*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[Tappy4me]

My friendly little no-name orp. About 3 weeks old.



It's amazing how quickly they grown. The SLWs there are about 4 weeks old. The orps are all right behind them, with the EEs about 2 weeks old.

 

[speckledhen]

You see the giant Buff Orp pullet in these photos? That is from breeder stock and is the same age as the others in that photo (except the Phoenix pullet was older than them by a month). The milles and porcelains in there are bantams, but the Rocks and the Ameraucanas, EEs and Olive Egger are all Standard LF size. Hope was huge and still is super tall, big frame though she's had something internal going on for almost two years now and does not lay eggs. I've had her grave dug several times but she keeps bouncing back with no intervention from us, probably her generally better genetics keeping her going. She's a mystery, but she's still huge, even though she's all bones and fluff now at 3 years old.



In this roost picture, the Buff sitting own is her smaller sister from the same stock, though Gracie was also a large pullet. Hope is just super-sized, way larger than the hatchery Orps I used to have.



Here she was later on when she and Gracie moved to the Orp pen with my rooster and his hens. Hope is on left.

 

[FVRM]

Based on? It's feathering like a pullet. I know that the Buffs vary in gold hue quite a bit from having both a sunny yellow one and a more golden one years ago from a different hatchery. Are you going on the color or what?

I've had a lot of hatchery buffs and usually whiter ones tend to be males also look at the black markings on the wings. And I'm just making and educated guess on the redder one

 

[speckledhen]

I've had a lot of hatchery buffs and usually whiter ones tend to be males also look at the black markings on the wings. And I'm just making and educated guess on the redder one

Remember that the two redder ones in the photos are New Hampshires, not Buff Orpingtons. There is one Buff pullet that is almost as light as the one in question.

I've never had New Hampshires this shade, where you couldn't tell them from the Buffs very well. Guess they vary wildly, depending on which hatchery they come from. My first two were yellow chicks, not this reddish-gold color and they grew up orange red, not chestnut like many NHs I see now.

I will have to get more/better photos of just the two Buff Orps when the weather improves and they can get outside again. This is the winter that never ends, I swear. Even on warmer days, the winds are terrible.

ETA: I have to say that I didn't realize how much I've missed little golden babies until I got these.

 

[CarolinaHen]

We just added some buff babies to our flock. They are so adorable! Hopefully they will grow up to be as sweet as we have heard.

 

[hildar]

My daughter is wanting some more buff orpingtons this year. We actually finally did decide to get her 5 pullets and 1 rooster just to make her happy this coming month. However I hope the next rooster isn't like our first one. He attacked us so we had to cull him. He was a surprise because I had ordered golden comet eggs, and had him and 1 turken hatch out. She was in love with fuzz ball right up until he attacked her and brought the blood. That was his last day here. Everyone that I have spoken to that has the hens say they are sweet.

 

[thedragonlady]

My daughter is wanting some more buff orpingtons this year. We actually finally did decide to get her 5 pullets and 1 rooster just to make her happy this coming month. However I hope the next rooster isn't like our first one. He attacked us so we had to cull him. He was a surprise because I had ordered golden comet eggs, and had him and 1 turken hatch out. She was in love with fuzz ball right up until he attacked her and brought the blood. That was his last day here. Everyone that I have spoken to that has the hens say they are sweet.

Temperament is so important in breeding Buff Orps. Hatcheries do not breed for temperament, and most hatchery Buffs have Leghorn crossed in. Breeders of really good, large Buffs know how important temperament is , and won't tolerate aggressive cock birds. This guy weighs 15-16
lbs. Monty is as gentle as a kitten.


.

 

[PineSummit]

I thought that my Buff rooster was big! (But I guess not 15-16 pounds big!) My rooster is 11-12 lbs, but he is only 50% English.



Also some pictures of our Buff hens:

 

[3goodeggs]

lovely!

 

[thedragonlady]

I thought that my Buff rooster was big! (But I guess not 15-16 pounds big!) My rooster is 11-12 lbs, but he is only 50% English.



Also some pictures of our Buff hens:

A nice flock. What line are they from ?