OEGB - broodiness, personality, egg-laying, maturity?

[TopazMaster91]

I've had OEGBs for about a year now. I started by accident when someone game me a feral or lost self blue cockerel they found in their back yard. Once I ID'd it I got him some OEGB hens from a breeder about 50 miles from me of mixed colors (not show quality).

Here's a few random observations:

1. They're the wildest, flightiest, birds I own. They freak out whenever I'm close to their coop and if let out and spooked they'll fly 75 yards easy into overgrown fields and woods. They're far more wild acting than my red jungle fowl hybrids. I had to once track one with my hound that made it out into the middle of a 5 acre wire grass field. However, I've since learned that they're good about coming back on their own once I hide and they feel like things have calmed down.

2. They're highly aggressive to me and each other. The hens have no tolerance of each other if a hen gets removed from the flock for a couple of weeks. They're so aggressive to hens that are removed and then reintroduced that so far I've had to re-pen all hens once they've been removed from the group. The rooster is highly aggressive to me. Both hens and roosters will jump on me if they're cornered. Many people often recommend this breed for hand pets. Maybe they can be made that way with extra handling. All of my other chickens are pretty tame thru normal day to day interaction. Not these birds. Perhaps mine come from a history of free-ranging or some other background that makes them wilder.

3. They lay well for bantams. I get an egg a day to every other day per hen. They only quit in the height of winter, but note I'm in north Florida and our deep winters are mild compared to most of the US. Eggs are the same size as my jungelfowl eggs. So identical that I can't tell them apart so I have to collect them separately.

4. Food consumption of adults is low, food consumption of bitties is as high as any other chicken. Very clean birds too. Little dry poops that are more quail like than chicken like. These would be ideal birds for a suburban backyard coop of limited size.

5. They go broody relatively well but the hens small size limits how many small eggs they can take. 7-8 at the most, as where my jungle fowl hybrids can set 17 eggs no problem. I think my jungle fowl are better mothers. My self-blue rooster throws mostly black chicks.

6. They're regal birds and I like their scrappiness. I also love/hate their flightiness. I want to swear them off every time they act stupid and fly everywhere and make chaos happen. But I admire that trait in survivors. I currently have a group of bitties I incubated I would like to take to my woods and throw out (when they're a sufficient age) to see how well they survive. But I don't want them to cross with my jungle fowl hybrids so I keep going back and to on the idea.

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Wow, beautiful chickens!
I only have one OEGB within a mixed flock, so maybe it depends on what chickens are mixed together, but my OEGB girl seems to be one of the calmest and least skittish(?!).
She has a habit of flying onto my arm if I'm holding the treat cup, or onto my lap if I'm sitting down. She plays well with others, doesn't act aggressive towards other breeds, even now while broody she minds her own business unless another chicken tries coming into her nest, then she makes dinosaur sounds and pecks, haha.
She does like to go off on her own during free range time, and definitely flies better than everyone else, and squeezes into tight spots she would be better off staying out of, lol.
I guess individual personality comes into play as well.
Thanks for your input and info, I love learning about this breed, my OEGB has been my favorite girl for awhile now!

 

[Don 27]

I've had OEGBs for about a year now. I started by accident when someone game me a feral or lost self blue cockerel they found in their back yard. Once I ID'd it I got him some OEGB hens from a breeder about 50 miles from me of mixed colors (not show quality).

Here's a few random observations:

1. They're the wildest, flightiest, birds I own. They freak out whenever I'm close to their coop and if let out and spooked they'll fly 75 yards easy into overgrown fields and woods. They're far more wild acting than my red jungle fowl hybrids. I had to once track one with my hound that made it out into the middle of a 5 acre wire grass field. However, I've since learned that they're good about coming back on their own once I hide and they feel like things have calmed down.

2. They're highly aggressive to me and each other. The hens have no tolerance of each other if a hen gets removed from the flock for a couple of weeks. They're so aggressive to hens that are removed and then reintroduced that so far I've had to re-pen all hens once they've been removed from the group. The rooster is highly aggressive to me. Both hens and roosters will jump on me if they're cornered. Many people often recommend this breed for hand pets. Maybe they can be made that way with extra handling. All of my other chickens are pretty tame thru normal day to day interaction. Not these birds. Perhaps mine come from a history of free-ranging or some other background that makes them wilder.

