Do Orpingtons fly??

[wilds of pa]

We have some young ones about that age and Jody has to put them on the roost physically every night as they don't want to fly or should i say jump up and its only about a 1-1/2 off the ground..The rooster sits up there and calls for them to jump up and they wont..they try to sleep in the one corner..Jody gets made at them because she has to partly go under the roost to grab them and put them up,, i just laugh about it..loll

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I have a pair of feed store standard sized orpingtons who regularly go over the four foot gate from one part of the yard to the other. They are at least 4 or 5 years old. They prefer to burrow under the gate or await for it to be opened, but they do go over it and they do sometimes roost on it.

My dog, a breed known for digging (JRT), doesn't, but my chickens do! That's how they burrow under the gate.

 

[scbatz33]

My 7 month black orp took off over a 8 foot fence. He is now safely in a pen with a roof!

 

[EweSheep]

Some of my Orp bantams can fly over my head at six feet without batting an eye. My LF Orps used to fly when they were younger but most of them will try to run or waddle-run when they are at their maturity stage.

 

[wilds of pa]

I'm glad ours don't go over, i built them a 20'x50' run so on there day to stay in they have plenty of free ranging area in there run..one thing is i didn't have to cover this run and it saved me some time and money..red tails don't bother them and on occasion will set up in the tree top and just look at them and be on there way..

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Hahahaha! Mosby can't fly. He screams and makes a horrid fuss if you put him up on the roost. He wallows out a nest in the front corner of his pen. He calls all the girls over and they circle him like a wagon train on the floor. None of those girls will roost and since theyhave been with him they have stopped trying to fly too even though I bet a couple of them still could if they wanted to.

 

[Krys109uk]

I'd have said no....not usually.
Before I moved over here the company I worked for had some beautiful exhibition orpingtons....they were huge. The Orpingtons had housing in a huge shed (an old calf rearing shed) & the slatted dividers were about 4ft high. We these massive blue orp breeders, from Netherland stock, which I'd have thought far to big to fly anywhere.... One day we'd bought some lovely new young buff trio which we put into the pen next to the blues. Well goodness if the blue male didn't jump up onto the divider & down onto the other side. If I hadn't seen it I shouldn't have believed he could have done it. He did a repeat performance & so got his wing which put an end to his visiting.

With 4ft fencing, half acre pens & clipped wings we kept a few breeds of chicken (ducks & geese) contained & separated. Containing chickens can be more psychological than physical. If they have their wings clipped so they cannot fly over the fence they stop bothering to try, even when the flights grow back.

 

[Bec]

Mine have never tried to go up and over. When they were younger, they would fly up into the patio table and chairs,my shoulders and the top of their coop, but not up on the 5 ft fence ro fly out. Not that they are older ladies, they don't even attempt it! My EE's are always out as well as my Blue Hens when they are free ranging. The orpies, rir and cochin never fly out!

 

[LocoPollo]

Bah. Today I visited the farm and guess what I saw out in the field? Two of my buff orpingtons! Yep they flew out. I guess i am going to have to close them in when I build their breeding pen!

 

[HorseFeathers]

All chickens CAN fly. orps aren't prone, but they can fly. i'd put a top on as protection against hawks anyways.