*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[countryhen]

my BO rooster seems to have a hard time getting on & off the roost. can yall post pics of your roost areas & tell me how height off the floor to make them? My rooster is large & has a hard time going up ramps any help would be great.

 

[thedragonlady]

my BO rooster seems to have a hard time getting on & off the roost. can yall post pics of your roost areas & tell me how height off the floor to make them? My rooster is large & has a hard time going up ramps any help would be great.

I have really large buff Orp Roos. I teach them as babies to go to a low roost about 1'-18" tall. Your ramps need to be wide, and have lots of cleats so thet do not slip.These big Roos can injure themselves trying to jump down from too high a roost. They need a stair step series of roosts from 1' up to 4'.They'll probably roost at about the 1' mark, unless you have taught them to roost as babies. I spent this fall putting 50 babies up on roosts EVERY night until they got it.Their new owners are happy to have big Orps that roost.

 

[lildinkem]

I use a 4' by 5" log that sets 6" off the floor of the coop. Any higher and they may roost under the ones on the roost post and get pooped on. My new trio of White Orps have a choice of a 6" by 8' cheery board an old round table, and where do they roost? On the floor in the corner of the breezeway (that is where they are till warmer and more stable weather) the cock sets on top of his girls. just a White pile of chickens in the corner.

 

[Crafty chick]

Country hen~ mine didn't do well with a ramp, so I made a roost at about 2 feet, 3 feet, and then 4 feet. The lower ones they just use as steps up to their roost. I had to position mine just right for angles and Ihave a small coop. They hop up the steps to the roost.

 

[thedragonlady]

I use a 4' by 5" log that sets 6" off the floor of the coop. Any higher and they may roost under the ones on the roost post and get pooped on. My new trio of White Orps have a choice of a 6" by 8' cheery board an old round table, and where do they roost? On the floor in the corner of the breezeway (that is where they are till warmer and more stable weather) the cock sets on top of his girls. just a White pile of chickens in the corner.

A poop board in their house under the roosts would stop them being pooped on. How will you ever get whites clean enough to show if they get used to piling up?

 

[lildinkem]

A poop board in their house under the roosts would stop them being pooped on. How will you ever get whites clean enough to show if they get used to piling up?

These Whites are my breeders. I am never going to show them. I got them for $60 and promised the breeder I would hatch out as many as possible. Their over a year old. Not easy to show birds when their in breeding conditions.
Some people buy birds from great breeders to show the birds they buy. I am like many of my mentors I want to hatch out the birds I show.

 

[cbnovick]

I have really large buff Orp Roos. I teach them as babies to go to a low roost about 1'-18" tall. Your ramps need to be wide, and have lots of cleats so thet do not slip.These big Roos can injure themselves trying to jump down from too high a roost. They need a stair step series of roosts from 1' up to 4'.They'll probably roost at about the 1' mark, unless you have taught them to roost as babies. I spent this fall putting 50 babies up on roosts EVERY night until they got it.Their new owners are happy to have big Orps that roost.

I definitely have been there and done that with putting the chicks/juvies on the roost myself each evening...right now my 1 week olds have a small wooden roost in their brooder that's just 4 inches off the bottom...so cute to see them all up there and hopefully they will generalize it to the big roost when they 'all grows up'

 

[brandib1982]

My young flock can't wait till they start laying.

 

[brandib1982]

 

[thedragonlady]

I definitely have been there and done that with putting the chicks/juvies on the roost myself each evening...right now my 1 week olds have a small wooden roost in their brooder that's just 4 inches off the bottom...so cute to see them all up there and hopefully they will generalize it to the big roost when they 'all grows up'

You're doing exactly the right thing ! I use a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock waterer which is about 5 feet across as a brooder in my greenhouse. In it is is a very sturdy 3' long branch which has other branches from 4" to 2 feet.. All the chicks fly up and exercise their wings, so NO weak wings, and they all sleep up there once they don't need to be under the lights.

I also use Rubbermaid double walled storage boxes for the babies when they go outside. We cut doors and added ramps. The trick is to then get their tiny little minds in gear to go up the ramps to bed. I have no need for the gym. Lifting all those babies is great for the middle, but plays havoc on the back.