Orpingtons and feathering

[sheila3935]

I recieved hatching eggs for Christmas from my DH. He got eggs off Ebay. They were supposed to be Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons but I think I got buff. They hatched Dec. 23rd. My question is about feathering. All of the chicks I have hatched before the girls feathered faster then the boys. I havent had Orpingtons before so I dont know if they are different but I have 5. I am sure 3 are boys, their combs are getting big turning red and starting to get wattles. The ones That I am sure are girls have small beige combs and no wattles but they are feathering slower then the boys. The boys are almost completely feathered and the girls are still splotchy. Is this normal? top is girls bottom is boys.

 

[stephanie1992]

they could be lemon cuckoo or buff. lemon cuckoo is a project color and doesn't always show up in the chicks. i ordered 8 lemon cuckoo Cochin's off eBay and only one showed the cuckoo coloring. as for the feathering it is normal lol.

 

[galanie]

The feathering is completely normal. Often with Orps you'll get a really fast feathering male and a really slow feathering female but you're just as likely to have the opposite, so you can't go by that to tell the gender.

 

[sheila3935]

Thanks. I am sure 3 are boys. The combs and wattles dont lie and the others are girls. Was just really surprised at the feathering. They are going to be big.. Another thing is the girls are bold and friendly and the boys shy away.Of all the chicks I've hatched these have been the oppisite. They just want to drive me crazy.

 

[galanie]

LOL Yep, they do. Of the orps I've hatched, even the mixed ones, the boys tend to be the least afraid of things and therefore the most friendly to me. Dangit. I say Dangit since the boys are most likely to be culled.

 

[Jobele]

The coloring for Lemon Cuckoos can be hard to determine when they are chicks.....just let them grow some and you'll probably start seeing it come in. I LOVE the Roosters.....they are so sweet and are so inquisitive when they are chicks. And I have to agree....I really hate the thought of culling them because they are so sweet. But, I usually keep backup Roosters always. I find that if you raise the Roosters together in pairs of 2(not a whole lot of them) they usually will become friends. At least until they mature and have hens to bicker over......LOL

All that being said about the Roosters....I have had my favorite hens too! I find they tend to come around after they get older. I have had the hens come and get in my lap when I sit down and just talk to me with their cooing sounds. I just love it! Orpingtons are the sweetest birds!