*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[Peanutsmomma]

I have a buff that is twelve weeks old, and after looking through some of these pictures I'm starting to wonder if she is a roo. She grew a distinct comb and waddles early. She is the leader of my four, picks on them, and is the most standoffish with us. Any guesses based on these pictures?

Five weeks:


Eleven weeks:

Are the other chickens in the bottom pic the same age as the maybe roo? That comb and wattle development looks like a rooster to me. How about crowing? Our Buff roo crowed at 7 weeks.

 

[motherofazoo]

@Peanutsmomma yeah, we got them at the same time. Someone tried crowing a couple days ago and I figured it must be my silkie, since we don't know yet her sex and the others were purchased sexed, but now, I'm not so sure.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

@Peanutsmomma yeah, we got them at the same time. Someone tried crowing a couple days ago and I figured it must be my silkie, since we don't know yet her sex and the others were purchased sexed, but now, I'm not so sure.

The Buffs we purchased last year were supposed sexed too, and we ended up with a roo. Unfortunately, that happens quite a bit. Will you be able to keep him?

 

[motherofazoo]

No. :-(

 

[Peanutsmomma]

I am sorry.

 

[MsKay]

What are the rooster like friendly?

Mine are very friendly and the young ones sit in my lap and always have. I have about 5 cockerels I am growing out to choose my next breeder and they all want to sit in my lap and gather around me any time I am out there. The big guy takes care of everybody, even these 5 cockerels that are in his pen. He is a sweetie.

 

[MesMama]

Question about holding chicks etc-I have 4 of my BO hens sitting on eggs right now, some are due to hatch Sunday, I got the hens a couple months ago, they are a year old and so I didn't have them as babies to love on and hold, so I can't really touch them or anything now. Will I be able to hold these new babies or will the mamas not allow that?

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Question about holding chicks etc-I have 4 of my BO hens sitting on eggs right now, some are due to hatch Sunday, I got the hens a couple months ago, they are a year old and so I didn't have them as babies to love on and hold, so I can't really touch them or anything now. Will I be able to hold these new babies or will the mamas not allow that?

You'll have to sort of try and it and see. I would take it slow. Go out and visit with mama and babies all the time. I wouldn't fish out a baby from under mama but if one wanders near your hand, try and stroke it and eventually pick it up gently. The chick may chirp loudly and mama will come after you. Put her down immediately. But if you work at it, they should come around.

Using treats is a great way to get them to like you. Just don't over treat.

My mama BO's have always let me handle a baby w/ out issue.

 

[MesMama]

You'll have to sort of try and it and see. I would take it slow. Go out and visit with mama and babies all the time. I wouldn't fish out a baby from under mama but if one wanders near your hand, try and stroke it and eventually pick it up gently. The chick may chirp loudly and mama will come after you. Put her down immediately. But if you work at it, they should come around.

Using treats is a great way to get them to like you. Just don't over treat.

My mama BO's have always let me handle a baby w/ out issue.

Perfect! Thank you
If I can ask you something-how do you know how many treats to do?

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Perfect! Thank you
If I can ask you something-how do you know how many treats to do?

Think of treats like you do dessert or sweets for us. It should be a VERY small percentage of what you eat in a day.

That's not very much. So for my big Buff Orpingtons, I have 4, they will share a 1.5 inch piece of banana per day. Or get 4-5 raisins each per day. I may scatter a slightly rounded teaspoon of oats or seeds for them and I really scatter it to make them work for it. I'm pretty stingy with treats. I used to be much more generous and when I lost a few birds to fatty liver disease, I reformed my ways.

You really want them eating their feed as it's the most balanced nutrition they can eat.

One thing you can do is take a bit of their baby chick food and wet it. Make it into an oatmeal consistency mash and let them nibble that off your fingers. My hens go GONZO for mash (I'm of course using their layer pellets to make their mash). And I don't feel guilty letting them have more of it because it's really like eating their food.

But only make a little and take away and dump what they don't eat. Wet food can grow mold really fast, like under 24 hours. So just make a little and treat them and then wash out that container.