Russian Orloffs

[Cuban Longtails]

Quote:
Type, not color. Right now, the focus should not be color due to how bad the breed has deteriorated. In my opinion, use the birds in the photos on the feathersite page as a reference: http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Orloffs/BRKOrloff.html See the photo at the top of the page; then of the pair taken at the Bloomburg, PA show in 1997; another good one is the "splash" orloff (he looks a little slim, but may be just young, I think they need a broader back to them); and on down at the UK cock shown with the blue background. Look at the stance, how the bird is shaped, the carriage of the tail, the length of the body, how the wings are held, etc... There is also a link to an article written by Craig Russel, who is one of the most knowledgeable persons in the US regarding Orloffs.

Quote:
I haven't seen it in the birds I have/had, and another person I was working with never mentioned bald spots on the neck. It *could* be a throwback trait to the oriental game used in the breed's making, but I'll have to do some asking around to find out.

 

[OrloffTom]

Ah ok

, I'll be sure and read those articles shortly and when the weather gets a bit better I'll try to get some pics too. I think I do have a few pics but they aren't very recent, maybe a couple months old, so I'll try to find them and get them posted. The bare spot is underneath the hackle feathers and you can't see it unless he's bent over eating or whatever. Thanks again for the links and the info everyone. I just read on another site that said this "This breed really needs support from poultry keepers as it is rather rare !. A very good layer of tinted eggs and on the plus side has good winter laying capabilities.The breed can be kept penned up in reasonable sized breeding pens but do not over crowd the growers as they have tendencies for fighting and feather pecking!."

 

[savingdogs]

Mine do not fight, they are too submissive. I originally had six and they were all very submisive to my RIR and BO chicks, always.

I thought perhaps it got started because they were literally low on the pecking order. But my chickens live usually in one big flock of mixed types.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

My cocks are territorial, but nothing serious. No more than other fowl and nothing like pit games and the like.

ETA - Mine are penned separately, I do not keep them together in one flock.

 

[OrloffTom]

Here are a few pics of my lone rooster lol. By looking at the pics is there anyway to determine whether or not he is a pure breed? Like I posted before there is no way I can tell for sure. I was told at the TSC that they got their supply from Privette Hatchery. I tried emailing them but never heard anything back about the possibility that it was pure bred. I got him by luck per say as he was in the assorted pullets bin and we got him lol. The first couple he is around 7 weeks old in late may and the last 4 is when he is around 26 weeks in late September. In the last pic would his "underbite" be a problem in his offspring?

 

[Count Orloff]

That roo is definitely not a full-blood Orloff.

 

[OrloffTom]

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Yah, after a while of reading and whatnot, I kinda figured he wasn't but did retain some of the qualities. If anything though it made me really get an interest in the breed in itself

.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
I'm still reading everything I can find on the Orloffs and looking at the few old pictures I can find. Question for you? I feel that Orloffs, mine for sure, need to be a bit larger and heavier, have a much more upright carriage and a "Game" look to the heads. Am I seeing this right?
I have a cockrel that has a fair stance and a good "Look" but he is one of the ones with light legs and also has way too much white on him. All the birds that I kept after culling have a wide V back like I see in the old pictures (Looking at them from above), so I'm thinking that is correct?
I have one hen who is a bit smaller than the others and also has a bit of "partidge" type penciling in her hackles, which I am going to cull. The other hens all have nice spangling and also good body shape, but have almost no upright carriage.
What would be your recomendation on which trait to breed for first?
Thanks

 

[OrloffTom]

While I'm kinda bummed he's not a pure breed I always suspected that he wasn't

but like I mentioned before I love the breed and am eager to learn more about it!

 

[FowlRanger]

If anyone has any (Large) Spangled Russian Orloff: Eggs, Pullets, Day olds etc they would like to sell please contact me.

I am very interested in purchasing from someone in the coming months, but I can't at this time get any Roos.

P.S. - This Thread is incredible!