Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

[galanie]

After reading about this, it occurred to me that in the beginning, buff orps and the blacks shared no common ancestors. Today I doubt that's true but it is interesting. I'm thinking since the blues and lavenders have non-orps closer related than the blacks that aren't related to them and the buffs, maybe there is, in a limited way, a difference in their laying. Being not orp wouldnt' have anything to do with it most likely, but breeding for color alone might.

 

[rancher hicks]

As you know I read and much of the information I use for our conversation comes from PP mag. With that, it was the black orp that came first, by Cook to be a dual purpose breed. He used the Minorca roo and blk Langshan hen the offspring he crossed with the blk plymouth rock.
"While there are still a few utility strains of Buff in existence, the majority of birds around these days will prove to be relatively unspectacular layers. Unfortunatley , long gone are the days when a healthy Orp. hen would commonly produce 250+ eggs in a season". - quote

As for colors, " followed, white 1889, buff 1894, Jubilee 1897 , Spangled 1900, Cuckoo 1907, Blue 1908, and Red". (no date given). Keep in mind that we are talking the U.K. Things may be different here in the states. What is rare there may not be rare here. Our feeds are different for sure.

The only breed I have separate is my Dels. I have orps, but they are a mix of colors and with a few EE's and a couple of RIR's. IMO only keeping a separate flock of colors to themselves can we be sure just how well a layer a particular line is. I have tried to find "trap cages" for chickens here but have been unsuccessful. My brother used to have them for his pigeons.

I recently had a friend sell his flock of GC's due to low egg production. Keep in mind that management is definitely an issue. I just recently got one egg from my flock of Dels which I think may be due to having fed them some sweet potatoes. I can't be sure it was them or the other flocks that got the pan with the sweet potatoes in it. They have been picking up steadily since.

As for claims of "prolific" , that depends on whether your selling or buying IMO. It also requires accurate record keeping. After what happened with my purchase of SFH's and B. Marans? I trust no one in what they claim. I don't care if they or someone else call them expert breeders.

 

[galanie]

As you know I read and much of the information I use for our conversation comes from PP mag. With that,  it was the black orp that came first, by Cook to be a dual purpose breed.  He used the Minorca roo and blk Langshan hen the offspring he crossed with the blk plymouth rock.  
"While there are still a few utility strains of Buff in existence, the majority of birds around these days will prove to be relatively unspectacular layers. Unfortunatley , long gone are the days when a healthy Orp. hen would commonly produce 250+ eggs in a season". - quote

As for colors, " followed, white 1889,  buff 1894, Jubilee 1897 , Spangled 1900, Cuckoo 1907, Blue 1908, and Red". (no date given).  Keep in mind that we are talking the U.K. Things may be different here in the states. What is rare there may not be rare here. Our feeds are different for sure.

The only breed I have separate is my Dels. I have orps, but they are a mix of colors and with a few EE's and a couple of RIR's.  IMO only keeping a separate flock of colors to themselves can we be sure just how well a layer a particular line is. I have tried to find "trap cages" for chickens here but have been unsuccessful. My brother used to have them for his pigeons.   

I recently had a friend sell his flock of GC's due to low egg production. Keep in mind that management is definitely an issue.  I just recently got one egg from my flock of Dels which I think may be due to having fed them some sweet potatoes.  I can't be sure it was them or the other flocks that got the pan with the sweet potatoes in it. They have been picking up steadily since.

As for claims of "prolific" , that depends on whether your selling or buying IMO. It also requires accurate record keeping.  After what happened with my purchase of SFH's and B. Marans?  I trust no one in what they claim.  I don't care if they or someone else call them expert breeders.    

Yep, that's story of the Blacks. As for the Whites, (from omelet.us) "The White Orpington followed 3 years later and was a cross between a White Leghorn and a Black Hamburg and a White Dorking." So in the beginning, the whites had no immediate common ancestors with the blacks.

From bufforpington.com.au: The Buff Orpington was created in 1894 by William Cook (taking its name from his English town of Orpington, in Kent) using the Buff Cochin (for colour), the Gold Spangled Hamburg, and Silver Grey Dorking.

And so it seems the buff didn't either, though buffs and whites both had some Dorking and Hamburg.

As for trap nests, MANOZ has a great trap nesting thread I've been following a long time on this site, and have built my own. The design he's using works quite well. At first he shows some info and diagrams from very old books but follow along and he reveals his own design. Once you get to studying them you'll find they are pretty easy for most folks to make, and cheap. If you only need the trap doors, still take a look, They can be easily made with 1/8 plywood in minutes and wire or string used for hinges if you wish. I just use string, it makes adjustment and removal easy. Velcro or just glued on strapping will work too.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

What age do orpingtons usually lay? Mine are 17 weeks almost 18 weeks. Just wondering.

 

[syble]

BOSS HOGG is inside while it is cold out. I will be exploiting BOSS this coming season......

Is he leaking red?

 

[galanie]

What age do orpingtons usually lay? Mine are 17 weeks almost 18 weeks. Just wondering.

I heard of one laying at 22 weeks but they can take up to 10 months. Most orps that people have start at around 6-7 months.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Ok cool. So I might be getting eggs in a couple month.

 

[lildinkem]

Yes he has 2 feathers with red. He is a BUSTOFF son so, to see one or two red feathers doesn't surprise me. I will still use him for the head size, the width. He needs a better tail. So he will not get shown anymore.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I've got one like that too- surprised the heck out of me because he's split for lavender. First time i ever saw that and I have been hatching orps for years. .

 

[lildinkem]

I was told that as long as the red feathers aren't on the breast it is okay to use him. The first year he was jet Black. This year he has 2 feathers. IF I was to show him ofcourse I would yank them out. The first year I had Blacks, they were from one of the better Black breeders in the country, I had 3 males hatch out, One had a lite eye, one had red leakage. That is why it is always better off buying a bird where you can see what they look like.

I've got one like that too- surprised the heck out of me because he's split for lavender. First time i ever saw that and I have been hatching orps for years. .