3. They lay well for bantams. I get an egg a day to every other day per hen. They only quit in the height of winter, but note I'm in north Florida and our deep winters are mild compared to most of the US. Eggs are the same size as my jungelfowl eggs. So identical that I can't tell them apart so I have to collect them separately.

4. Food consumption of adults is low, food consumption of bitties is as high as any other chicken. Very clean birds too. Little dry poops that are more quail like than chicken like. These would be ideal birds for a suburban backyard coop of limited size.

5. They go broody relatively well but the hens small size limits how many small eggs they can take. 7-8 at the most, as where my jungle fowl hybrids can set 17 eggs no problem. I think my jungle fowl are better mothers. My self-blue rooster throws mostly black chicks.

6. They're regal birds and I like their scrappiness. I also love/hate their flightiness. I want to swear them off every time they act stupid and fly everywhere and make chaos happen. But I admire that trait in survivors. I currently have a group of bitties I incubated I would like to take to my woods and throw out (when they're a sufficient age) to see how well they survive. But I don't want them to cross with my jungle fowl hybrids so I keep going back and to on the idea.

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Very interesting birds ... Keep us updated on how they behave once released into the woods... So far the typical hatchery stock of OEGB s in my experience aren't as wild and flighty as you describe your birds. Sounds like you have something special I would try to hold on to them and possibly sell some extras.

 

[TopazMaster91]

End of Day 11: Gracie is still intent on hatching her eggs, stays on them constantly, and we've semi-blocked off the nesting box she is in, because the other chickens keep trying to lay eggs there, and have been causing chaos, not to mention a sympathetic broody has emerged, haha.
Aside from that, since we don't trust the other chickens to all get 100% along with her and her chicks, we've prepared the old pre-made coop for her and her babies once they've hatched! Very excited.

 

[PioneerChicks]

End of Day 11: Gracie is still intent on hatching her eggs, stays on them constantly, and we've semi-blocked off the nesting box she is in, because the other chickens keep trying to lay eggs there, and have been causing chaos, not to mention a sympathetic broody has emerged, haha.
Aside from that, since we don't trust the other chickens to all get 100% along with her and her chicks, we've prepared the old pre-made coop for her and her babies once they've hatched! Very excited.

Can't wait to see how it turns out!


My own broody (a silkie) just hatched two chicks. They haven't come out of the nesting box yet so I can't really get a good look, but I think they are silkie-game bantam mixes! I'm gonna guess that their mom(s) are buff silkies and their dad is my spangled OEGB. Will post pictures of I get any good ones!

 

[TopazMaster91]

UPDATE: WE'VE GOT CHICKS!!!
Today on Easter (lol), we saw two little baby chicks peeking out from under mother Gracie! They both are TINY and all black, so I'm pretty sure (from color genetics) that they are both from Gracie herself (self-blue OEGB) and Taichi (black tailed buff Japanese bantam cockerel).
The third egg that was developing doesn't seem to have hatched, but it's only been twelve hours since the first chick appeared, so the third egg might hatch tonight if it isn't a quitter; we're going to move, nest-box-and-all, her and her babies to a different location now that they've hatched!
Gracie seems to be a good and happy mother so far, despite only being about 6-7 months old she is doing just fine!

 

[TopazMaster91]

Okay, so I got a better look today in daylight, mother and chicks are moved to a better location...and it seems that only ONE chick is a product of self-blue OEGB x Japanese Bantam, while the other chick must be from one of our WHITE frizzled Cochin Bantams x Japanese Bantam, as I see little feathers on its legs...
But both chicks are straight BLACK!
How on earth does a white Cochin bantam + a black tailed buff Japanese bantam equal out to a pure black chick?! Lol

 

[PioneerChicks]

UPDATE: WE'VE GOT CHICKS!!!
Today on Easter (lol), we saw two little baby chicks peeking out from under mother Gracie! They both are TINY and all black, so I'm pretty sure (from color genetics) that they are both from Gracie herself (self-blue OEGB) and Taichi (black tailed buff Japanese bantam cockerel).
The third egg that was developing doesn't seem to have hatched, but it's only been twelve hours since the first chick appeared, so the third egg might hatch tonight if it isn't a quitter; we're going to move, nest-box-and-all, her and her babies to a different location now that they've hatched!
Gracie seems to be a good and happy mother so far, despite only being about 6-7 months old she is doing just fine!

Congratulations! Th is is is so exciting! (Or would I say "egg-citing"?)

 

[microchick]

I have two BBR hens and 9 SDW OEGBs and I love them to pieces. They are Orscheln babies so not show quality but excellent personalities, friendly, not flighty. I handle my birds a lot though while they are growing up and I do believe that makes a difference with them.

Last year I hatched second generation under a broody hen. Three pullets turned out to be BBR crossed with a Amish Barnyard OEGB, God only knows what else. Very sweet natured. Then 4 SDW cockerels were hatched by broodies and they are little devils. Three of them are super sweet and the forth can be a bit of a handful and bite if he gets ticked off at me but a flip on his beak with my thumb and forefinger puts him in his place.

As far as broodiness, one of my BBR hens went broody last summer. She did a great job although she was a little slow to catch on to the mothering thing, once she did she was 'mother of the year' material, staying with her chick who at 8 weeks, larger than she is, until the baby was 4 months old. It was super funny to see this tiny little hen cuddled up with her lone chick on the roost bar with baby twice her size but still tucked under mamma's wing.

I'd love to see pics of your babies! Congratulations!

 

[TopazMaster91]

Just so anyone knows;
I started this thread to gain knowledge about OEGBs, and I have learned, both from comments and my own experience with my one and only OEGB girl, Gracie; so far, she's been my absolute favorite, absolutely adorable, friendly, cute, curious, awesome girl of the group!
Around six-ish months of age she began laying eggs(2-15-20), and after only about a month of laying almost daily, she went broody(3-23-20), and spent only maybe 10 minutes a day off her eggs; now she has two baby chicks, born on Easter sunday(4-12-20), and she's been an amazing mom, showing them food, drink, and letting them tuck under her wings; I'd recommend this breed to anyone, she is so amazingly trusting, curious, cute and bold, and I wouldn't trade her for anything! Old English Game Bantams rule!

The chicks are now at about four/five days old, and are thriving, as is Gracie! They've been great to watch, and I'm so glad to have the privilege to see her raise her chicks .

Thanks everyone for their comments, input, and knowledge; I'll keep this updated as Gracie the Self-Blue OEGB raises her chicks, upload some pics, videos, and tell you all what's been going on as it all happens! Thanks everyone who has commented thus far .

 

[Chicken Heel]

Just so anyone knows;
I started this thread to gain knowledge about OEGBs, and I have learned, both from comments and my own experience with my one and only OEGB girl, Gracie; so far, she's been my absolute favorite, absolutely adorable, friendly, cute, curious, awesome girl of the group!
Around six-ish months of age she began laying eggs(2-15-20), and after only about a month of laying almost daily, she went broody(3-23-20), and spent only maybe 10 minutes a day off her eggs; now she has two baby chicks, born on Easter sunday(4-12-20), and she's been an amazing mom, showing them food, drink, and letting them tuck under her wings; I'd recommend this breed to anyone, she is so amazingly trusting, curious, cute and bold, and I wouldn't trade her for anything! Old English Game Bantams rule!

The chicks are now at about four/five days old, and are thriving, as is Gracie! They've been great to watch, and I'm so glad to have the privilege to see her raise her chicks .

Thanks everyone for their comments, input, and knowledge; I'll keep this updated as Gracie the Self-Blue OEGB raises her chicks, upload some pics, videos, and tell you all what's been going on as it all happens! Thanks everyone who has commented thus far .

Nothing cuter than a bantam hen with baby chicks. My Grandpa got me started on my lifetime hobby of raising chickens with one that had 12 chicks. And a year later, I had over 80 bantams running around everywhere. One of those hens came out of the woods with 18 chicks which was so exciting for me.