Red Partridge Orpington informational hatch thread

[K0k0shka]

Interesting observation. A couple of days ago, I finally turned off the heat on the MHP. The chicks were still stuffing themselves underneath it every night even when it was hot in the room, probably out of habit.

They’d spend some time under it, then come out and sleep sprawled on the sand in front of it, but they always started out under it.

After I turned the heat off, they refused to go under it again! For two nights now, they have started the night out on top of it instead. They’ve never done that before. And we’re going through a cool wave so it’s no longer hot in the house, so it can’t be that. I’m surprised they wouldn’t still want to huddle in there, and am now questioning the whole “going under out of habit” theory. Last year’s chicks did continue going under out of habit for quite a while after I turned the heat off… Did they actually want the heat? So much that without heat, the space under is dead to them? Or did they just happen to wean themselves at the exact same time I turned the heat off… They haven’t transitioned from cuddling yet because they aren’t using the roost in the brooder

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How old are the littles now? And is it just camera angles (and my imagination), or is the dark one actually bigger than the other two, with slightly heavier legs? (Me squinting and turning head sideways for a closer look at all the pictures.)

 

[K0k0shka]

How old are the littles now? And is it just camera angles (and my imagination), or is the dark one actually bigger than the other two, with slightly heavier legs? (Me squinting and turning head sideways for a closer look at all the pictures.)

8 weeks old exactly. The one with the very orange head is the biggest by far. She was the first to hatch and has always been bigger than everybody else (even the boys) and feathered out way ahead of everybody, too. The dark one is next in size. And the one with the blue feet is the smallest.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

8 weeks old exactly. The one with the very orange head is the biggest by far. She was the first to hatch and has always been bigger than everybody else (even the boys) and feathered out way ahead of everybody, too. The dark one is next in size. And the one with the blue feet is the smallest.

Thanks. They're all so pretty!

 

[aart]

They go under from habit and for shelter....it feels 'safe'.

 

[K0k0shka]

They go under from habit and for shelter....it feels 'safe'.

I know, it just seems weird that they stopped doing it right when I turned the heat off.

 

[K0k0shka]

Guys!!!! The rehomed partridge boys remember me!!! At this point they've spent more than half their lives away from me, and with the exception of one quick peek through the fence last week, they haven't seen me. And yet, when I went in and sat down, and when they heard my voice, they came right up to me! I put them in my lap and they settled down, and we cuddled for a very long time!

Here's Blinky. He's still blinking so there's definitely something permanently not right with his eye, but there are no signs of inflammation, no discharge, he can see just fine and is acting and growing normally, so I guess it's not a big deal:

Here's Lemonade. His yellow baby colors seem to have been temporary and have made no significant difference on his teenage colors. The feathers under his chin are a bit lighter, and his lacing has better contrast with a lighter outline on the feathers, but that's about it. He's a pretty boy and very sweet.

Both of the partridge orp boys have their fluffy underpants hilariously sticking out on their backs, untucked

If there was any doubt... Look at that headgear!

For comparison, here are the three partridges that I kept:

The dark one, which was questionable at one point, now has the smallest and palest comb of all and I'm absolutely positive is a pullet.

The three chicks that my broody raised now live with the two partridge orps. They won't let me get anywhere near them, but at least they came to my hand for treats. The two males did, at least. The one female is extremely skittish and hung in the back, never coming close enough to eat.

She has developed a fancy hairdo:

The other 6 chicks that I hatched for my friend and raised for 3 weeks still let me pet them, too, though they don't go as far as snuggling. I never snuggled with them though. These three batches (my partridges, the broody's, and the other 6 brooder chicks) have had three levels of socialization and the results are consistent almost 2 months after hatch.

Interestingly, 6 out of the total 9 chicks I hatched for my friend have crests of some sort, when she doesn't currently have any crested breeds. The hens are all purebred something or another, but the roosters are mutts hatched from the flock and she did have Polish hens a couple years ago, so something must have come down through the daddies.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

It's sweet that they remember you. I know that the plans are that they will end up as dinner one day. I understand that, but, if partridge orpingtons are hard to come by in your area have you or your friend that is raising them thought about looking for a place that wants a pretty well behaved boy or two? I mean, these are not your run of the mill feed store orps?

 

[K0k0shka]

It's sweet that they remember you. I know that the plans are that they will end up as dinner one day. I understand that, but, if partridge orpingtons are hard to come by in your area have you or your friend that is raising them thought about looking for a place that wants a pretty well behaved boy or two? I mean, these are not your run of the mill feed store orps?

Yes, we have definitely considered that. It's always hard to find homes for males, even pretty/rare ones, but we'll give it a try. Also, my friend is planning on keeping one out of this year's crop. So between mine and hers, one will get to live. Mine are the most tame and her farm is an educational farm with student visitors, so tame is a huge point in their favor. My Partridge Orpington boy from last year, who's the reason I hatched these in the first place, went to live with her, too, until his sudden death, and she used him as a teaching animal, because he was so sweet and tame and she could hand him to children even when he was 7 months old, when others have already turned aggressive by that point. He even made it into the local paper! So I have a feeling she's gonna want another tame one, and one of my boys might get to live with her. And I'll try to find a home for the other one. She'll give me all of her males to eat, so there's no pressure to eat mine this year

 

[K0k0shka]

Today's the big day! After spending a month mingling with the flock during the day, it's time to start putting the chicks in the coop at night and finally dismantle the brooder. I've been nervous to do it sooner, because the coop is a smaller space and I didn't want the chicks to feel cornered by the aunties. But they have pretty much figured their dynamics out by now, so I'm feeling more confident. The chicks have their separate roost, and the feeder is far away from it so the big girls won't have to go near the baby roost for anything. I set the auto door to open at sunrise so they can get right out. I'm still a little nervous. Hope it goes well.

This is still their favorite roost