Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

[rancher hicks]

You have seen pics of my chicken run haven't you? All covered with plastic and all? I suppose with the run floor all covered with straw they don't want to go out. I do leave the door open on one run as it's a little crowed in the coop at night,but they choose not to go out.

As for weasels, I did take a walk down to the creek area. It's covered with now this time of year. In the summer it's all grown over and Lord have mercy , the skeeters will carry you off. Anyhow i didn't see only some squirrel track some that might be weasels. I printed out a copy of foot prints but I didn't have the guide with me. I suspect that it is a weasel. I don't want to put up a trap in case I have no problem and end up attracting them to the area. The tracks were way into the wooded area.

 

[lildinkem]

You have seen pics of my chicken run haven't you? All covered with plastic and all? I suppose with the run floor all covered with straw they don't want to go out. I do leave the door open on one run as it's a little crowed in the coop at night,but they choose not to go out.

As for weasels, I did take a walk down to the creek area. It's covered with now this time of year. In the summer it's all grown over and Lord have mercy , the skeeters will carry you off. Anyhow i didn't see only some squirrel track some that might be weasels. I printed out a copy of foot prints but I didn't have the guide with me. I suspect that it is a weasel. I don't want to put up a trap in case I have no problem and end up attracting them to the area. The tracks were way into the wooded area.

A good friend of mine got hit by a Mink in Dec. It killed 50 of of birds. He finally caught that Mink in a Live trap. Only 22 inches long and little over 2 lbs. But would kill 10 birds a nite during that spell.

 

[lildinkem]

Just working with what I have.
Here is the one pure snowball White orp I have to use. He will be in action real soon here as the days stay lite longer. Also here is my best Bustoff daughter. She is responsible for my Duns. I have her in with KORgo.
Nice cold day here. Can't wait for this to head east and give us back those nice 40 and 50 degree days!
And another close up of Harold. He is going to be used well this coming year. I have a friend who will be sending me some of her Brown Red project pullets. She crossed an Ameraucana Brown Red on top Exhibition Blacks. And I am to get a few to use with Harold. As you know Harry is number 2 in the Brown Reds here. But something about him I like.

 

[rancher hicks]

lildin - They are very nice. Your whites much nicer than the ones I just traded away. And nicer than the lavenders I have. My blacks are nice and I'll be working them into the Lavs.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Hi all, I would like to have your opinion on my 2 Buff Orpington roosters. I plan to use them as breeders, but the pullets are 4 months old, so it will be awhile before hatching any eggs. The roosters were given to me at Crossroad last fall, and I was told that they were hatched in June, and are directly from Greenfire Farm. They carry Lemon Cuckoo genes.

This was taken a month ago-
Roo-1

Roo-2

This was taken today-

Roo-1

Roo-2 I noticed that he has very small amount of feather fuzz on his shanks.

Thanks for any input.

 

[HenThymes]

Now that's a great idea. If hay wasn't so scarce right now and selling at a premium and if I didn't have 16 rescue horses I'm tyring to feed I'd build some temp shelters all over my farm out of hay bales. Fortunately so far this winter we haven't had winter and have had zero freezing days. But that's not the norm so next winter you've given me some ideas.

Ruth, can you get your hands on some cheap straw? It works great! We used a nice large size low pitch roof dog house for two winters, put stray on it's side behind it on the sides of it and two coming out in front of it and then several on the top. Makes an awesome winter house and stays cozy for them. You can't see it the greatest but here is a pick before we put the top straw bales on the winter.

 

[Phantom_Rooster]

lildinkem, Harold is looking very nice. I would have loved to see his head in pic #4.

 

[ruth]

Ruth, can you get your hands on some cheap straw? It works great! We used a nice large size low pitch roof dog house for two winters, put stray on it's side behind it on the sides of it and two coming out in front of it and then several on the top. Makes an awesome winter house and stays cozy for them. You can't see it the greatest but here is a pick before we put the top straw bales on the winter.

Wow - super looking guy there.

Thanks for the idea. I'll check into straw. I don't know about anyone else's Orps but mine don't like to roost up high - probably because they can't. They can't fly at all from what I can tell so I've had to build low to the ground roosts in their pen and coop. Then when it's our rainy season their pen stays a wet muddy mess and I have to cover their outside roosting/resting areas with tarps. They have wooden dog houses and specialty-built roosts that they tend to hang out on all day long before going in at night. I'm thinking the straw or hay bales will make better outside shelters for them in the winter (which is also our rainy season). In the summer, no problem, 8 months of triple digit heat and not a drop of rain.

 

[wava1vaughn]

Hi from Ga.

 

[Thistlepony]

I've been using old horse blankets draped over a large dog crate, with a bit of hay inside. When it got cold here, my rooster climbed in there & wouldn't come out

He was sitting on the one and only egg. I had to rescue it from under him. He was very nice and warm.