Buff Orpington

[crealbilly]

I'm seriously considering swapping out my RIR for Buff Orpington. Is any one hatchery better than the others for Buff Orpington's I would like 1 roo and 12 ~ 15 hens.

What are the major differences between Buffs and RIRs?

Thanks

 

[QueenMisha]

I certainly would recommend Buff Orps. They're a great breed.

I personally love Cackle Hatchery's BOs. I've worked with Privett's, Ideal's, and a few others, but none have surpassed the excellence of Cackle's. They were bigger, fluffier, friendlier, and of an overall noticeably higher quality than any of the others I've worked with.

The Buff Orps will differ from the RIRs in several ways. Personality will be the main one. While RIRs can have aggression issues towards other birds, Buff Orps tend to be very docile and friendly with both flockmates and humans. They may lay fewer eggs - they will still be average producers like RIRs, but I would expect maybe 20-40 eggs less per bird year from them, depending on the individual. I've typically gotten 4-5 eggs a week per bird from my Orps. They will be bigger and fluffier and so may be a bit less heat resistant than RIRs.

 

[twinsmom6]

I love mine we try to handle them lots to keep them sweet. 2 CW and 3 buff orpingtons. Only 3 weeks old now
CW and BO in the coop still little but working on wings

 

[crealbilly]

I'm currently set up with 1 foot square X 15 inches tall nest boxes, will BOs do well in those size nest boxes?

 

[crealbilly]

I certainly would recommend Buff Orps. They're a great breed.

I personally love Cackle Hatchery's BOs. I've worked with Privett's, Ideal's, and a few others, but none have surpassed the excellence of Cackle's. They were bigger, fluffier, friendlier, and of an overall noticeably higher quality than any of the others I've worked with.

The Buff Orps will differ from the RIRs in several ways. Personality will be the main one. While RIRs can have aggression issues towards other birds, Buff Orps tend to be very docile and friendly with both flockmates and humans. They may lay fewer eggs - they will still be average producers like RIRs, but I would expect maybe 20-40 eggs less per bird year from them, depending on the individual. I've typically gotten 4-5 eggs a week per bird from my Orps. They will be bigger and fluffier and so may be a bit less heat resistant than RIRs.

So these ones right here then? --->
https://www.cacklehatchery.com/buff-orpington.html

 

[twinsmom6]

my 3 little buffs come up to us when we go in to feed them and expect to be held. The AW are not so friendly and would prefer to be left alone..

 

[crealbilly]

They now have buff orpington poults at the farm store for 2.99 each. Surprising how much chicks went up since 2 years ago when I paid .89 each. Anyways I have to wait until after i process my cornish X on the 4th June. Because I need that run space for the buff orpingtons - I'm going to try and brood outside this time.

 

[crealbilly]

Well 1 week old buff orpington chicks went into the $1.00 tub at rural king Marion IL today and I picked up 15. I found out when the chicks get to be a week old they go into the 1.00 tub.

I flipped them over and the ones that pulled their legs up tight to their body I called a hen and the ones that extend even one leg I called a roo. The nice guy let me sort through a bunch of them until I found 1 roo and 14 hens. They probably had 50 or so BOs left and maybe 30 Jumbo Cornish X in the 1.00 tub.

The nice guy at rural king said they were all poults and females and that straight runs are mixed sex. I think he might have been a little confused about straight run vers poults.

Anyways my new BO's seem healthy and happy so far.

 

[crealbilly]

Big step for my 2 week old BO's or "baby bawk bawk" as my granddaughter calls them. It's their first night in the great outdoors

I found them in a big ball in the corner of the yard, it's 79 degrees outside. I turned the heat lamp on and moved them under it - they seem happy now. cute lil things... my granddaughter loves watching and petting them. These lil BO's are way more friendly than my RIR's forsure.

 

[crealbilly]

I picked up 20 cornish crosses and had to move my buffs into turkey yard. The turkeys and buffs seem to be getting along great. I would have put them in with my RIRs but they would have been pecked to death.

I started out with 15 Buffs, but 2 vanished I think a hawk got them. So I picked up 6 more day old buff pullets and put them into the "nursery yard" along with the 20 Cornish crosses. I also put netting over the nursery yard, all seems good so far. You can see the six lil buff orpington chicks in the back upgainst the wall.

It's crazy how chicken math works... I now have 61 birds (56 chickens and 5 turkeys). I got feeding, watering, egg collecting and cleaning down pretty well though. I can care for all of them in 10 minutes each morning so it's not all that much work really...

Uggg chicken math...
RIR 17
Burbon Red Turkeys 5
Buff Orpingtons 19
Jumbo Cornish Cross 20

But ain't this one good looking RIR Roo?