Russian Orloffs

[desertmarcy]

I just put an ad up for 5 Spangled Russian Orloff chicks if anybody is interested.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...s-5-beautiful-started-chicks-postage-included

 

[NCSprout]

When I was reading through-- or attempting to, a recent russian agricultural study done on the genetics of several EU breeds, including the Orloff, via DNA break downs, they listed it has having Uzbekian Game and one other game I can't recall... not Malay or any thing else. I wish I read Russian.

I believe you may want to look at that study again. http://www.agrobiology.ru/4-2011yakovlev-eng.html
The one common link between the 4 studied breeds was their root in fighting chickens. They all had descended in part from Malay and Central Asian birds

 

[Gresh]

Does anyone know how pure some of the hatchery Orloffs are? I have asked if anyone knew about Ideal Poultry's Orloffs, but can't remember if I've gotten an answer yet. If I can find a hatchery that sells good Orloffs, I would want to go that direction because it is cheaper, but I want to do the Orloff breed a service, and if that means waiting a bit for better stock, so be it.

 

[NCSprout]

Gresh,

Regarding the Orloffs at Ideal, They originated from stock that was brought over by Curtis Flannery. The seem to be decent, but I am not a fan. I would suggest, if I may, that if you want chicks, you look at getting desertmarcy's chicks. She is someone who is actually trying to improve the breed, not just remaking them to sell for profit. That, in my opinion, is a fair price for her time and shipping expense. I would also suggest paying very close attention to the weather, because shipping older chicks in hot weather can be kinda dicey. Other than that, if you can wait, my previous offer still stands.

And, yes, get some Orloffs, work with them, learn the line, then worry about crossing. Unless you have the space to experiment, in which case I say, go for it, man, do what ya wanna do.

 

[RiddleMe]

Gresh,

Regarding the Orloffs at Ideal, They originated from stock that was brought over by Curtis Flannery. The seem to be decent, but I am not a fan. I would suggest, if I may, that if you want chicks, you look at getting desertmarcy's chicks. She is someone who is actually trying to improve the breed, not just remaking them to sell for profit. That, in my opinion, is a fair price for her time and shipping expense. I would also suggest paying very close attention to the weather, because shipping older chicks in hot weather can be kinda dicey. Other than that, if you can wait, my previous offer still stands. 

And, yes, get some Orloffs, work with them, learn the line, then worry about crossing. Unless you have the space to experiment, in which case I say, go for it, man, do what ya wanna do.

X2.
My Orloffs are from Whelp, I ordered 25, paid $85ish for chicks and shipping. I had actually hoped to get birds from a local-ish breeder, just bought these as a backup, but it didn't work out with the breeder, at least this season, so I'm glad I got them. I like them, they are pretty birds, inquisitive, and great foragers. Having said that, of the 26 chicks I received, 9 died within 48 hours (shipped in Feb and I think cold/USPS was just too much, they just didn't recover). In the last month I have culled 7 to the layer flock for varying degrees of duck foot, from a single toe just a tad off to what looks like two thumbs. Leaves me 4 cockerels and 6 pullets. Still watching a couple for toe placement, they look fine 99% of the time but then there is that occassional glance/photo that causes concern. And its something that does seem to progress as they mature, looking back at all my chick photos I don't see it in any of them. Also, one cockerel has feather stubs (about 4 on each leg - first one in my recent set of pics) and one pullet has a single feather stub. The cockerel will be culled, he's one who is still on "toe watch" and I have two others that are larger/darker. The pullet I am waiting to see what happens post juvenile molt, she might get one test breeding next year. But at this point, that leaves me with six probables and three possibles (feather stub and two others on toe watch). So, for almost the same purchase price, I have fed 17 birds to end up with 6 I might breed, and zero knowledge of past breedings, genetic history, or breeder goals. Granted, I do have lots of eye candy in my layer flock... Just depends on your goals and available space.

 

[RiddleMe]

Riddle- your birds are looking very nice.  Marcy, what are the signs of heat issues you are seeing?  I am curious.  We don't deal with that here.

Gresh,  I agree with you about the Malay and game being bred back into RO but be careful how loud you type that in here.  If you were to seek a Malay thread in BYC or even try the Heritage thread you would find a couple folks who have bred Malay in or who keep Malay. 

Thanks Ash, look at my post before this one and you'll see some of the issues I've noted, most prominent being duck foot. But there might be a few worth working with next season. Oh, and that predominately white cockerel you liked, he's either the first pic, or even darker now (can't remember which of the two white boys I had posted). Amazing how much their color has changed in just a couple months.

 

[Alaskan]

In one post that I read on the internet, (I know

) it was from a breeder who used to live in Europe, and then moved to Canada. He said that he had found, in the European stock, that the Orloffs that were most true to type, had very small feathers in between the toes.

Has anyone else noticed this? Ever? Have any of you'll ever seen an Orloff with feathers between the toes?

(not what Riddleme was talking about, which was on the legs)

 

[desertmarcy]

I've not seen any duck feet on my Orloffs, but what I do get is occasional cross beak. I culled two for that this year. Unfortunately, they don't have it at hatch, they develop it later, about a month old or so is when I noticed it.

 

[desertmarcy]

In one post that I read on the internet, (I know

) it was from a breeder who used to live in Europe, and then moved to Canada. He said that he had found, in the European stock, that the Orloffs that were most true to type, had very small feathers in between the toes.

Has anyone else noticed this? Ever? Have any of you'll ever seen an Orloff with feathers between the toes?

(not what Riddleme was talking about, which was on the legs)

One of my first hens had small stubs between her toes.

 

[Alaskan]

One of my first hens had small stubs between her toes.

did you think she was more true to type than most? Do you think that the "most true to type=stubs of feathers between toes"?