3 weeks ago, my kids and I jumped back into backyard chickens, after our neighbor's dog did in our last flock . When I bought buff orp hatchlings, this girl looked a little darker than my last three, but nothing really noticeable. Now at 3 weeks, she has all sorts of white and brown coloring on her wings and breast. Does this still make her a buff , or is there some other color description? I keep trying to get a better picture, but she just won't sit still long enough. It does not help with id, but I did catch this cool picture yesterday while I was stalking her around the yard. She was taking a leap off of the biggest rock in the flowerbed.
She looks a little dark to me too. The thing with buffs though, (I have them and I love them), is disposition. Orpingtons are known for having a great disposition, and mine do, however it's not like they have an exclusive patent on being nice. You can't patent nice. Look at all the posts on here about favorite breeds and you'll see what I mean. If you show or breed, well she probably isn't going to cut it, sorry. If she is being judged only by who she is and what she does, (which is what after all what matters to someone that has to care for her) she has as good, or better, chance at being A+. She looks sweet and cared for, and to me like she might be some sort of rhode island, or new hampshire red, which are always great layers.
I don't know what it could be!! Ours are bright orange-gold-yellow. Maybe it is some weird genetic thing. It could be a different breed too. Did you get it from a hatchery, a friend, or a feed/hardware store?? At a hatchery, it is less likely they would mistake it for another breed. If it was from a friend/feed store, they might have mistaken it.
No breeding or showing. Just a backyard egg flock. I am not worried at all about it, just curious what others thought. All four of our other buffs were very typical looking. Other than the coloring, this girl looks spot on to me, too. But I have only been in the hobby a very short time. The chicks came from a farm store here in Austin. But they arrived at the store about an hour before I picked them up. I know the last ones came from Ideal, just an hour or so away. I assumed these did, too. But I did not ask. Also, I forgot that they were in a brooder at the store, mixed with Golden Laced Wyandotte chicks. But I don't think that is what she is, either.
You guys are good. I had not noticed the color variation in the legs. I even went out to take a picture to show that they were actually the same color. And what do I know? The BO has white legs and this girl, Yellow. Way to go, you eagle eyes. Or should that be chicken eyes?
Speaking of eyes.....Buff Orpinton eye color is sorta a golden. Check your chicks eye color, they look a little dark. Maybe she's a buff rock?
