Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

[aveca]

i would LOVE some of greenfires white polet....but at 400.00 per chick...and you know I would get a box of roosters..just too much of a chance since they do not check sex....you get what you get.$400.00 per chick should mean i get a few hens in the mix..

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Hi guys! I have some Lav. Orps in the incubator right now, and I currently have a Buff Orp roo. If I breed the Lavs to the Buff, what will I get? I'm so new to this chicken genetics stuff!

Thanks!

Oo Orps in the incubator! How many did you put in?

 

[wava1vaughn]

Hi from Ga.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Does he have a cross-beak?

 

[lildinkem]

Could be a split wing as well. The first pic it looks like 1/2 the wing is inbetween his legs.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I think I'd put that one down

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

I think I'd put that one down

Yea, the chicken isn't looking to hot....

 

[rancher hicks]

I find it interesting that Greenfire moves from breed to breed instead of improving the ones they've already imported. I am grateful they are bringing in some rare breeds that we would not otherwise have and perhaps it is up to us to improve upon them.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a following of people buying whatever GF has to offer and breeding whatever they get instead of selection the best quality birds and considering the rest pets. There are breeders who genuinely would like to improve upon some of these rare breeds but can't because there are no standards to breed toward.

IMHO Greenfire should find the standards of the birds they import so we know the actual quality of the ones being imported and can work on the standard of perfection from there. It may be that many of the birds that are being imported do not have a written standards which is going to make things messy. Too many people are breeding these trendy breeds without guidelines and who knows what these breeds will look like in a few generations.

I'm sure there are standards for the breeds GF brings in. At least for some like the Sussex and Orpingtons. Others like the SFH's are endangered and by bringing them in we get to help preserve these breeds.
You must consider that the U.S. is much bigger than the countries some of these breeds come from. Fact is the state of TX is bigger than most European countries. Therefore we can have bigger flocks and have more people to work with these breeds.
Too, with regard to standards the Brits have a standard that is different than ours. What's more these standards are for show and not so much for "utility".
Remember too that a show bird does not always throw more show birds. It of course increases the chance of another show bird but quality is iffy at best. There are no guarantees. You have to raise hundreds just to get one bird worthy of a blue ribbon. I used to raise Guinea Pigs for show.
The cost of importation is high and many if not most will not pay what they're asking now. Imagine how many of us could afford to buy them if GF was in the improvement business. What you are buying are "rare" to the U. S. breeds.
Lord have mercy I work with Dels and I just heard from a breeder in Iowa who says they've not had Delawares in a show in "years". People just don't want to take the time to work with them. Including some "heritage" breeds. Let alone foreign breeds. It's just the way it is.

 

[matte]

I need some Orpington chick advice. I am going to be hatching B/B/S as well as Lavender.
I have a Sportsman and can stagger the two if I need to, but it would be great if I could do them all in the same batch.
I've had both as chicks several times, but never at the same time before. I just cannot remember---will I be able to easily distinguish the lavenders from the others?
To make it even more complicated, my lavenders are giving me some mottled.
Any advice or pics would be appreciated!

 

[jeremy]

I need some Orpington chick advice. I am going to be hatching B/B/S as well as Lavender.
I have a Sportsman and can stagger the two if I need to, but it would be great if I could do them all in the same batch.
I've had both as chicks several times, but never at the same time before. I just cannot remember---will I be able to easily distinguish the lavenders from the others?
To make it even more complicated, my lavenders are giving me some mottled.
Any advice or pics would be appreciated!

The only initial confusion you may run in to is discerning the Lavs from the Splash chicks.

As soon as they start feathering in though it should be very apparent which color is which.