*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[Wyorp Rock]

We are jumping in the backyard chicken fun with both feet. We are completely new at this and my husband is picking up some pullets this afternoon on his way home. I am getting 2 Buff Orpingtons (and a few others) and I can't wait. I'm glad I found this thread. Yay!

Yay! BO's (at least mine) are very sweet. Have fun - be sure to post photo of your babies!

 

[Rachealx4]

So it looks like I have 2 cockerels in my flock of 8. I'm planning on getting more pullets in order to try to avoid over breeding of my girls. I've read the ratio of hens to roosters. I've also read that alpha roosters won't let the beta rooster mate. I want to leave make sure that I leave plenty of room for growth. What is your experience with the BO?

 

[gator75]

I got one of these on accident. Was supposed to be a red star. She is the sweetest chick by far of the three I have (others are EE and BR). However, I am not a fan at all of broody hens and have no time for it. Is there a chance she won't be broody? She an ideal hatchery bird.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

So it looks like I have 2 cockerels in my flock of 8. I'm planning on getting more pullets in order to try to avoid over breeding of my girls. I've read the ratio of hens to roosters. I've also read that alpha roosters won't let the beta rooster mate. I want to leave make sure that I leave plenty of room for growth. What is your experience with the BO?

Often 2 roosters will focus on each other. I never recommend 2 roosters. Either 1 or more than 2 to keep the fighting down.

I would suggest you pick one or rotate them out. You will need 25-30 hens to not see a lot of mating wear. If your birds are confined to a run you definitely don't want 2 roosters.

 

[Rachealx4]

Often 2 roosters will focus on each other. I never recommend 2 roosters. Either 1 or more than 2 to keep the fighting down.

I would suggest you pick one or rotate them out. You will need 25-30 hens to not see a lot of mating wear. If your birds are confined to a run you definitely don't want 2 roosters.

Thank you for your reply!

 

[1cock2hens]

Having more then one rooster is not always an issue, it can be a problem but it does not spell disaster 100% of the time, I currently have 3 roosters with a mixed flock of 12 birds and don't have any aggression between roosters or sign of over mating of the hens. My buff orpington has a couple ladies, he lets my salmon foverolla have a couple and my gimp rooster has no lady love

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Having more then one rooster is not always an issue, it can be a problem but it does not spell disaster 100% of the time, I currently have 3 roosters with a mixed flock of 12 birds and don't have any aggression between roosters or sign of over mating of the hens. My buff orpington has a couple ladies, he lets my salmon foverolla have a couple and my gimp rooster has no lady love

I have multiple roosters too. You have 3. I said when you have 2 roosters people often have problems with one attacking or even killing the other.

Not all roosters mate hens the same. Many favor only a few easy hens. Having plenty of hens is recommended, but it can work with less. Every situation is different and I am only giving generalizations.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I got one of these on accident. Was supposed to be a red star. She is the sweetest chick by far of the three I have (others are EE and BR). However, I am not a fan at all of broody hens and have no time for it. Is there a chance she won't be broody? She an ideal hatchery bird.

Any female chicken has the potential to go broody. Some breeds are less likely to though. There's no way to know if your BO will go broody - it comes to daylight, time of year (usually) and hormones.

That said, I have hatchery BO's and only 1 went broody 1 time. You will just have to wait and see what happens.
You can always break your hen's broodiness if the time comes http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/05/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch/

 

[gator75]

Any female chicken has the potential to go broody. Some breeds are less likely to though. There's no way to know if your BO will go broody - it comes to daylight, time of year (usually) and hormones.

That said, I have hatchery BO's and only 1 went broody 1 time. You will just have to wait and see what happens.
You can always break your hen's broodiness if the time comes http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/05/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch/

Thanks. I found a thread on BO broodiness. I'm hopeful. I tried to break my favorite hen. An extremely broody mottled Java (4 weeks straight in August) and she died. Not looking forward to the next time.

 

[30CalGal]

I started the season with 15 hens and two roosters, 4 buffs and 11 barred rocks, Unfortunately this year a fox and a racoon brought me down to 7, but my 2 buffs went broody and I now have 4 new baby chicks, this round I had to name them, Lucy, Ethel, Laverne & Shirley, hoping another 5 will hatch, Buffs seem to be the best at broody