Wow!! Those are some awesome birds! I've never heard of that breeder before! I will definitely take note! I had a couple from Carolina Rare Chicks (just black and red) and they were quite nice quality although my red was a bit small (best personality though!) They have a bunch of project colors too that I would love to see in real life. I always wonder with these projects how many come out truly looking like their intended variety.
Wow, those are some gorgeous colors! I didn't know about this breeder. I've been wanting a red English Orp for so long, but when I was looking a while back, it seemed that they were only available in the UK? (that was a couple of years ago though) The rest of my Orps are from Papa's Poultry - gorgeous birds and really sweet personalities. I have some from a project breed (Red Partridge), and... well... I can't say I'm entirely happy with it. I tried two hatches from it, on two consecutive years, and both had problems - low hatch rates, high mortality, defects, and all the birds looked different from each other, like, drastically different even though they're all supposed to be Red Partridge
One is completely reversed - instead of orange with black lacing, it's black with orange lacing 
Still gorgeous and comically spherical, I love her. I'm just sad I lost so many, including some dear favorites. The other colors I got from Papa's are doing fine, so it's something particular to this project color. Maybe the gene pool is too small or something.
I remember that batch!! I was trying to guess the genders and was totally off because I assumed that anything with a black chest pretty much automatically meant cockerel (which it does for standardized partridge birds!) That one that almost looked double laced was so gorgeous but I do understand the dissatisfaction with not being what you ordered. To be completely honest, I had considered heavily ordering from them before but seeing the results of your Orpington hatch made me decide against it.Wow, those are some gorgeous colors! I didn't know about this breeder. I've been wanting a red English Orp for so long, but when I was looking a while back, it seemed that they were only available in the UK? (that was a couple of years ago though) The rest of my Orps are from Papa's Poultry - gorgeous birds and really sweet personalities. I have some from a project breed (Red Partridge), and... well... I can't say I'm entirely happy with it. I tried two hatches from it, on two consecutive years, and both had problems - low hatch rates, high mortality, defects, and all the birds looked different from each other, like, drastically different even though they're all supposed to be Red Partridge
I just would expect for such expensive birds that they would at least be remotely close to their intended variety. I only had one Red Orp so I can't speak on their quality too much but she was small but she still had a lot of fluff and I absolutely adored her temperament-she was a super smart and inquisitive bird. Considering she was a bonus chick thrown in, she's all I could ask for. Their Black Orps however were much closer to the English standard. All their Brahma varieties that I ordered were very nice in my opinion so I assume their patterned Orpingtons would be as well! Sorry for the low resolution photos, my phone is low on storage and won't let me download them from my iCloud.
Those are some gorgeous fluffs!I remember that batch!! I was trying to guess the genders and was totally off because I assumed that anything with a black chest pretty much automatically meant cockerel (which it does for standardized partridge birds!) That one that almost looked double laced was so gorgeous but I do understand the dissatisfaction with not being what you ordered. To be completely honest, I had considered heavily ordering from them before but seeing the results of your Orpington hatch made me decide against it.
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I love the red. I really want one some day! And wow you remember my funky batch! I actually don't mind that they don't look like the breed (color-wise, other than that they've got the shape and the fluff just right). I like that they look different, it makes it more interesting. What I'm unhappy about is the health side of things. Losing so many, given how expensive they are, and how easily lovable their personalities are, so it hurts extra. Maybe in a few years, when I start needing replacements, I'll try again and hopefully the stock will be better. I have a soft spot for the partridge pattern (on any breed), and the luxurious fluff on English Orps, so having both in the same bird is just irresistible 
I should update my thread with more recent pictures from that batch (the two survivors).
I'm sorry! It is the worst to have losses, especially in such personable birds. I will admit, I've had a couple that might be genetic as well but I don't know. I had four Orps and lost one to a coyote and one to flystrike so those made sense. I lost another on a very hot day and assumed it was heatstroke and didn't worry. Then I lost another (my red) a couple months later and freaked out because there was no clear cause and took her body to the state lab for necropsy. They couldn't find anything wrong, not even internal parasites.Those are some gorgeous fluffs!
The last two deaths very well could have been genetic or just circumstance-I didn't raise a big enough sample size to know but it makes me wonder since you're seeing issues in them as well... They might be a bit genetically bottle-necked. I would love to see some updated pictures of yours!Same
I stated rather while considering the typical hatchery BO. Do you like your pillow extra fluffy as well?She doesn’t look very fluffy to me.
question!
They have a nice selection of birds and I loved the Isabel Brahma in particular. I may have to get me some of them.
Oh no, the red! I'm so sorry. My partridges had a 16% hatch rate, which is low even for shipped eggs. The other colors did great - better than average for shipped, in fact - even though they were shipped in the same box. A bit too much of a coincidence, so I don't think it was. They had a lot of malpositioned chicks, too. One died after hatch from severe wry neck. One hatched with an eye problem that never cleared up, was sickly and raggedy his whole life, and finally had to be euthanized at 1 year old because he was falling apart. One was a runt and developmentally delayed, and died suddenly at 7 month old. Another one was a runt too but seemed otherwise healthy, but dropped dead at 9 months old. Necropsy showed a faulty valve in her heart and multiple organ failure, as well as severe sexual immaturity for her age (internally as well as externally). Now I have 2 left, a little over a year old - one has a deformed tail permanently folded downwards and immobile, and the other one is the only healthy one out of 2 batches of chicks, and she's the one with the reversed colorsI'm sorry! It is the worst to have losses, especially in such personable birds. I will admit, I've had a couple that might be genetic as well but I don't know. I had four Orps and lost one to a coyote and one to flystrike so those made sense. I lost another on a very hot day and assumed it was heatstroke and didn't worry. Then I lost another (my red) a couple months later and freaked out because there was no clear cause and took her body to the state lab for necropsy. They couldn't find anything wrong, not even internal parasites.
So yeah, I think something's up with that gene pool...
