*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[Wyorp Rock]

Aww, what a good boy, I've found them as a breed to be great with chicks. I've shared this before, but it makes me proud.





My rooster just stood there this spring as a young chick picked at his wattles. This was the first day of the chicks out with the big ones. My boy has seen 4 harsh winters so his comb has lost all its points. He's a great rooster.

Love seeing everyone's buff Orpington roosters.

That is so sweet

 

[mamatink7]

@mamatink7

mine are 26 weeks old this week, nice red combs and wattles but no squatting, no interest in the nesting box and no eggs - even checked the orchard where they free range - nothing yet! We'll just have to be patient - you can't hurry nature

thank you. That is very true

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That is so sweet

That's what I though, everyone else was pecking them here and there, but he was like a proud papa.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Quote:
I haven't had any chicks to "test" his patience yet, but I swear he will let the hens do just about anything to him with no complaint. It sometimes looks like they will rip his face/beak off when he offers goodies for them, but patiently he keeps doing this. Also he cut his comb slightly a while back (on the fence), the girls will stand beside him and peck at the scab. I have had a time to get it to heal, he just seems to want that attention from them.

I have so much to learn about behavior. He's not perfect of course, and when young, a little rough with the girls, but he's maturing and they follow him around like he is king. He makes nests and clucks/nestles into them, girls come first in everything he does, just a great big fun and challenging experience, wouldn't change a thing.

 

[elaineinspain]

I hope my BO rooster is the same as yours. At the moment he is only 25 weeks old, looking beautiful, but I'm not really sure of his character. He's still only a teenager after all...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I hope my BO rooster is the same as yours. At the moment he is only 25 weeks old, looking beautiful, but I'm not really sure of his character. He's still only a teenager after all...

He's Handsome!

One thing I do know, it takes time and patience.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I haven't had any chicks to "test" his patience yet, but I swear he will let the hens do just about anything to him with no complaint. It sometimes looks like they will rip his face/beak off when he offers goodies for them, but patiently he keeps doing this. Also he cut his comb slightly a while back (on the fence), the girls will stand beside him and peck at the scab. I have had a time to get it to heal, he just seems to want that attention from them.

I have so much to learn about behavior. He's not perfect of course, and when young, a little rough with the girls, but he's maturing and they follow him around like he is king. He makes nests and clucks/nestles into them, girls come first in everything he does, just a great big fun and challenging experience, wouldn't change a thing.

That's a good sign, hens should adore their roosters not fear them, so he's obviously on the right track. It does seem like it takes 2 years before they slow a bit on mating and they really start to focus on hen care. My 2 year old BO rooster is just starting to be a great lookout. Hens will tell you everything you need to know about your roosters.

Yours certainly sounds like he will be one of the great ones. My older one is 4, so he's in his prime. Just don't feed layer feed as I found that my roosters would often die around 4 years of age I believe from all the extra calcium. I feed an all flock with a separate bowl of oyster shells. I switched last year. My old boy looked old, but has improved greatly since the switch and now I think he will be around for a while longer, he has the pep back in his step.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

That's a good sign, hens should adore their roosters not fear them, so he's obviously on the right track. It does seem like it takes 2 years before they slow a bit on mating and they really start to focus on hen care. My 2 year old BO rooster is just starting to be a great lookout. Hens will tell you everything you need to know about your roosters.

Yours certainly sounds like he will be one of the great ones. My older one is 4, so he's in his prime. Just don't feed layer feed as I found that my roosters would often die around 4 years of age I believe from all the extra calcium. I feed an all flock with a separate bowl of oyster shells. I switched last year. My old boy looked old, but has improved greatly since the switch and now I think he will be around for a while longer, he has the pep back in his step.

I have always used an all flock with OS and egg shells on the side. I did have to buy a bag of layer awhile back, the feed store sold the whole pallet of flock raiser to one person right before I got there

Should have gotten some chick starter to tide them over. The whole flock thought I was trying to poison them - no matter what I tried no one would touch the layer pellets. My dog likes them though

so he gets about a 1/4cup as a "treat" a few times a week. I suppose I could dump it out way at the back of my property so the wild birds might eat it.

My Charlie does have his moments, he stands at the pop door in the morning just waiting for a girl to come out, so funny, it's like he's waiting for Cinderella to come down the staircase or something. At night he fusses and carries on if the girls are lagging outside at roosting time he chortles and carries on something fierce. It's all very interesting to watch (and listen to as well).

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My chickens won't touch the stuff either(layer) but the dogs will gobble it up too. So that's funny. My roosters round up the girls at roost time, the poor lagging hen will get a charging rooster who chases her all over until she goes in, it is entertaining waiting all their antics. I think folks who keep only hens really miss out on some good stuff.

 

[pointsalamander]

So this is most likely Lou (we are still holding out for hope that Lulu is indeed lulu, but she isn't looking very girly according everything I read)





What I am wondering is if anyone could maybe guess how old Lulu is? The above photos were taken last night.

This is 2 weeks ago




This is a month ago. To show age and size progression. (chick chick is still less than 12" tall if I had to guess, but I can measure later)


Lulu is very sweet and we most people are sure a buff orphington. I am trying to determine how long Lulu gets to stay with us. Roosters are banned and I am assuming once crowing starts my neighbors won't turn the blind eye anymore. Lulu is however by far the sweetest bird ever. This bird cuddles, lets my children carry her around, the kids sing her lullabies to put her to bed. And they can feed her from their hands. So we are loath to send lulu away. But I kind of need to prep myself for how much longer. I read that they start crowing about 5 months old right?