Orpington or Australorp???

[mthrclckr]

Okay, I think my panic level has been brought down significantly. THANK YOU, ALL!!! Jody, your pullets are just BEAUTIFUL!!! I agree that the pullet from my first pair looks a lot like them (that's really a terrible picture of her - she's got a lot more sheen), but my second pullet (the one that produced the brown chick) is so very different. She's built like a shot putt and has a much bigger comb. And the second rooster - you can see how VERY different he looks from the first rooster. Second rooster has a MUCH bigger comb and wattles and is "short and stout" while the first one had some height to him. Somebody pointed me towards the photos from Feathersite, and if I had to choose, I'd say my first rooster were an Orpington, but my second one does look so very much like the Australorp they show.

Shelley - your trio is lovely, too! Again, same applies - my first girl (and all of her pullet chicks) looks a lot like them but my second one seems so different. Plus, I'm getting odd-colored offspring from that second pair, which is a whole 'nother thread... Something about having e^b alleles.

I guess what I want to know is whether or not it would be fraudulent of me to sell my birds as Orpingtons if I'm not 100% sure.

I REALLY appreciate the responses, here. Thank you all!!! (And the photos of the really pretty birdies

!)

-Naomi

 

[nzpouter]

they are orpington, australorps will have taller appearance due to tighter feathering.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

My australorp girls have a U shape to their body when they stand. Their tails point straight up. My buff orps body is shaped like your girls.

 

[mthrclckr]

Ahhh... EXCELLENT!!! Okay, now I feel very reassured that what I have are NOT Australorps. Whew!!! I guess I'll just have to work on better type, then, so there's no room for confusion. I actually preferred my first rooster, but he was SO LOUD (and at odd hours, no less), I was forced to part with him. The second rooster (which is the head of the flock) is much better with the girls and doesn't start crowing at 1 in the morning. So he's the one I ended up keeping.

As a side-note... Oddly, the second pair threw this (which, as I said, was for a separate thread entirely):

I was told that it was a result of the e^b gene (Birchen unlikely) and she would probably end up black with a bit of "brassy-back" to her, if at all. I also hatched another chick from that pair that came out black.

My first pair produced ONLY black chicks. Currently, the first pullet will not even give this second rooster the time of day. I may have to keep her remaining son and breed him back to her to make sure I keep some pure blacks going. Of course if HE turns out to be a super-loud crower, I'll probably be forced to give HIM up, too

.

Okay, I'm no longer worried. I'll continue to sell these as Orpingtons. THANKS A MILLION!!!!!

-Naomi