Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

[sweety birds]

just came across this thread when looking for a bit of info about my orps, apologies for the blur on the photo he kept moving, this is Brutas sitting next to one of his ladies speckely (I think) we have another not in the photo called spockely. we recently bought these from a local woman, who normaly takes her birds to the poultry sale down south (over night on a bout and a good few hours drive) but she decided to sell these and another trio here in Orkney. she started out breeding Buff orps, and went to black. and these ladies are black/buff. they were born in may this year, and are already huge birds. brutas is not related to the girls. speckely has recently started laying (I think) sits on the nest for hours at a time. is it poss she is going broody already? was told she wouldn't be laying until January '16

 

[ShrekDawg]

Well if she was born in May that would make her about 5 months old now, right? From what I've been reading since I've been on this site is that pullets usually start laying between around 18-24 weeks old, Orpingtons usually in the middle to later side I think. Some of the heritage bred RIRs and stuff can be up into 30+ weeks. Anyways, I think that's the equivalent of around 4 or 5 months through to 6 months, or closer to 8 for the heritage ones as mentioned. That would mean she should start laying this fall/winter aka well before January. However, that said, it is also beginning to get darker earlier and less daylight hours (at least it is here, winter, don't know anything about Scotland) so it could very well be true that she may wait to lay until it starts getting lighter. It all depends on the bird. Some birds wait to lay until it starts getting warmer and the days get longer and others, especially the good production breeds, will just start laying as soon as they are ready, no matter the time of year. I've heard varying things on Orpingtons, some say they are only good, even fair, layers, and others say they are excellent. Some say 3-4 eggs a week while others get an egg a day or every other day just like any of the supposedly better laying breeds. All depends on the bird. Some people provide artificial light in winter to both extend the laying cycle (some birds slow down in winter) and/or to prompt them to begin laying if they are young enough to just start. I've also heard that chicks hatched in spring typically start laying in fall/winter, where it's getting dark, whereas chicks hatched in the fall usually start laying right around spring and the time it starts getting lighter and warmer out, which some say is better because then they will actually lay rather than possibly putting it off like some birds could do. That said, I think it is definitely possibly that she is going broody already. She is certainly old enough by now and Orpingtons especially can go broody quite frequently but that, again, depends on the bird. Some never do. You can look at her comb and general face area to maybe get an idea. Birds that are getting ready to lay will get bright red comb and face. They should also begin squatting when you approach (they do it with roos too, it's a submissive/"I'm ready to mate" thing) and there is a way to check the vent too. Somebody else will have to inform you about that as I'm not sure exactly what the method is, I'm just pretty sure that the opening gets bigger when they get closer to laying age. Now, we just got our first chicks 2 weeks ago so I don't really know any of this for sure but this is just what I have heard and picked up from being on here for years (love to research) so I try to help whenever I can since I have learned so much from being on here. Hopefully this helps you. Although, I've been typing this for so long now that I am sure somebody else has already replied by now but hopefully it still helps.

 

[ccassidy18]

I am new to the breeding of orpingtons,though I'm reading up on it on the united Orpington club page. But I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to develops blue orpingtons? Because I have a lavender cockerel,a pair of young blacks,and a pair of this spring's buffs. But I wanted to get some blues. I was thinking of crossing lavender and black,but that would only make split black. And then those offspring would be a mix of full lavenders and full blacks. So I was wondering if anyone knew what to possibly cross into my blacks to try to get blues. I would use a separate breed,but I would cross back over pure Orpington for probably a few generations to get the purity back. Though continue breeding for the blue color. I just thought it might be cheaper than buying blues from somewhere for $20-$30 a piece. I already spent good $ on my five I have now. At least the blacks and lavender. My buffs are tractor supply stock that I will be crossing with my lavender for size,and then the biggest offspring will be bred together,and then back to the buffs for the size and buff color.

 

[sweety birds]

Well if she was born in May that would make her about 5 months old now, right? From what I've been reading since I've been on this site is that pullets usually start laying between around 18-24 weeks old, Orpingtons usually in the middle to later side I think. Some of the heritage bred RIRs and stuff can be up into 30+ weeks. Anyways, I think that's the equivalent of around 4 or 5 months through to 6 months, or closer to 8 for the heritage ones as mentioned. That would mean she should start laying this fall/winter aka well before January. However, that said, it is also beginning to get darker earlier and less daylight hours (at least it is here, winter, don't know anything about Scotland) so it could very well be true that she may wait to lay until it starts getting lighter. It all depends on the bird. Some birds wait to lay until it starts getting warmer and the days get longer and others, especially the good production breeds, will just start laying as soon as they are ready, no matter the time of year. I've heard varying things on Orpingtons, some say they are only good, even fair, layers, and others say they are excellent. Some say 3-4 eggs a week while others get an egg a day or every other day just like any of the supposedly better laying breeds. All depends on the bird. Some people provide artificial light in winter to both extend the laying cycle (some birds slow down in winter) and/or to prompt them to begin laying if they are young enough to just start. I've also heard that chicks hatched in spring typically start laying in fall/winter, where it's getting dark, whereas chicks hatched in the fall usually start laying right around spring and the time it starts getting lighter and warmer out, which some say is better because then they will actually lay rather than possibly putting it off like some birds could do. That said, I think it is definitely possibly that she is going broody already. She is certainly old enough by now and Orpingtons especially can go broody quite frequently but that, again, depends on the bird. Some never do. You can look at her comb and general face area to maybe get an idea. Birds that are getting ready to lay will get bright red comb and face. They should also begin squatting when you approach (they do it with roos too, it's a submissive/"I'm ready to mate" thing) and there is a way to check the vent too. Somebody else will have to inform you about that as I'm not sure exactly what the method is, I'm just pretty sure that the opening gets bigger when they get closer to laying age. Now, we just got our first chicks 2 weeks ago so I don't really know any of this for sure but this is just what I have heard and picked up from being on here for years (love to research) so I try to help whenever I can since I have learned so much from being on here. Hopefully this helps you. Although, I've been typing this for so long now that I am sure somebody else has already replied by now but hopefully it still helps.

