*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[sassysarah]

Here are pics of my buff orpington.

 

[henmania]

I would boost her calcium with roasted egg shells ground into powder on top of oyster shell to harden her shells up. I had a hen that laid soft shells but started doing what I just typed as well as plain flavor yogurt and the shells are hard as steel. As for the bugs I am not sure, my guys eat any bugs that enter the coop

Thanks.
I do give them crushed egg shells and have oyster shells mixed into their food plus some vitamins. I only have 2 hens and the other one now has too much calcium (deposits on eggs) while this one still lays soft shell ones

 

[Red5]

Beautiful and vivid birds you got there John.

 

[sdunmoyer]

Oh, you sound like me...lol I have been raising my laying chickens for 13 months, and I am in deeper than about anybody I know..... Hatch-a-holicism has struck hard and I currently have three pens, and trying to scrape the money together to get a 50' poultry net for the newest coop and a 20 chick heating plate so I can brood in two separate boxes, I already have a heating pad that I can fit about 25 on, but I have 55 eggs in the incubator right now, and they are all kicking! My dad is a landscaper/general contractor, so I have all the scraps I need! Hoping to build another breeding pen before the year is out....

Of the thirteen BO eggs in the incubator, 12 are going strong! I pulled one dud today.

That sounds exciting. When is hatch day? I'd love to see some pictures of them. Been super busy here. Working on integration of 6 teenagers into the big coop with original 6 hens. Not as easy as I thought it was going to be. I have a couple ringleader bullies who are making it take longer. Had to rig a safety corner with a roost and all for them and made hiding spots in the run yesterday. Still have 6 babies in the house. It keeps me busy but I love it.

 

[Red5]

Red5's Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds. The Orpingtons are 12 days old with the RIR's somewhere close to that also. The Barred's are up to a week olderish, there are far more people on here that could probably view this and immediately know

 

[KaylorFarms]

I don't think buff orpingtons are as good as layers as other breeds. That's what someone told me, and I think its true because out of all my chickens, my buff orpingtons lay the least. What does everyone else think?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My buffs average 3-5 eggs a week during their first and second season. After that they vary. Mine continue to lay later in their lives than other breeds in general, about 5-6 years, so I like that about them.

 

[KaylorFarms]

That's what my bo does!

 

[caboodleschicks]

Do your Buffs like to forage the yard for bugs at all?

No not yet, but they do LOVE they're worms and bugs, that I dig up for them, though! We will let them free-range in about a month or so! We were in the mist of moving, when we got them, so we decided not to let them free-range, just yet! ​

Those are buff orps (well other than the couple of photo bombers, lol)....what was causing you to question their id?
If you post some photos we can assess the bird

Thanks! I had a few users question them being BOs!

 

[henmania]

So

I don't think buff orpingtons are as good as layers as other breeds. That's what someone told me, and I think its true because out of all my chickens, my buff orpingtons lay the least. What does everyone else think?

So far since my buffs started laying I've gotten an egg 6/7 days from each of them. I haven't had other breeds to compare with but I think that's pretty good.
Main advantage of buff for me is that they're pretty well covered in feathers and in London it gets quite cold in the winter.