My new Lavender Orpington chicks

[twinmama]

Just wanted to share a pic of my new babies. No great story to go along with it other than I drove an hour each way with my 3 year old twins to pick out our newest chicks. The kids were so excited to see the different animals on the mini-farm where these hatched. I've had poor luck this year with the pullet:cockerel ratio even when buying sexed pullets, so I'm hoping I picked well. They're 5 days old, active, appear healthy, and way calmer than my last couple of chicks (that I believe are Leghorn crosses). Let me know what you think or please share your experiences with this breed!

 

[Kevin565]

Cute chicks

 

[Habibs Hens]

im flying to illinois to steal them and leave a note that the coons got em

hehe

very cute birds

if my orps are anything to go by the wing growth shouts out pullet to me

 

[twinmama]

Thanks! I actually did try to choose based on their feathers, even though I know that doesn't technically mean anything. I chose the 3 with the most wing feathers coming in. Some of the chicks had almost no feathers showing yet, so my fingers are crossed that this works out!

 

[prettychicks]

Very pretty. I bought 8 awhile back and they are now about 2 months old. I didn't get to pick and choose and I think most of them may be roosters

But if I at least get a couple of hens I figure it's a start. I love the Lavs!

 

[b.hromada]

I don't have any myself, but those are sure PRETTY!!!

 

[HandLoad]

I have Buffs - they sure are quiet! (Until they get their first Visit from a Coyote!) My Girls? are now 14 weeks old. Getting pretty big. Even though we made a point of handling every one every day till they were about 10 weeks old, they now think they are being Eaten if you manage to touch them. Have to corner them to manage to pick one up, and takes a while to get her to quit shouting.

I bought a moderate sized coop, with about 10 square feet in the House proper, thinking that of the Eight I bought, I would probably lose Two or so, since this is my First Chickens...All Eight have survived! Just this week, it has become suspiciously evident that the Flock has split into the Inside Birds, and the Outside Birds, with Four of them regularly roosting on the roof of the House, and Four Within the House at night. Wonder if I will be running into a problem when the Weather turns cold? Two Nesting Boxes enough for Eight Full Size Orps? Will the "Outside Girls" go in to deliver their Eggs, or are they gonna roll off the roof and crash? Only Three Weeks (or So) till Eggs!

So much to learn!

I will be interested to see what Lavender Orps look like when fully Fledged! Are they same size as the Buffs?

 

[GSDBESTK9]

Very cute! Never seen that color before, also interested to see what they look like as adults.

 

[Ourfamilyflock]

I dont have Lavender Orps, but I do have Buffs, they are the easiest going chickens, so sweet, docile, calm and easy to handle. They are not noisy at all. The downside is they dont quite have the personality some of our other breeds have, but they make up for it in sweetness, and cuteness.

Your chicks are beautiful, and will grow up to be fuzzy fat poofy feathered adults that will leave many gawking and wondering where they can fit a coop into their backyard!

 

[Ourfamilyflock]

I have Buffs - they sure are quiet! (Until they get their first Visit from a Coyote!) My Girls? are now 14 weeks old. Getting pretty big. Even though we made a point of handling every one every day till they were about 10 weeks old, they now think they are being Eaten if you manage to touch them. Have to corner them to manage to pick one up, and takes a while to get her to quit shouting.

I bought a moderate sized coop, with about 10 square feet in the House proper, thinking that of the Eight I bought, I would probably lose Two or so, since this is my First Chickens...All Eight have survived! Just this week, it has become suspiciously evident that the Flock has split into the Inside Birds, and the Outside Birds, with Four of them regularly roosting on the roof of the House, and Four Within the House at night. Wonder if I will be running into a problem when the Weather turns cold? Two Nesting Boxes enough for Eight Full Size Orps? Will the "Outside Girls" go in to deliver their Eggs, or are they gonna roll off the roof and crash? Only Three Weeks (or So) till Eggs!

So much to learn!

I will be interested to see what Lavender Orps look like when fully Fledged! Are they same size as the Buffs?

There are quite a few threads that have pictures of adult lavenders, they are gorgeous!

Two nesting boxes should suffice for 8 birds. I think 1 nesting box for every 4 birds should work, 3 would be better, but its not like they all lay at the same time.

We lock ours in at night, and let them out in the morning, to encourage them to use the nest box for their laying, but as they still have 10 weeks or more before they start laying, not sure if that method works or not. Ill let you know.