Buff Orpington with arrested development? She's not growing up!

[CountryChic63]

Could be!
Where did she come from?
Buff Orpingtons "should" have white legs and beak. Buff Plymouth Rock makes more sense with yellow legs and beak.

We bought 2 BO and the 2 Golden Comets from Rural King. I didn't notice if they were selling Buff Rocks, as I knew the 2 breeds we wanted, and just bought them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She could very well be a Buff Rock. Does the other one have white legs and beak or she like this one?

Wouldn't make any difference to me though, I like all chickens
Hopefully she will improve with getting her own food/water.

Large Fowl like Plymouth Rocks and Orpingtons can be a bit slower growing, depends on the line/genetics. If she is a Buff Rock, then she will be a sizable gal, but lay nice brown eggs. I've only had Barred and White Rocks - the White girls are a bit bigger and definitely more docile/mild in nature - I suspect your Buff would be too, so she may be bit more prone to being bullied.

I would keep her on Chick Starter until she starts laying, she's got some growing to do.

 

[CountryChic63]

She could very well be a Buff Rock. Does the other one have white legs and beak or she like this one?

Wouldn't make any difference to me though, I like all chickens
Hopefully she will improve with getting her own food/water.

Large Fowl like Plymouth Rocks and Orpingtons can be a bit slower growing, depends on the line/genetics. If she is a Buff Rock, then she will be a sizable gal, but lay nice brown eggs. I've only had Barred and White Rocks - the White girls are a bit bigger and definitely more docile/mild in nature - I suspect your Buff would be too, so she may be bit more prone to being bullied.

I would keep her on Chick Starter until she starts laying, she's got some growing to do.

She could very well be a Buff Rock. Does the other one have white legs and beak or she like this one?


Wouldn't make any difference to me though, I like all chickens
Hopefully she will improve with getting her own food/water.

Large Fowl like Plymouth Rocks and Orpingtons can be a bit slower growing, depends on the line/genetics. If she is a Buff Rock, then she will be a sizable gal, but lay nice brown eggs. I've only had Barred and White Rocks - the White girls are a bit bigger and definitely more docile/mild in nature - I suspect your Buff would be too, so she may be bit more prone to being bullied.

I would keep her on Chick Starter until she starts laying, she's got some growing to do.

The other one we bought with her has the white beak & legs. We got 2 from Rural King.
We're heading to Rural King tmrrw to buy some vitamins & more Starter feed. Any other suggestion to help her grow?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The other one we bought with her has the white beak & legs. We got 2 from Rural King.
We're heading to Rural King tmrrw to buy some vitamins & more Starter feed. Any other suggestion to help her grow?

See how she does with extra vitamins and starter feed.
With hatchery chickens sometimes you can get one that is a bit of "runt" and they are slower to develop.
I had 2 hatchery BO's and they were very much different when it came to size, one was a little more runty, but she turned out to be such a lovely girl anyway, it just too more time.

 

[Rooster_Tyranny]

To all my friends here - who offered tremendous help, comfort, valuable & knowledgable input and (hugs) - to help me & our little Buff Orpington, Goldie. I want to offer my sincere thanks for your time & energy.

Her fecal float (and all the girls) came back yesterday from the lab - negative... so that was good news. The vet checked her over thoroughly - and there were no mites or lice & he said she was more like a thin, 8 weeks old chick.

Little Goldie's been inside for the past week, and her decline became more rapid each day. Both feet & legs became totally useless - and she tried to move herself with her wings, or just laid on her side. She couldn't stand to even poop, or get on a roost. I changed out her bedding daily - so she wasn't covered in her own mess.

I held her a lot, gave her lots of her favorite treats the last day or two especially. She was so gentle, but just never flourished, and at barely 1 lb. - she was very small for a 9 month old hen. I held her last night, & she kept closing her eyes and leaning her little head against me. She was leaving us - I knew... and it was past her time to go. She died last night.

When I got her & all my chicks, they had been vaccinated for Mareks, and because of this vaccine now, I'm told her blood work will show her positive for Mareks - whether it was Marek's or just the fact that she was neurologically damaged & a runt. Sending her for an autopsy is very pricy... and my husband said how far are we really going to take this - and what would be the result? (He was very understanding about Goldie's vet visit and that co$t).

So... in the end, I've decided: Marek's or not - I am going to continue to provide all the best care I can possibly provide to these wonderful little chickens. I'll continue with the healthy, immune building & supporting supplements like Probios, ACV, garlic, healthy fresh herbs, yogurt, veggies etc - that I use to supplement the girl's balanced layer crumble feed.
I keep a really clean coop (I've had 3 friends jokingly ask if they could live in the coop & if I'd take care of them too... hah)... but all kidding aside, I truly love having chickens. So Marek's or not, I will continue to care & provide for them to the best of my skill, to raise healthy, happy hens who lay beautiful eggs for us and our family & friends... and deal with what ever comes along.
P.S. I did notify the local health dept... and it's not a reportable disease in this area, and they didn't seem to be overly helpful, or too concerned.

Just reading your first post made me fall in love with that little chicken. It's funny how such simple creatures can earn our hearts. You gave her as good of a life as she could have had.

 

[FiddleChics]

Just reading your first post made me fall in love with that little chicken. It's funny how such simple creatures can earn our hearts. You gave her as good of a life as she could have had.

