Buff Orpingtons

[ChickenLuva]

No chicks. Her bare bottom started about a year ago. Its my suspicion that it comes from rubbing her bottom against the bag of the nesting box, as she is one of our largest hens. I'm not really certain about that though. She's laid eggs consistently, which I can usually identify easily by their shape and color. Unless her egg have changed their appearance, I don't think she's laid an egg for at least two weeks. Again, she's just as happy and affectionate as always, just no eggs.

She's only two so I don't think she's stop laying now. Guess I'll just wait it out.

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

Depending on where you live, she might have stopped laying because it is getting colder.

 

[ChickenLuva]

I suppose that could be, especially since it was only 41 degrees this morning!!!!!! Brrrr. Actually cranked the heat on when I got up today. I haven't put the warmer light out in their coop just yet. The coop is insulated, but they're going to need some warmth pretty soon, its getting cold at night.

I'm not terribly concerned about the eggs. I checked her vent to make sure there wasn't any obvious issue. She is happy as ever, actually runs to my car when I pull in the driveway and squats down waiting to be scratched. I think it is just the funniest sight when I pull in to see a flock of chickens actually racing each other to be the first to reach us. I can't help but laugh every time I see them run like that!! Like a flock of running step dancers. Just hysterical.

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

That is so cute!

 

[ChickenLuva]

Salve&Fluffer :

Depending on where you live, she might have stopped laying because it is getting colder.

As it turns out, I just came in from giving my Buff Orp a little TLC. I found her bottom all covered in dried egg. Perhaps its not that she's not laying, she's just crushing the eggs sitting on them. She's always had fairly thin shelled eggs, despite me supplementing their layer pellets with Oyster shells. I know her coop-mates would be quick to destroy that evidence so it might explain why I hadn't discovered it sooner.

They really are such a gentle breed. She just sat there on my lap while I soaked her bottom with warm wet clothes and got her all cleaned up. Not a struggle, not a complaint. Plus...and I don't want to get my hopes up...it looked like there were a good number of pin feathers starting. Maybe her bottom is starting to fill in again and I won't have to make her a pair of snow pants!

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

That's good that her feathers are growing back!

 

[Mom2Cool]

They are rather entertaining aren't they? I always say it's like being a celebrity when I go out to the pen & they're all crowding to get to me first. And yes they're just darling affectionate.




My question is will they ever be tough enough to stand up to the Black Orpington pullet I've got? they're still just 7 weeks & she's 4 months old but when she gets any where near them she like tears into them & so I know a bit of growth will help but I'm a bit worried that they just to not even really challenge one another & they won't know what to do with her. Will they just all workit out & I should allow them too? Or should I just be keeping them all separate? Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

Geese,our Gold Link, used to peck at our Buff Orpington,Salve, so much that she lost her feathers where Geese was pecking at her. We separated them for about a month. By that time, they did not remember each other any more. We put them back together, and Salve became the leader of the pecking order. Salve did not take revenge on Geese. She hardly ever pecked at her.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Salve&Fluffer :

Geese,our Gold Link, used to peck at our Buff Orpington,Salve, so much that she lost her feathers where Geese was pecking at her. We separated them for about a month. By that time, they did not remember each other any more. We put them back together, and Salve became the leader of the pecking order. Salve did not take revenge on Geese. She hardly ever pecked at her.

Well I realize I don't know chickens, but it's the most *odd* thing. I have them separate yet in the same coop using a screen divider with the hopes that they'd become familiar with each other & some how bond so that even if they have to figure the pecking order it wouldn't be so bad. In the a.m. when I let them out of the coop they get out on opposit sides of the doop & the Austrolorp gets to free range the back yard & the Orpingtons are in the pen enclouse off the smaller chicken door & they will all like run & fly around the wire separating them in the out doors like they wanna get at each other & kill..... Then later we find the Orpingtons on a perch we have that we have resting on sires of the corner where the pen walls meet & the Austrolorp is on the outside trying to sit on the roost with them on the tiny piece that is poking out the outside of the penned area like she wants to "be a part of them"... Does this mean there is some kind of bonding? I always feel like she/they are chasing each other when they're 1st let out in the a.m. but perhaps she's just wanting to stretch her wings with them as they're all flapping & running etc.

I had planned to just allow them more time for growth & then when they've got a little more body to them allow them to free range with her. I hope it works. The black one is basically a sweetheart except for when she's in with the group and she was the last survivor of the bear attacks & we all have become attached to her. I imagine she'll be laying first and I imagine within a few weeks now.​

 

[Mom2Cool]

OK so tonight hubby & I closed the chickens all into their coop which again I'll say I've had divided using a make shift screen divider. The divider I just slapped together with a few screens I'd had in the garage & I tied together so I could untie it easily & at the time (4 wks ago) the chicks were a bit smaller than now. So hubby & I are in the kitchen & I've a baby cam in the coop so I can see if there's any problems with chickens fighting or predators getting in etc. & for the past 4 weeks the Buff Orpingtons they can be a bit loud & make a bit of a production about getting settled in. and so I could hear them tonight but my eye caught a glimpse of a wing at the top of the cage as we were cleaning up the kitchen & then I seen a head poking down from the top of the screen..... The screen does not go all the way to the top of the coop & I figured by now they *could fly over* or jump, but I didn't they they would because the mean ole Austrolorp was on the other side.... & so I'm laughing & I said to hubby "you better come see this cause one is sitting at the top of the screen. & then we can see there's more than one & 1 of them looked to fall over to the wrong side & so I'm like "well I can't just leave her there if the Austrolorp is going to peck very last feather out of her body". & so hubby go out real quick to check & I'm not far behind & there they ALL are at the top of these screens that are only tied together & they are all perched at the top. The Austrolorp was just sitting there minding her own business & looking at them like they'd lost their minds... And so I didn't want to disturb things if they were getting some kind of balance to the flock because if being in with her was that scary they wouldn't be "falling into her side" & I figured if they can get up there they have to know how to fly back to their own side right?

I'm so afraid of finding them like bloodied if I just let them in together with the Austrolorp on the other hand These screens aren't exactly a secure thing for them to be perched on & I'd love to take it down.

Does anyone have any experience with intergrating their Orpingtons? They're not real little anymore but they're not as big as the Austrolorp. Should I try allowing them to free range together first?