Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

[susanaowen]

These are my new babies. Just got them yesterday. My first Orpington pullets. I went into the pen tonight to hold them and one jumped up on my shoulder and lay down snuggling into my neck. They are so funny. Love them! I have 4 lavenders being hatched by my Silkie hen so crossing my fingers. Hope they all hatch!

 

[alibra]

Help!
I've looked up a lot of Splash Orpington pictures to compare to my rooster, who I'm looking to breed. All the pictures I've looked up are white with blue and black "splashes" but my rooster has a slight bit of buff "splashes" and even a tiny bit of red on his wing. My question is, should my rooster not be my breeder?

 

[jeremy]

No, he shouldn't be used as a breeder.

The "splashes" of buff/red that you're seeing are leakage of some sort and are considered a fault. Which means your roo is hiding some other genes underneath his double dose of Blue and those genes will be passed down to subsequent offspring.

 

[chickydee64]

So this is the first time raising bantams for me and I have a couple of questions...

The little things are 5 weeks old and started crowing?
The cockerels want to take on my Jubilees that are like 10X the size of them?
Is this normal? Are they more aggressive than English and Standard Orps?

Thanks all!

My little one pound Seramas try to mate my LF English Orp hens..................

 

[alibra]

No, he shouldn't be used as a breeder.

The "splashes" of buff/red that you're seeing are leakage of some sort and are considered a fault. Which means your roo is hiding some other genes underneath his double dose of Blue and those genes will be passed down to subsequent offspring.

Could those "leakages" be bred out in a generation or 2? I believe he was hatched from a splash roo & a blue hen. He's a fantastic bird with gorgeous feathers and comb and wattles and feet and temperament.....

 

[Johnn]

Bella is getting harder and harder to catch everyday to give anti biotics to. She was such a idiot today, she was screaming like I was going to kill her, flew over the pen fence got all the other hens set off getting worried, then she carried on running and hid under a resh covered in nettles!

 

[TheNuttyChick]

Sounds like she's much better! I don't blame her for not wanting her meds, but it's for her own good. Doctors orders.

 

[Johnn]

I might start locking her in the broody shed on a night with her mother and auntie, then she will be let out at 1PM after her morning medicine!

 

[Sonja73]

Isn't it funny how our lives revolve around our chickens Johnn? lol.

I am glad to hear good things about the bantams. Mine are Chocolate Orps as well. They are friendly to people, I guess I was a bit shocked when at such a young age they were trying to fight the older bigger cockerels. Tough little things! One of the many reasons I breed Orps is the fact that they are so mellow. When I suddenly see these little fighters crowing and wanting to fight, I was shocked, lol. Anyway, thank you all for your words of advice and knowledge, I feel much better now.

 

[Johnn]

Isn't it funny how our lives revolve around our chickens Johnn? lol.

I know! They are making me very fed up this year!