Thank you @Rooster_Tyranny ... Our little Goldie Hen... she was such a sweet soul... I do miss her... she really touched our lives... and our hearts... <3

 

[CountryChic63]

Update on Blondie, our slow-developing girl. She's become so attached to me, like a two-year kid. She wants to be at by side (prefers between my feet, lol). This is because the last few months I let her out of her safe-caged area in the coop to peck around at dried worms (her treat), held her a lot to check her health, and as I sifted the PDZ in the poop trays under the roost, she has always been right under me. She has developed fully into a Bluff Rock, laying almost daily.
So since the harsh cold temps are over, I decided it was time for her to be added back into the flock. But first, I created several hiding places for her in the fenced in yard and left her caged area totally open inside the coop. I introduced her to only 6 of the less aggressive hens first.
I still see her getting pecked a lot but she's smart and gets up on a tree roosting area in the yard to prevent that too much. I also "protect" her a little when I'm giving the girls treats, so that she will get a little too. And some times when the rest of the flock is scratching around, I close them out to their yard because Blondie watches me walk into the coop and she follows me . . . she knows I'll give her a little bit of those dried worms she loves, out of my hand. (I'm not sure if I trained her or if she trained me, lol).
I do believe Blondie stopped laying eggs since she's back in the flock, I'm assuming that's from stress. In which I hope she can eventually work out. No matter -- she's got a forever home here <3
Unfortunately, we had to re-home our rooster. (the day he left was the same day I introduced Blondie into the flock - I thought that would be a better time since the flock would be adjusting.) He was so rough on the girls that 1 was pretty featherless under her wings, only the sides where he mounted, and he was drawing blood on some of the girls as he was pecking at them so harshly. He had attacked me once very violently (at my face over a dozen times) until I forced him outside into the yard to let him calm down, using a shovel as a shield. After that, he didn't do that again, but he did still flogged me a little, but he was much better. I raised him from day-old, and held him a lot, but he suddenly became dangerous to the hens. After seeing so much blood splattered in the coop and the hens bloody, we decided it was time to re-home him.
Any suggestions how to help Blondie with her stress level? I understand there is a pecking order. I just wondered if there's anything else I could be doing to help.
Thanks for all of your advice too folks ~ so appreciated and valuable!!

 

[meetthebubus]

Sounds like you are doing fine, did you first do a see no touch? I had a broody and her chick separated but always visible and when she came back in, there was still fighting and pecking as a new order is establishing so it's just going to take a bit of time then maybe a few weeks of calm for laying to come back, just keep a eye on everything good luck

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Update on Blondie, our slow-developing girl. She's become so attached to me, like a two-year kid. She wants to be at by side (prefers between my feet, lol). This is because the last few months I let her out of her safe-caged area in the coop to peck around at dried worms (her treat), held her a lot to check her health, and as I sifted the PDZ in the poop trays under the roost, she has always been right under me. She has developed fully into a Bluff Rock, laying almost daily.
So since the harsh cold temps are over, I decided it was time for her to be added back into the flock. But first, I created several hiding places for her in the fenced in yard and left her caged area totally open inside the coop. I introduced her to only 6 of the less aggressive hens first.
I still see her getting pecked a lot but she's smart and gets up on a tree roosting area in the yard to prevent that too much. I also "protect" her a little when I'm giving the girls treats, so that she will get a little too. And some times when the rest of the flock is scratching around, I close them out to their yard because Blondie watches me walk into the coop and she follows me . . . she knows I'll give her a little bit of those dried worms she loves, out of my hand. (I'm not sure if I trained her or if she trained me, lol).
I do believe Blondie stopped laying eggs since she's back in the flock, I'm assuming that's from stress. In which I hope she can eventually work out. No matter -- she's got a forever home here <3
Unfortunately, we had to re-home our rooster. (the day he left was the same day I introduced Blondie into the flock - I thought that would be a better time since the flock would be adjusting.) He was so rough on the girls that 1 was pretty featherless under her wings, only the sides where he mounted, and he was drawing blood on some of the girls as he was pecking at them so harshly. He had attacked me once very violently (at my face over a dozen times) until I forced him outside into the yard to let him calm down, using a shovel as a shield. After that, he didn't do that again, but he did still flogged me a little, but he was much better. I raised him from day-old, and held him a lot, but he suddenly became dangerous to the hens. After seeing so much blood splattered in the coop and the hens bloody, we decided it was time to re-home him.
Any suggestions how to help Blondie with her stress level? I understand there is a pecking order. I just wondered if there's anything else I could be doing to help.
Thanks for all of your advice too folks ~ so appreciated and valuable!!

Thank you for the update on Blondie! It sounds like she's just a sweetheart!
As time goes by hopefully she will fit in a little better, what you describe sounds like normal pecking order "drama" and most of the time that calms down.

 

[CountryChic63]

Sounds like you are doing fine, did you first do a see no touch? I had a broody and her chick separated but always visible and when she came back in, there was still fighting and pecking as a new order is establishing so it's just going to take a bit of time then maybe a few weeks of calm for laying to come back, just keep a eye on everything good luck

We had created a fenced area under the nest boxes just for Blondie, so she's always been in view of the flock.
I just limited the more aggressive hens contact at first, but I knew Blondie would have to put up with some bullying eventually, which is what she does daily.
Thank you for your encouraging words.