I think i'm getting an eggs a day from her, I have found the same egg everyday now for 4-5 days in a row right after she has been shifted off her nest. we have a flock of 2000ish nova browns as we run a free range egg business locally. and our brown ladies we get as point of lay 16weeks and are usually beginning to lay about 4-6 weeks later. but I have never had orphs before. I thought it sounded pretty late but I wasn't an expert so took it as said. her sister is not laying at all yet, same hatch same time ect. I don't think she's fully broody as she is eventually getting off the nest but only after hours of sitting. I don't want to rush her as I know bringing her on too quickly can cause problems with the eggs laying/calcium levels ect, and leads to un healthy eggs that will not hatch out anyway. due to them not forming properly before laid, the shed is a mixed shed with all sorts in at all sorts of ages, from some of our ex layers to babies at 4 weeks in a brooding box in the same shed, ducks, turkeys, guinea, hens. the winters are long and dark this far north but the ladies and gentle men have a sky roof in the shed and I usually pop the roof light on about 9 am once i get kids posted on the school bus and wander along to the shed, when I go up to let them out feed water and check on them. they then have a timer light that kicks in about 3.30and goes of about 8pm. I usually go and shut them in and feed water check on them all again between 7 and 8 and turn off the one light leaving the other on timer. so they are prob getting 11 hours of light a day, but I have shelters where they can go to get into the dark if they want. weonly have the 3 orps but I am concidering popping what I think are her eggs in the bator and see what I get. once both the girl orps begin to lay I plan to put them in a separate run with the cockerel to get pure orps, at the moment they are all mixed with various breeds, i like to get as much info on each particular subject usually before getting the bird, but this time i did it the other way round. you are right though this is a great place to hunt out info think i have comments or quirees on about 16 threads now lol
x

 

[itspebbl]

Our now around 6 month old buff.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

I am new to the breeding of orpingtons,though I'm reading up on it on the united Orpington club page. But I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to develops blue orpingtons? Because I have a lavender cockerel,a pair of young blacks,and a pair of this spring's buffs. But I wanted to get some blues. I was thinking of crossing lavender and black,but that would only make split black. And then those offspring would be a mix of full lavenders and full blacks. So I was wondering if anyone knew what to possibly cross into my blacks to try to get blues. I would use a separate breed,but I would cross back over pure Orpington for probably a few generations to get the purity back. Though continue breeding for the blue color. I just thought it might be cheaper than buying blues from somewhere for $20-$30 a piece. I already spent good $ on my five I have now. At least the blacks and lavender. My buffs are tractor supply stock that I will be crossing with my lavender for size,and then the biggest offspring will be bred together,and then back to the buffs for the size and buff color.

Blue (Bb) X Blue (Bb) = 50% Blue (Bb), 25% Black (BB),
25% Splash (bb)
Blue (Bb) X Splash (bb) = 50% Blue (Bb), 50% Splash (bb)
Blue (Bb) X Black (BB) = 50% Blue (Bb), 50% Black (BB)
Splash (bb) X Black (BB) = 100% Blue (Bb)
Black (BB) X Black (BB) = 100% Black (BB)
Splash (bb) X Splash (bb) = 100% Splash (bb)

 

[Pixie]

My fav Orp we named "Big Mamma". She is eating some spent grains from the brewer, out of a bathtub.

 

[Turkeytruff]

wo

My fav Orp we named "Big Mamma". She is eating some spent grains from the brewer, out of a bathtub.

wonderful picture LOL!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Is it me or is she huge!? Haha

 

[sweety birds]

this pic has been posted before on here, to the right is speckley one of our 2 Orpington hens, the blurry photo is of brutas their husband. I was at a local caged bird show last night and while standing admiring the black Orpingtons I got chatting to someone about these guys. they other hen spockely is not in the pic, but as you can prob see from the pic above, these guys are black, with buff spatterings through them. the person I got speaking to it turns out that the ones on show and whom had won quite a few prizes were sisters of my girls. brutas is almost completely black but has 1 single buff feather on his left wing. one person i spoke too was rather rude about my birds, he said "i told her to get rid of them as we don't want colourings like that to be ruining the breed" I was actually a little offended, they continued to say I hope your not breeding them with this colourings? now these guys were gotten because I think they are pretty, they were not bought as show chickens just as pets, but the kids were keen to enter them into the local agri show next August. should I try and put them off? as I don't want someone being that rude to the kids as they love their birds. or should I just encore the negativity and let them go ahead and enter them? am I doing damage to the breed buy allowing them to breed?