Russian Orloffs Bantams

[banter]

I have a Spangled Russian Orloff bantam. I'm still not sure if it's a roo or a hen. It's less than half the size of my other normal size Orloffs at 6 months old. I hatched it (incubator) myself. does anyone else have one of these?

 

[banter]

Well, it's a roo-fooled us for a long time! It is almost a year old and just got a tail and has only crowed a few times.I read a Brit article on Orloff's recently which stated the breed can take up to 18 months to fully develop. It is showing mating behavior. It is half the size of the other Orloff roos, which is not quite bantam, but very small for an Orloff. He also has a nice beard and lovely color! I also have a smallish hen, so I'll try to pair them. Someone had emailed me about 2 months ago about the first post, and I lost the mail-PM me if you read this! I'll try to get a picture of him next to a standard Spangled Russian Orloff roo and post it soon.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Aw, he's ADORIABLE!

I love russian orloffs!!!

 

[banter]

This one was raised in the house with a late hatch Sebastopol goose baby. They were inseparable. The biggest problem was that the Orloff learned to bath like the gosling-he was always wet!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Aw, that's so cute!!! A baby chick raised with a gosling!!! SO CUTE!!!

I had a baby chick that was raised with a baby bunny ...

 

[chicklips]

Don't have the bantams but I did just get 6 standards. My husband wanted them because they look "evil". I am hoping they will develop nice color and become the start of a breeding project, we'll see.

 

[banter]

Quote:
You will be how surprised at how sweet they are. They look like they'd rip your face off and they are super gentle!

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Hi Banter;

It may have been me that PMed you or the other way around about the bantams. Don't recall for sure. I have recently acquired a pair of bantam, Spangled Orloffs. He's a chunk! Seems to be somewhat larger than she. I have no LF to compare them to. Could you give me some idea of the size, weight and height if you could, of the LF to compare?

I will attach some pics I took of them. She seems to be a sweetheart, he is not fond of being picked up, but is not aggressive at all. They both have gentle dispositions, and very soft feathers! One thing I did not know or notice in the pics I had been sent, at the time of purchasing them (it was done by emails and USPS), she has a bad toe. It looks like it was more than likely hit by something. Possibly pinched in a door or gate. It is not gangrenous or rotten or smelly or anything. Just dark and hard and not flexible at the first joint. It also could be that her toe nails had been cut too short and it affected the quick (sp). I talked with the MN State Vet. who is in charge of the poultry division of animal health, and he said the quick scenario is most likely it, and to leave it alone as long as it does not bother her, which it does not seem to at all. It is disappointing because the pair would be great show birds and maybe still are.

She has begun to lay, every other day or so, and I set her eggs each time she lays them, in the bator. So far, two of them are fertile! I want to hatch out the chicks as many as I am able as soon as I am able. She also will not use a nest box, so I remove the eggs ASAP to make sure they don't eat them or trample them.

Sorry to be so wordy... they are really hard to get a good pic of but will add a few and will keep track this thread with interest. He stands about 12-14" and she is about 9-10" tall.

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt78/mrandmrschicken/orloffsforcc012.jpg

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt78/mrandmrschicken/orloffsforcc001.jpg

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt78/mrandmrschicken/orloffsforcc010.jpg

Thanks for your time!

 

[banter]

Those are great! ALL of my small Orloffs have one bent toe-weird! Must be in the genes!

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Banter...

If you see this, I got my first egg from one of my bantam Orloff pullets yesterday! Found it in their run early in the am. Later that day I set it under a broody to test for fertility. The next pullet should be laying in 2 or 3 weeks. I am fortunate to have hatched out two pullets and two cockerels at different times. Also have a younger pr. that it's too early to tell what they are yet. If what I know so far holds true, it will be another pr. With these, the females have a whiter muff than the males and thats whats happening so far with the little ones, one is a white neck beard and one is mahogany. Have you noticed anything like that yet?