Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

[aveca]

well thats all that really matters is that you are happy with him..you almost cant put a price on a rooster that is good with the family and you dont need gladiators to escort you anywhere near him..hes kind of pretty. they are gentle souls..

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Oh My! I'm even more jealous now!! Been wanting self-blues but the ones I've seen over here for sale are not pretty like the ones hincjc has eventhough they say are hincjc line.

On a sader note, I'm going on a chick hunt again. After I get over the fact that my sister let her dog loose in the backyard with my chickens.

The key to good Self Blues is type. Each generation we must build the barn, then paint the barn. Many just breed Lavender to Lavender. They get 100% pure Lavender offspring. Just not good Orpington type. A few are using good Black Orpingtons. Our current Self Blue juveniles have as good a type as our Blacks. We have a few Splits (Black with the lavender gene) and if had not of toe punched we would not know they were Splits. I will try to get some photos of them this weekend.

 

[DaveK]

Thanks Lynnie,

Yup, they're getting lots of BOSS, and plenty of forage.I overseed grasses and clovers, plus mustard and kale for them over the winter too.Right now they are also stuffing themselves with fallen pears.A yellow jacket or wasp doesn't stand a chance either.I love watching them go after a butterfly too. Even the little ones get into the act. I don't think Monarchs taste good though, as they leave those alone. These girls are also entering that wonderful bloom time for pullets...just a month or so before they start laying.

This is how chickens ought to be fed though we all have different ideas to apply to our circumstances. And you are correct about the Monarchs. The caterpillars (I know that ain't right) eat Milkweed and even the adult butterflies are not good.

 

[DaveK]

This is truly what the Orpington breed should look like. They are also pure linage of Buff Orpington. No other colors or breeds added. I am very pleased with their hatchmates as well. Guess we need to start looking for eggs in the grow out pens soon.

I am puzzled by the emphasis on no other breeds or even colors added. Color crossing within a breed has often been a very useful way to outcross while maintaining breed type and character. Maybe less so with the Orps as history tells us that even our SOP colors were not all derived from the same recipe so to speak. As poultry breeds go the Orpington is a relative new comer and in some ways may still be evolving though of course there are some very stable strains in several colors. Orpington evolution has also meant the development of new and different colors in recent years. The Europeans are way ahead of us and give inspiration to our efforts. But...where do any of us think these colors came from? The beautiful gold laced, partridge and others didn't come out of someone's dreams. Well, they did, but in order to make those dreams a reality there had to be some breed crossing in order to introduce the newer color and then, as has been said in connection with the lavenders, careful breeding and selection for good Orpington type. I believe there was an effort here in the US to create a strain of gold laced using a Wyandotte outcross. Nothing wrong with any of this as it gets the ball rolling. Just trying hard to understand why color or especially breed infusions are looked down on at times and supported at others. Very confusing to this Orpington enthusiast.

 

[aveca]

Love to hear more on feeding Dave....the pheasant people use fish additives and something to bring out lots of color in thier birds..we eat pacific northwest every fri night...the birds reap the rewards of the leftovers...That might be detrimental thou if your trying to hide a little purple, might emphasise that..I dont have that purpleing so work to bring out as much shine as I can..I was kind of stunned at how much Vickie brought out in those buffs..and enhanced the butterey even color too...I talked to a bantam breeder a while ago that was drawing unbeleivable blue color out of the birds, she said the show birds were getting bits of a mazori (sp) flock block...i beleive that had fish oils ect in it...there is nothing like good greens also..doctor green..Love to hear what people use.

.I am new to the english orps , LOVE them..they are very special..lot of hard work and thought went into an ideal of what they thought the birds was supposed to look like...think the ladies just did a wonderful job with these..the blue babies have a much duller feather at same time.., Im wondering if they just need a little something more?because they are putting so much effort into growth and feather at the same time...maybe its just in my yard but the americans put on feathers much faster and spend energy on bone and feather, the english meatier, and slower feathering..they are only in baby feathers yet so it will be interesting to see the next feather set.

