How rare are red cuckoo orpingtons?

[HeatherTheMommy]

Someone about 15 mins away from me is selling red cuckoo orpingtons, lavender orpingtons, blue orpingtons and a black orpington. Prices seem reasonable 15 for lavender and cuckoo and 10 for the others. They should be laying this month. I really want to add to my flock but not sure how to go about adding to my 11 girls i have now.

 

[Bridebeliever]

Sounds great! I would go for it!

To me it's a get price for any point of lay. I love my Chocolate Orpington and she lays really well. If you are adding new I would get at least two and follow quarantine rules to keep your current flock safe. If you are able, check out the living conditions they are coming out of and see if the other hens look healthy and happy.

Fun! I love chicken math!

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Right now I have 3 brahmas, 2 buff orpingtons, 1 welsummer, 1 australorp, 1 production red, 1 silver laced wyandotte, 1 white EE and a white silkie hen. I lost my dominique to a hawk on friday

 

[Bridebeliever]

So sorry about your loss!

I have never lost one of mine to a predator attack and I hope I never do!

An owl got into our coop about a week ago but we got there just in time and scared the doo doo out of the owl so bad that I hope it doesn't return! There's so many squirrels around here right now that the owl should always have a full belly...it hunts during the day right now.

Your mixed flock sounds great! The only one that I have heard of having an attitude is the production reds...but I have two and they have great attitudes. I added my chocolate orpington to my mixed flock with no problem whatsoever but my chicks were still young, about 6 weeks old, so she just immediately became boss.

Mine are 2 production red, 3 wyandottes, 3 Andelusians, an Australrop and the Chocolate Orpington. I really like the Orpington. If I had the chance to get more for $10 I would get them! I paid $40 for my Chocolate.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

My brahmas had attitudes while establishing pecking order but now they are ok. They put my poor silkie in her place. How do i go about adding more? Can i add a silkie or will they kill her? I want to add like at least 4 orpingtons too

 

[Bridebeliever]

Well, I did a pretty rookie move, not really understanding chicken pecking order. I just bought my Choc Orp and plopped her in the coop with my 9 little 6 week olds. They started by hopping up and pecking and pulling her wattles because they hadn't seen anything like that before! LOL Well, she tollerated that for about 2 minutes before she went after them when they came near her. It took them about a day to start respecting "Big Mamma".

So, how other people do it? All different ways. Some introduce the newbie in the middle of the night...others say that is suicide. Others introduce newbies while the whole group is free ranging (gives the new one space if it needs to get away from an attack).

What is your coop set up like?

I am going to be getting some babies in April and I plan on building them a coop within the coop. So everybody can see each other but the "Bigs" won't be able to get at the "Littles". I have taken this advice from Member Blooie. If you have the space this is the best plan to me. This is a link to an article she wrote and you can see her set up here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors