Orp experts - over here!!!

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
It is generally known that exhibition quality birds are a bit more difficult to breed, maintain, etc. Hence the reason why exhibition breeders are careful to choose the buyers. They want to assess if the buyer is interested in keeping up with the demands...

Several breeders select for lines that are more hardy, easily transferred etc. I suggest looking for breeders like that from now on if you are having such troubles with the birds from the breeder you bought from.

 

[BamaChicken]

Looks like a cockerel. The blue pullets and hens don't ususally have a dark saddle across the back. The males do. The pullets generally will have some darker feathers down to the bottom of the Neck feathers. Looks like very good body type on the cockerel in the pictures shown

 

[hippichick]

I've got Orps from three different breeders. I've got one Roo who is about 2 weeks younger than some Roos from another breeder. I really had my doubts about this Roo, as he was always smaller than the others. But I've noticed lately that he has caught up with them, and even surpassed one in size. They're all around 7 months old now. I guess it just takes longer for some of them. Sometimes you just gotta wait and see. I say if you have the room to keep him, give him a few months-you never know.

 

[lildinkem]

I always have bad hatches from eggs that traveled more then a state away, especially the West coast. I had 2 Buff chicks, from a high quality Buff Orp breeder. Both were pullets, one looks great one looks like a Canary. If I can get her to maturity, I know she has the genetics to throw large birds. So, I would breed her, especially if she came from good genetic stock. Her size will have some bearing on the future chicks. but, IF you cull out the runts and keep the bigger birds, you will not know they came from a runt. I am not too partial to my Canary Orp, but genetic diversity is important in any breeding program. And you only have one, so keep her and breed her.