people claim... in addition to the broody beeothces!

My TRUE opinion... yes, some breeds have a certain reputation. But ALL birds are individuals. I have ran a mixed flock for a while and even Orp and Silkies *can* be bullies!

Get what you want! In my opinion, and experience... a rainbow nation IS the way to go. You get a variety eye candy on pasture which my neighbors all love. You get to try different breeds. And I feel like a kid everyday when I go collect eggs and see what the basket holds. It also makes it easy to notice if something is wrong with an individual and make it easier to keep track of which one might need help. It helps to combat everyone molting at the same time as well and to know who is or isn't laying.

I suggest getting 3 this year and adding two more next year that won't molt when this years 3 do and you will still have eggs through winter.

My starter flock was a Rhode Island Red, an Easter Egger, and a Barred rock. Even after a ton of birds and different breeds... I will probably ALWAYS have a rock and an EE in my flock... just for personality. Only thing is... among the breeds, still all are individuals. The skittishness really is about confidence. So when you pick out chicks, pick the ones that aren't hiding in the back... being aware that SOMETIMES the confidence is an indicator of mistaken gender identification. Personality totally breeds forward. I have had skittish and confident in most of my breeds, EVEN from the same batch.

What I will suggest... don't get one white bird if all your others are black or vice versa. And also don't add like a crested polish on with all non crested as that does SOMETIMES invite picking. Truth is there are not MANY hard fast rules in chicken keeping. ONLY 2 that I know of so far... roosters don't lay eggs and females don't grow pointy saddle feathers. Everything else... seems to have exceptions... Hens can crow and even grow spurs, though it isn't super common. And I've totally seen a rooster sing the egg song.

A couple breed comparison charts for your consideration...
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

https://livestockconservancy.org/images/uploads/docs/pickachicken.pdf

Hope this is helpful!

One last thing... get a second opinion on ANYTHING you are told by a feed store employee. They are often well meaning but with little to NO animal experience of their own, and WAY too often giving REALLY bad suggestions. For example... you DON'T need a 250W heat lamp for 3 chicks inside a home... that is the standard for the industry where they are raising hundreds of chicks in outdoor barns. So what's right for one person may or may NOT be right for you. I like lower wattage non light emitting bulbs that allow my chicks to sleep through the night as they would if they were under mum. The temp they say to keep chicks at... is the temp it should be directly under your heat source (I tried mama heating pad, and it ain't my style). But chicks should still be able to access cooler regions to eat, drink, and play... while just popping back under the heat to warm up and sleep.

Best wishes on your chicken adventures!

Thx a million, Egg; beaucoup info here to digest. I'll peck at bits and pieces as I go along. Kinda makes my head spin when I think of all the data needed just to start to start. It's like with my bees -- every day brings something new. Not always welcomed or happy, but that's life.

Mitch

 

[rainee63]

I have 4 mixed orpington and australorp pullets. Two feathered out black with buff accents and two are blue with buff. The two blue ones are very friendly. I thought it was cool how the colors mixed. I only have 1 BO hen, as I got my first chicks from tsc and 5 out of 6 were roosters. But she's my very favorite hen. She's also the most bullied :/ I moved her and the two older blue 'australorpingtons' into their own coop so she's not being picked on anymore.

 

[Ahavati]

We have 6 orpingtons. But we also have a bajillion other breeds in our current flock of about 50. I believe it is individual personality. Our orpingtons are friendly enough to pick up. None of them are bullies. One was to chicks at one time but seemed to have settled. They never went broody though today, 2 are broody as well as an australorp. That's ok, we're going to hatch so it works out.

But yes, individual birds will be different.

 

[rainee63]

Every chicken has a story

I just hatched out 4 lavender orpingtons because I love their sweet nature. Hoping to breed them later this year. Idk if it's just cuz they were my first breed, but they're my favorite. I lean more toward breeds that want me as part of the flock!

 

[wannabe4birds]

Oops (or is it orps?) -- so it's "orpington", not "opington". Won't make that mistake again .....