I saw old pictures of jubilee orps being developed , they didnt look very good for a long time, but english people kept at it, and now they are just wonderful , really look like orp..a freind told me a little while ago that they commonly use blk orp to add type ..say like in whites, that way they do not loose the silver white quill..but Im just learning about that..in my mind it tampers with the reddish eye color but maybe not? a most all color breeds are a cross of some kind..I have an old like on australorp that some of them molted out one year with barring around the head..they threw way back to barred rock added way back in the creation of australorp..it scared me at first but then not suprising the might throw back to something in the past..they went around like that for along time, then next molt they went back to blk feather.


trying to work a little shine..a ways off yet, these things take a long time.sorry my camera doesnt pick up how dark and rich the green is..

 

[lildinkem]

I am puzzled by the emphasis on no other breeds or even colors added. Color crossing within a breed has often been a very useful way to outcross while maintaining breed type and character. Maybe less so with the Orps as history tells us that even our SOP colors were not all derived from the same recipe so to speak. As poultry breeds go the Orpington is a relative new comer and in some ways may still be evolving though of course there are some very stable strains in several colors. Orpington evolution has also meant the development of new and different colors in recent years. The Europeans are way ahead of us and give inspiration to our efforts. But...where do any of us think these colors came from? The beautiful gold laced, partridge and others didn't come out of someone's dreams. Well, they did, but in order to make those dreams a reality there had to be some breed crossing in order to introduce the newer color and then, as has been said in connection with the lavenders, careful breeding and selection for good Orpington type. I believe there was an effort here in the US to create a strain of gold laced using a Wyandotte outcross. Nothing wrong with any of this as it gets the ball rolling. Just trying hard to understand why color or especially breed infusions are looked down on at times and supported at others. Very confusing to this Orpington enthusiast.

I learn from those who are usually older and with more experience in the field I am interested in. We here call them "mentors". When I went to school and was on the Debate team our Indiana University Debate coach was Dr. David Burns (former President Nixon speech writer). He taught that you "consider the source". When it comes to this post, I learned from Poultry greats like Allen Ammarell and Harry Shafer. I traded many emails with Allen picking his thoughts when it comes to breeding and I talk to Harry at least every other week on the phone. BOTH have crossed their Orp varieties.BOTH told me that everyone of their Orps, no matter what variety, are related to each other. Harry told me he has crossed White onto Black, Cuckoo onto White, Lavender (self Blue) onto Black. It is Harry we get to thank for bringing about Self Blue/Lavender as a variety here in the States. Or else it would have been lost to a lady who raised EE's in Fort Wayne Indiana. 7 years ago. That is why many Lavs look ALOT like Ameraucana's.
In my case, I was taught by these mentors to use the very best variety to help the quality in the other varieties I have. My Buff Sport is son from the indiana State Fair Poultry Show JUNIOR Grand Champion from 2010. A gorgeous huge Buff male from a good friend Joyce. Her Buffs are 1/2 Pontious and 1/2 Hoosier hatchery lines. And win shows. That is what is important when breeding quality. To know what your best are and use them.

 

[Don Chandler]

Test

 

[lildinkem]

Test

Howdy Don.
The one Buff Orp hen I have that came from your farm that you gave Dawn is in with this Buff Sport cock. I shown her last fall and Doug really liked her. She was a bit sun bleached but the rest is top quality. I expect them to make some darn nice Buffs. Hope you are getting some rain. Nice to have another one of the very best Buff breeders in the USA checking in.

 

[Mac14]

Here is mine, Rhulain, almost 21 weeks. It's not very good, sorry

 

[Don Chandler]

Howdy Don.
The one Buff Orp hen I have that came from your farm that you gave Dawn is in with this Buff Sport cock. I shown her last fall and Doug really liked her. She was a bit sun bleached but the rest is top quality. I expect them to make some darn nice Buffs. Hope you are getting some rain. Nice to have another one of the very best Buff breeders in the USA checking in.

No rain, just super hot! Had to come to this site to learn about orps.

don