Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

If you will leave a 1 1/2 inch space between the top of the pot and the grass, and put hardware mesh over it, the birds /cats can't kill it. It helps to have a couple of pots, or flats.

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duh! I never thought of the hardware mesh over it, thanks. I just keep 2 going for the cat and forgot to say I do leave about 1/2-1" space to top of pot. Thankfully we have had some green grass most of the winter here so I have not had to worry about the chickens.
 
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My birds love sprouted wheatgrass...i just get the whole wheat berries (seed) and use the grower flats...this gets you a foot or maybe 2 of 'grazing' area depending how large of flat purchased...i just use a few inches of clean/organic potting soil...cover the top with seeds, then maybe 1/2" of soil on top. I then put a few wet paper towels over the flats and put in a warm dark area inside for a few days...sunny window or porch (depending on your zone) for about another 3-5 days...voila---you have about 2-3 inches of grass...birds love pecking the tender tops down to the soil in these flats....easy grass that's nutritious and tasty for your birds! Mine also love red clover seed sprouts...sometimes i sprout quality bird see too...just takes a bit longer than the wheat grass.
 
Goodness, that's a lot of feed and birds. I'd rather raise fewer, and spend what's left on reservations in Knoxville for me and all the girls. Got 'em ladies !

As you know these LF Orps like to eat. To do it right I am keeping 13 Buff males till I have narrowed down who finishes out and produces what I like. Last year I hatched only 20 from my pair of Buffs I deemed as the best. I still have 19. I also added the Akers pullet and brought back Lee's big Buff girl. I have at least 20 Black & Blue pullets to get homes for or feed to the dogs. Now I have 15 chicks, maybe more, I haven't checked to see who else may have popped out. I also added the trio of Moore line Whites. I wished I had more money and more time and especially more energy to try and take on some of the off varieties of Orps. I am very focused on Whites and Buffs this year. Last year I only hatched out a dozen or so from my Brown/Red cock Harold and would you know outta those dozen or so I hatched from him I would get my best type Black and Blue males. So i have to see what those will do. To do it rite I need to hatch and raise and see. It is much easier to just keep a dozen and hope you can make the show winners from a smaller hatch. Some day when I have line bred my Orps to a tighter gene pool I will be able to get away with smaller hatches. For now it is hatch at least 30 or 40 of each variety. Especially with these outcross lines I have made. The White trio is from a 20 year old line so I should only have to hatch out 30 to get a nice trio or two for the future season. IF I choose to take Akers pullet to Akers cockerel I can get away with only hatching 30. But, I do not like to do that. I like to put my own twist on the genetics and will take this Akers pullet to one of my 9 Buffs cockerels that I made from my pair last year that has some Akers blood mixed in with Britt blood. That is good for all those who may need some different Buff blood like Joyce wants that I can give her. My BBS's are going to be a total cr@p shoot. The Harold sons will be like shooting a shotgun of genetics. Some may hit the bull's eye of what I like some may just look like garbage. Such is the way I do things here.
 
X 2...
My birds love sprouted wheatgrass...i just get the whole wheat berries (seed) and use the grower flats...this gets you a foot or maybe 2 of 'grazing' area depending how large of flat purchased...i just use a few inches of clean/organic potting soil...cover the top with seeds, then maybe 1/2" of soil on top. I then put a few wet paper towels over the flats and put in a warm dark area inside for a few days...sunny window or porch (depending on your zone) for about another 3-5 days...voila---you have about 2-3 inches of grass...birds love pecking the tender tops down to the soil in these flats....easy grass that's nutritious and tasty for your birds! Mine also love red clover seed sprouts...sometimes i sprout quality bird see too...just takes a bit longer than the wheat grass.
My crimson clover is now 6" tall in the orchard where the Orps range. They are chowing down on it, and the rye grass, kale, and rape that I planted in the fall over the centipede grass. What they really love is the chickweed that comes up under all the hydrangeas which are planted under the pear trees. I never have to weed under there nymore. The Orps pick it clean.
 
My crimson clover is now 6" tall in the orchard where the Orps range. They are chowing down on it, and the rye grass, kale, and rape that I planted in the fall over the centipede grass. What they really love is the chickweed that comes up under all the hydrangeas which are planted under the pear trees. I never have to weed under there nymore. The Orps pick it clean.

Chickweed is a huge favorite here too..Im going to use my old food dehydrator and dry up a ton of that for next winter..crumble it up in my big jars that I found at estate sale..Add it and some other dried favorites to scrambled egg for them next winter..what a treat thats going to be..it grows like crazy around here..there is another plant..odd looking little thing..the chickens love that too..we learned being a small part native american that those are unbeleivable medicine . put it on bee stings , no pain no swelling...skin issues? works on skin things...chickens plow through it..especially when its small leaves..they graze like cattle around here...I dont have to mow a lot, especially the smaller pens..just mow once in a while the weeds and plants they dont like..
 
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Chickweed is a huge favorite here too..Im going to use my old food dehydrator and dry up a ton of that for next winter..crumble it up in my big jars that I found at estate sale..Add it and some other dried favorites to scrambled egg for them next winter..what a treat thats going to be..it grows like crazy around here..there is another plant..odd looking little thing..the chickens love that too..we learned being a small part native american that those are unbeleivable medicine . put it on bee stings , no pain no swelling...skin issues? works on skin things...chickens plow through it..especially when its small leaves..they graze like cattle around here...I dont have to mow a lot, especially the smaller pens..just mow once in a while the weeds and plants they dont like..

one warning on chickweed. I have to cut and carry greens to my birds because they can't range due to predator issues. I pulled some chickweed and tossed to the 2-3 month olds a couple weeks ago. I didn't realize at the time that the long stems had gotten tough and stringy. I lost a young bird to an impacted crop because of it. So from now on I'll be sure to chop this stuff up so the long stems can't get wadded up in there.
 
it crumbles right up into tiny peices when dried..I throw the bigger stringly stems in compost bin.
Its everywhere here so everybodu gets some.
 
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Argh!!, Bella is not laying yet! all the eggs i thaught were her were actually my Ancona Bantam's!!
 

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