Orpingtons - An ocean apart??

[fowlman01]

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I respect your opinion Kathy and I believe you. I don't raise them, you do, but generally birds that look like that don't lay well. Do they lay well the second year? That is the real test.
A 10 pound hen would be in the DQ range of the SOP Standards. Hens are currently at 8 lbs.

Walt

They make a nice Sunday dinner, though.

I have the Imported Orps for their beauty. Watching them flow across my lawn brings a smile to my face. I enjoy them so much. I hatch way too much, and have a processing pen now. My freezer should be full before winter, as will the freezers of our children. I am gonna try Barred Rocks, Delawares, New Hampshires, and Orps this year. Soon after that I will have project birds to process ...... alot of them, I believe. I am looking for size for the processing pen.

If a person is not into showing, I think they would make a fine addition to any poultry yard. I don't know about their laying ability, but as I said birds that look like that USUALLY don't lay well in the long haul. Let me know how they lay through the season. Maybe next spring I can buy some hatching eggs from you? I am guessing that you get black, blue and splash from a set of birds. I really do like the birds, I just have problems with them fitting into the current APA SOP. Since yesterday I have gone online and looked at them. They seem to be all over the place as far as type. Some look like they could almost pass in an APA show, but the others (the real UK birds I suspect) look like cochins. Same massive head, body style and loose feathers as a Cochin. The true UK birds also look as if they COULD have problems with fertility with all the feathers around the vent of the females and the huge size of the males. Maybe not though......don't know, I don't raise them.

Walt

 

[kathyinmo]

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Yes, I had problems with fertility. May have been my fault, I am not sure. Once I removed one of the cocks, I got fertile eggs. With 2 in the pen, I just could not get fertile eggs. I am still learning, and had not even considered that could be a problem. You shoulda told me that.

I hope you know you are welcome to my eggs anytime!

 

[lildinkem]

I do show my birds. For several reasons. One is to see what the quality APA judges prefer. To see the best Orps in my area. I usually have to show against Doug Akers and his massive Buffs. In them I can see what a supersize ORP head looks like, what a perfect tail looks like, what even color a high quality rich Buff should have. These traits you need to attend a show to understand the subtle differences between the two styles of Orps. I do have a couple of Blacks that have the UK blood. And only kept the ones with the traits I see and like. The male had a severe cut away breast. He got sent to the farm. Just like many of my young culls. Being a breeder is not just getting a clutch of eggs and throwing all the offspring in a pen together and calling it a day. It takes years of selective breeding to get the massive head, to get the perfect tail, to get the correct color. Yet alone have it all together with the size. Just one outstanding trait alone, whether it be size or color is not going to win you a Best of Breed. You will need the whole package.
With all that being said, it is also what a breeder likes. I prefer the longer back, bigger heads, proper tail angle. Not just a color. Not saying I won't keep a bird that don't have all that but will keep one if I see a trait or two I like.
And as the Reliable Poultry Journal said, this disagreement has been around for a 100 years. I'll bet in another 100 years they too will be bickering and telling everyone what to do with their birds. So for a few on BOTH sides of this fence you need to let it go. Keep your opinion to yourself and let the otherside enjoy their birds and just make your birds better.
Again this is the way I feel about this subject. It is going on a year now since this surfaced to a boil from another site and spilled over to here, which had many many posts and forums shut down due to the selfishness of a limited few. With no concern of the knowledge that was already posted on other threads. Let it go and make your birds better. IF someone doesn't want to raise to the APA standard, who cares? It is their business and their time and feed.
Far as laying, I had Black Orps last summer which I tracked laid 8 days outta 10. This year my Bamma 50/50 Black hens are giving me an egg a day as well. And that is what their suppose to do.
Everyone enjoy your birds, I know I am!

I also like to add I do not see a problem with mxing the APA and UK styles together. One of the original purposes of these BBS UK Orps being introduced to the states was to enrich our bloodlines. I find the same would help the APA Whites as well. And with the number of rumors I have heard of quality Orp breeders mixing BREEDS like Plymouth Rock into their lines one would have to fight the same problems there as one would have to fight by introducing a UK Blooded Orp to an APA Orp. And the same by just mixing PURE APA Orp lines to each other. Same thing. Same battle. You just need to breed high numbers and know what to cull for. Just like a project bird. Which I do not see anyone crying about here. Heck how many "PROJECT ORPS" are there now? At least a dozen. So I don't buy into that idea that a UK Orp should not be breed to an APA Orp. Sorry, I had to stand on my soap box and add this thought.

 

[jeremy]

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[justuschickens59]

Some of my birds are well into their second year of laying and a couple of them are actually laying BETTER in their second year than the first year. I am consistently getting 4-6 eggs per hen per week from a couple of my 2-year-old girls. As far as fertility, I do have to trim my birds, but once trimmed, I have absolutely no problem with fertility.

I have never eaten an Orpington either - and don't intend to. I rehome all my birds - I could never bring myself to eat one of my pets. But these birds are not all fluff - they have a LOT of meat on those bones under all that gorgeous fluff !!

 

[jeremy]

Good to see you speaking up Joy, I was hoping you would pop in and let us know how your girls were laying since they're older than mine and Kathy's.

 

[justuschickens59]

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Amazingly Beautiful!

SuperChiks - Thank you !!! I think they are quite amazingly beautiful, too !!

 

[justuschickens59]

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Thanks Jeremy - I did want to make mention of how my girls are laying this 2nd year. I know that Julie's girls are laying exceptionally well, too, and some of her girls are in their 3rd year, now.

I have my gorgeous UK Orps running around my yard making me happy, so I'm not touching the rest of it

 

[fowlman01]

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Yes, I had problems with fertility. May have been my fault, I am not sure. Once I removed one of the cocks, I got fertile eggs. With 2 in the pen, I just could not get fertile eggs. I am still learning, and had not even considered that could be a problem. You shoulda told me that.

I hope you know you are welcome to my eggs anytime!

You didn't ask. LOL The Cochin folks pluck the vent area to increase fertility. thanks for your kind offer. I will take you up on it.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

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I agree with the statement in bold and I agree that there should be no arguing, but I don't agree that we have to keep our opinions to ourselves. That is what these forums are for. I don't think the posts should be mean spirited though.

Here is one of my opinions that I have expressed many times before this Orp thing came up. I don't believe in crossing breed lines of any breed to improve it. There should be no reason to do this and the negatives of such crosses are evident. It is a fast way to accomplish some things , but the negatives can be great.

Walt