*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[Wyorp Rock]

PSA: Watch out for the heat. Lost half of my girls (all BO's) yesterday. Granted, they were all 3 years old, and one was already ill (internal laying takes a toll). The other 2 were perfectly healthy AFAIK, just bigger than the others.

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.
Thank you for reminding us to take extra precautions during hot weather.

Daisy

She's so pretty and fluffy. I think the red hens are getting just a little jealous, do I hear them murmuring "That Daisy...she's just a photo hog"

(BTW the red girls are very nice too)
The moody broody sisters

The thousand yard stare.....

 

[jboisvert]

Anyone else have a Buff Orpington obsessed with mothering? This is her second hatch of the year, and I've never witnessed a better mother. Our 3 year old goat buck is scared to death of her when she's in mommy mode!

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

PSA: Watch out for the heat. Lost half of my girls (all BO's) yesterday. Granted, they were all 3 years old, and one was already ill (internal laying takes a toll). The other 2 were perfectly healthy AFAIK, just bigger than the others.

Oh, I'm so sorry. The heat has been just brutal.

Can you put out a fan or hose down their are to give them a cool place to lay?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Anyone else have a Buff Orpington obsessed with mothering? This is her second hatch of the year, and I've never witnessed a better mother. Our 3 year old goat buck is scared to death of her when she's in mommy mode!

That gnome sure looks frozen with fear

Such a sweet vigilant Mama.

 

[poppycock1974]

Relating to the heat---I'm in Florida and it gets a bit warm here to say the least. It has been a heat index of around 105 to 112 this past week and I'm not feeling good about my girls. My oldest Orp is 20 weeks and boy is she big and fluffy!! I have a watering bucket with a water nipple system attached so lately I take plastic bottles (16 -20oz) and fill with water then freeze. I alternate every hour putting them in the water bucket to keep their water cool. I also have a pan of water in the run that I put ice in every couple hours or change out every hour and they love to stand in it. I also have a fan in the coop but it doesn't change the temp much, just keeps the air from being so stale. I do have the advantage of being at home with them but I just ordered a mister to put on their run. I'm going out of town for two weeks and my husband can't cater to them like me because he will be working all day so that will help with the heat a bit I hope. I also buy a bag of organic frozen fruit for our smoothies and once or twice a week I'll offer it to the girls-frozen- as a treat. It helps to keep them cool and it's a bit of a task but worth it if it keeps them alive!

 

[poppycock1974]

Can anyone help me with the sex of my buff orpingtons? They are 10 weeks old. The one with the redder comb and wattles is also the highest in the pecking order of my little flock of 2 orpingtons and 2 cochins. She/He is very dominant and orders all the others around. The cochins are both female I'm pretty sure, but this one Orpington, on the left in the photos, has got me puzzled...

I am by far no expert on chickens. My oldest girls are 20 weeks and they are my first experience but I did have 3 BO's and one was a boy. I am wishing you the best, however, the one on the left looks alot like my boy but he crowed around 4 or 5 weeks old so I rehomed him the next week. My girls comb and wattles did not come in that quickly by 10 weeks. They looked more like your pullet on the right. Without a crow, it is really hard to tell with many breeds but you can wait it out or rehome soon. I had to rehome 2 of my very favorite (different breed) and it broke my heart because they were 18 weeks and everyone said they were pullets but they kept making crowing noises so I had to rehome due to restrictions in my neighborhood so I'll never really know if they are laying eggs now or waking people up at the crack of dawn but I don't fret over it anymore because I enjoy the ones I have now. Good luck

 

[mamatink7]

Happy Memorial Day from our buffs! The love frozen watermelon!

awww. We've got 4 buff orpingtons and they seem to be the most loving chicks we have (5 wks and 2 wks this week). When can I start doing these other snacks? They have outside times, so get grit and they have baby cake treats. I know the hen mealworm treats can't be done till 8wks. Thx

 

[Kaylin]

I put a half watermelon down for my 10 week olds the other day and you'd have thought it was a chicken trap or something. They wanted nothing to do with it. Nobody would even go near it.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I put a half watermelon down for my 10 week olds the other day and you'd have thought it was a chicken trap or something. They wanted nothing to do with it. Nobody would even go near it.

They fear anything that is new to them. But they are like sheep in this regard...all you have to do is get just one to try it. Once one of them tries it and gets excited, they will all jump right in.

 

[Kaylin]

They fear anything that is new to them. But they are like sheep in this regard...all you have to do is get just one to try it. Once one of them tries it and gets excited, they will all jump right in.

Lol. I tried! Got the bravest one to come over near it and I dug out a little piece and tried to give it to her. She wouldn't have anything to do with it. Not even my sussex would come near it so consequently they all were certain it was going to kill them, lol. I'll try againn no worries. They WILL like watermelon