Minnesota!

[Cluckies]

So, I have a few jubilee orpingtons. They are about 3.5 months old. There were two roos that were like twins. Did everything together. They are big healthy roos, especially for their age. I went out there yesterday and everything was fine. Went out there a few hours later and found one of the roos dead inside the coop by the feeder, with his brother sitting on the right starting at him (so sad!!).

I only have a couple of thoughts...
1) sudden death, but he was laying with his back up, legs tucked under him, and had tucked all the way under him, eyes shut. It almost looked like he was flattened a little too... and he was starting to get stiff.

2) another older roo (I have 3, one is like 18lbs), could have killed him. Will a roo sit on top of another roo until they are dead? This was a fairly large one, but the other is triple his size. I didn't think this could happen because all of our roos are so nice. One will run the moment he hears anything to fix the problem. Guard dog. The big guy though, I saw him chase a much smaller roo out if the coop yesterday and scared him like crazy. This isn't typical behavior for this roo at all, he is big and slow and low man on the totem pole. But he is also learning he is a roo finally.

3) broken neck from flying into something. Extremely unlikely. These guys never go up high enough to fly into anything.

Poor guy.

So very sorry about your Roo, that is so sad

Sorry I can't help, I have no Roos, but it doesn't sound like he was beat up, sounds like he just went to sleep and died. poor guy. I feel bad for his twin too.

 

[FoxyChicken]

I know... I have a problem!! I am done asking peopke if they sell eggs!!

The first step is admitting it

 

[KlopKlop]

So DW is letting me research a potential new project for the upcoming summer. Here is a hint...



We wont be traveling this summer while we are working on building the new house, so it seems like a good time to consider it. I have a lot of learning to do before we go for it. We have the good fortune to be good friends with some hog farmers who will be a good resource.

 

[scandiafowl]

I know... I have a problem!! I am done asking peopke if they sell eggs!!

There must be a 12 step program for hatching addicts

( I've added eggs to my incubator)

Lord help me!

 

[holm25]

@holm23
  

Oh I didn't mean that in an angry way. I should have put a rolling laughy guy!! My addiction is kinda funny

 

[holm25]

There must be a 12 step program for hatching addicts

( I've added eggs to my incubator)

Lord help me!

I know!! I'll just hatch chicks till I am sick of cleaning the bator. That means I'll be done hatching by the time I am about 80. But then I would have many Grandkids to teach so I couldn't stop!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

I know!! I'll just hatch chicks till I am sick of cleaning the bator. That means I'll be done hatching by the time I am about 80. But then I would have many Grandkids to teach so I couldn't stop!!

I didn't think you were angry
I am sick of cleaning the hatcher, but I still do it. It is going to be a short season of it for me this year though.

 

[holm25]

Are u not going to do as much hatching??

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have been hatching from as early after Jan 1 until June, but not this year. I am only hatching for myself and a few select folks who I had made arrangements with already. Otherwise, just hatching eggs and then whatever started birds I will not need to keep.

 

[athalia17]

@minniechickmama, thanks for all the input. Yes, I was VERY frustrated when I discovered he had gold leakage after he hatched from eggs that were shipped in from a breeder with good reviews. She then told me that she did have some leakage (the defect/flaw I mentioned, I don't think I called it any special color though... just said it was pretty and looked like it could be a red split... but that's not actually a thing that I know of, wish it were!!). She said she had the leakage a long time ago... but that she thought she bred it out. There is a long debate on gold leakage in blue orpingtons.

He is such a gentle bird, but he would probably squash any hens he tried to breed with. He has to be close to 18 pounds and he isn't even a year. Needless to say, I'm not keeping him for breeding. I'm keeping the lovely splash roo. I didn't know there where multiple varieties of splash! Ugh, there is so much with genetics and colors, flaws, etc, that it's overwhelming. Even down to delayed feathering being a genetic trait.

My goal is to breed pure (which I've heard isn't technically ever pure with the color blue), bbs orpingtons that are larger, healthy, virus resistant birds. I will be selling any that aren't show quality- as egg layers, and ordering more eggs from breeders... until I get the ones I'm happy with. I ordered some also from a lady near Mankato... although she had lovely bbs orpingtons... they had feather splitting and were smaller hens. Some also had little black feathers popping in on the blue. I wasn't very impressed with that.

I used to breed guinea pigs as a youngster and learned all about color and genetics... with the help of my parents who were dog breeders and judges. I'm hoping it will be similar in chickens to genetics in other animals. Except, I don't understand how it's a little more acceptable for in breeding with chickens. I know too much is bad and that's part of how you get feather splitting.

@holm25 I will be selling bbs orpington chicks for $5 each in the spring. Send me your info if interested. These will be first generation chicks of the best bbs ones I have selected.

Thanks everyone for your input on the roo and the words of comfort! That's the worst feeling seeing them laying there!