Russian Orloffs

[ashandvine]

The only little fellow that hatched from the Mottled eggs

I had a singleton hatch out of my RO just this past week too. Luckily I had Ams that were just a few days older I could put it in with. I notice already that this RO is easier going than the Ams.

 

[desertmarcy]

I finally butchered one of my Orloff cocks today. I kept thinking about it, but just never did. So finally went out there with a scale and weighed him and his brother, the brother I used for breeding. He weighed 6 lb 6 oz, 2 lbs underweight according to the old Standard. His brother weighed 7 lbs 5 oz, still a little small but better. Some of his offspring are starting to look pretty tall, so hopefully they will fill out and be nice birds since I am now down to one breeding male (having lost the other to the heat).

 

[vtguania]

ashandvine for now Eli (what I named the little fellow) is alone till my next batch hatch out this weekend. Eli is drinking & eating fine but gets a bit chirpy sometimes. Pretty curious running up to my hand whenever I put it in the brooder.

 

[kahlua]

Our heat index has been 100+ degrees for the past few days and the heat wave is supposed to continue through the weekend. So far my Orloffs seem to be tolerating the heat well. My adults are panting here and there but not excessively. My coop is nice and shady so I'm sure that helps. They do have a big pan of water, but I haven't seen anyone standing in it.

My chicks from desertmarcy are doing great, I ended up with 6 total. I lost a bunch due to shipping stress and one had a crossed beak. I think I have 3 girls and 3 boys.

I have some eggs from my adults that I will be locking down tomorrow. I am excited to see how the chicks look! I believe I have about 20 eggs that are looking good. I expect that some will hatch with faults, since they're from my hatchery stock so who knows what they might be carrying. But I do want to keep a few chicks from this batch as an eventual outcross to Marcia's birds!

One of my hens has gone broody - it took me 3 days to realize it! The first two days I thought it was just a coincidence that I kept catching her in the nest box. But I realized today that she's broody. I kicked her off the nest and she ran around like a spaz for 5-10 minutes, then went back to the nest. She's plucked out a lot of her chest feathers
I feel bad for her sitting in an unventilated nest box in this heat - but I do have a cage that I can use as a broody breaker.

I would like to find a home for my rooster from Ideal, I'd hate to put him in the freezer after raising him for over a year. But I have too many roosters and I know it's unlikely he'll find a home. But if anyone in the NJ area wants a roo - he's a tall boy, still has a lot of filling out to do, and he's very quiet (rarely crows) and gentle! And fertile too! LOL

 

[vtguania]

kahlua I know what you mean about the heat. I'm a bit further up north & it's been hotter than usual here, had to put one of my young ones down last week since it was suffering too much. Head jerking and barely breathing. On a good note, I also have some eggs I just set on lockdown, should be getting a hatch this weekend from Erhart's Mahogany. Desertmarcy does have very nice looking birds at that. Hopefully the weather has been good to her as of lately. Is that a pic of the roo you want to find a home for? If you're willing to ship I'd be interested in him.

 

[kahlua]

kahlua I know what you mean about the heat. I'm a bit further up north & it's been hotter than usual here, had to put one of my young ones down last week since it was suffering too much. Head jerking and barely breathing. On a good note, I also have some eggs I just set on lockdown, should be getting a hatch this weekend from Erhart's Mahogany. Desertmarcy does have very nice looking birds at that. Hopefully the weather has been good to her as of lately. Is that a pic of the roo you want to find a home for? If you're willing to ship I'd be interested in him.

Yep that's him - my husband dubbed him Junior. I would consider shipping, but I'm not sure about what temperature ranges are safe, or how to go about it, how much it would cost. I can look into it though.
He's from Ideal, hatched last April or March. He has a couple of feather stubs on his feet. I can get some more pics.

 

[vtguania]

kahlua I'm not sure what the temp ranges are either. There's a good thread on shipping here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/252070/shipping-requirements-for-adult-poultry-usps-info & https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/252070/shipping-requirements-for-adult-poultry-usps-info

Also for shipping box this is a good site http://crazykfarm.mybigcommerce.com/single-chicken-shipping-box/
I've been looking into boxes without having to buy in bulk since I have someone who's wanting a few of my birds. You can PM me the details if you get it figured out( the box & shipping cost would be on me as well). I would definitely like it to be cooler than now (High 91).

 

[ashandvine]

He is a rather nice looking cockerel. I have been suspicious that Ideal got their birds from a very well known source years and years ago but I can't track the information yet. I might have to get in touch with Ideal directly and hope someone knows what I am talking about. Either way, although he is a 'hatchery' bird hatchery stock started somewhere and if these are the birds I think they might be it certainly explains why they look so nice. I love his thick hackle. What happened to his muffs??

 

[vtguania]

ashandvine I believe that Ideal got their Orloff from Curtis Flannery some years ago, I remember reading something about it somewhere. On the US Orloff Club forum there's also mention of hatcheries getting their Orloff from Curtis in the letters from Charlie Casper.

 

[chicken farmer]

Our heat index has been 100+ degrees for the past few days and the heat wave is supposed to continue through the weekend. So far my Orloffs seem to be tolerating the heat well. My adults are panting here and there but not excessively. My coop is nice and shady so I'm sure that helps. They do have a big pan of water, but I haven't seen anyone standing in it.

My chicks from desertmarcy are doing great, I ended up with 6 total. I lost a bunch due to shipping stress and one had a crossed beak. I think I have 3 girls and 3 boys.

I have some eggs from my adults that I will be locking down tomorrow. I am excited to see how the chicks look! I believe I have about 20 eggs that are looking good. I expect that some will hatch with faults, since they're from my hatchery stock so who knows what they might be carrying. But I do want to keep a few chicks from this batch as an eventual outcross to Marcia's birds!

One of my hens has gone broody - it took me 3 days to realize it! The first two days I thought it was just a coincidence that I kept catching her in the nest box. But I realized today that she's broody. I kicked her off the nest and she ran around like a spaz for 5-10 minutes, then went back to the nest. She's plucked out a lot of her chest feathers
I feel bad for her sitting in an unventilated nest box in this heat - but I do have a cage that I can use as a broody breaker.

I would like to find a home for my rooster from Ideal, I'd hate to put him in the freezer after raising him for over a year. But I have too many roosters and I know it's unlikely he'll find a home. But if anyone in the NJ area wants a roo - he's a tall boy, still has a lot of filling out to do, and he's very quiet (rarely crows) and gentle! And fertile too! LOL

WOW he's a beautiful russian orloff,do you breed him?