Chicken Breed Focus - Orpington

[ChickenGrass]

My LF Black Orpington Male

 

[Cest La Vie]

Oh gosh, I am so excited!! I'm picking up some Lavender Orpington eggs today and can't wait to be part of the Orpington Crew!

 

[texsuze]

Are the BOs an acceptable breed for warmer areas? My BAs (also a large-ish breed) have always handled heat/humidity well, likely due to their larger combs/wattles. EEs not so much. My DOMs have done fairly well with hot summers, too. I'm in Central TX where weather extremes are not uncommon, both cold and hot. Doing my best over the years to keep everyone comfortable regardless of the temperatures!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Are the BOs an acceptable breed for warmer areas? My BAs (also a large-ish breed) have always handled heat/humidity well, likely due to their larger combs/wattles. EEs not so much. My DOMs have done fairly well with hot summers, too. I'm in Central TX where weather extremes are not uncommon, both cold and hot. Doing my best over the years to keep everyone comfortable regardless of the temperatures!

Mine did good in the summer, and she was a BIG girl, lol...I'm also in Central Texas

 

[homeschoolin momma]

@ColtHandorf lives in Texas and raises orpingtons. He can fill you in better on how they do in both extremes.

 

[ColtHandorf]

@ColtHandorf lives in Texas and raises orpingtons. He can fill you in better on how they do in both extremes.

I'd say hatchery Buff Orpingtons would do just fine. English might suffer when it's extremely hot. Providing shade and fresh water go a long way. I usually hose down the concrete slab in the barn and try to get their runs every day that I can so they can dig cool holes in the dirt. If you have the energy and resources, I'm sure a fan and mister would go over well once they stop freaking out about it. lol

 

[kurby22]

I'd say hatchery Buff Orpingtons would do just fine. English might suffer when it's extremely hot. Providing shade and fresh water go a long way. I usually hose down the concrete slab in the barn and try to get their runs every day that I can so they can dig cool holes in the dirt. If you have the energy and resources, I'm sure a fan and mister would go over well once they stop freaking out about it. lol

Haha, I agree with this--misters and fans are really great once they get over them being there! I have Lavender and Mauve Orpingtons and Isabel Lavender English Orps and I live in the very hot Central Valley of CA. My Lav and Mauve Orps seem to do just fine with the heat as long as they get some reprieve from a mister or ice packs and ice treats....mine would even go stand under the mister and enjoy cooling off. My English Orps realllllly struggle in the heat and I have to offer them a bunch of ice packs, ice in their water, fans, misters, and sometimes I bring them inside on super hot days--I would fear for them in the heat AND humidity of Texas. They just don't handle the heat nearly as well...poor babies want their nice cool English weather! But normal American Orps seem to be much more adaptable!

 

[texsuze]

Thanks, all! I believe the hens I'm considering are TSC-type origin and likely not English. I'm a past master with ice packs, ice, fans, hosing down flower beds, wet towels on roost bars, and stressing out for the months of July-Sept!

 

[OphyliaOrpington]

What made you decide to get this breed?

They were available at TSC when I went to buy chicks for the first time. They were auto sexed with only hens available (I didn’t know I’d want a rooster.)


· Do you own them for fun? …

Fun/New Hobby.
Self-sustainability/ Eggs/ Meat.
Education.

(Not necessarily in that order.).

· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?

They are adorably plump. When they fluff up (for warmth or dirt bathing) they are so cute!

They have THE BEST attitude. Very calm. Easy going. Quiet. The yellow labs of chickens, I’ve been told. Having both, I’d certainly agree.

Egg color. Very light brown. (Wish the eggs were bigger.). (The lightest eggs pictured are the BO eggs).

I have 3 BO: Ophelia, Clementine and Emmaline. Ophelia is my fave. Very outgoing. Definitely the leader of the BO’s. Emmaline is the fattest with the smallest comb. She was the smallest chick and lays the smallest eggs. It is fun to watch her run. When free-ranging around the yard, she tends to stay in each spot longer than everychick. Then she realizes she’s alone and runs to catch up with the others. Very cute.

The dogs are Biscuit and bamboo. Yellow labs. They can tell which chickens have laid. (They love eggs and will steal them if given an opportunity.) We allowed supervised contact with chicks. Removed when too excited. By the time chicks went into the coop, the dogs understood their protective roll. (Now if we could just get them to stop eating the poop?!?)