Russian Orloffs

[happyhens120]

That would be awesome to import new birds... I'm sure there are so many hoops to jump through but it will be so worth it!

 

[Oldhound]

We got our NPIP certification last spring so we can ship eggs and chicks, but haven't started selling any except to local buyers yet. I shipped out a few orders of eggs just for practice, but won't be selling any until at least spring. I've still got a long way to go on my Orloffs before I'll call them anything other than project birds.

Been banging around the idea of importing a new strain. Just can't decide because it's pretty expensive and a real pain in the butt. I have imported reptiles in the past though, so know the drill.

Saladin aka Charles Everett, Tulip Grove Gamefowl posted that he knew a veterinarian who was starting up an import station for eggs from Europe, I believe. I don't know how far that project has gotten , but you might get in touch with him , Doc Everett did say that he would notify everyone interested when the quarantine facility was a reality. GL

 

[desertmarcy]

Thanks. We are ok though. I've got around 30 Orloffs in the breeder pen and only keep a dozen or so through the winter and still have two large hatches left in the incubator plus a few in the grow out pen. I just hate losing any. I always feel personally responsible.

Plus you never know when that "perfect" one will pop up, I always think it might be one of the ones I lost.




Had a guy stop by today and wanted to pick up 60 this Friday.

It ain't happening! Might scrape up 20 or so.....

If I had 60 to sell, no one would be interested in any.

Ain't that the truth!!

 

[NCSprout]

Sorry to hear about the loss MFB, never a good feeling to lose chicks. I have been talking to a few people in the GB Orloff Society and the German Orloff Club about importing eggs next spring. It's looking pretty promising as far as lining everything up. This will be a first for me and it is proving to be a bit costly, but I think it will be worth it in the long run. We could use some freshening up around here. If it works out the way we've been talking, I should be getting most of the main varieties from lines in Germany and the UK. I'll update as the time grows closer.
As far as quarantine goes, I put new birds in with a "sacrifice" bird for a month. That way if they have anything they can spread the bird I have in there will show the symptoms and I won't bring anything into the flock. I have quarantined birds by themselves only to have a "strange outbreak" once they were introduced to the flock.
I hope that import hatchery does work out the Doc Everett knows. That would open a lot of doors and save a lot of work for people.

 

[ashandvine]

I sure wish you lived closer, I've got a few pretty nice grown birds I'd give you too.

I'm culling hard but there are just too many here right now.

Farming ain't for the faint of heart.

Its a bit of a long walk to get to you. Tempting though. I have family in Tennesee but that's as close I get. DH has family in Florida but they are so snobby and well to do that I can't even imagine what would happen if I left to go get chickens. Maybe you need to take a vacation in Vacation Land I'll put you up and feed you even. ha ha ha

Someone said that light effects growth in another thread. I am waiting to hear back from the Heritage folks if they think its true but so far they do confirm that darker growing conditions produce a larger comb. This other said that avoiding artificial lighting also created better developed pelvis for the hens. Anyone have any thoughts or experience here? Heritage birds take longer, I know, but they point was that if they weren't pushed to lay they'd develop better. I have a few more older breeds coming soon and want to get the biggest birds I can-- including these Orloffs.

 

[happyhens120]

I'm not sure how often RO's go broody, but I have a broody momma right now! I'm so excited... she's the first broody I've ever let sit on eggs without trying to break them, and I'm crossing my fingers that she's going to hatch out these chicks! She's sitting on two RO eggs and 5 Ameraucana/RO crosses. Whenever another girl lays an egg near her, she rolls it over to her clutch and sits on it. I marked the eggs today, and she's definitely Broodzilla and seems very serious about these little chickies-to-be. I just think it will be so cute to see a momma RO with her little ones...

 

[mississippifarmboy]

I'm not sure how often RO's go broody, but I have a broody momma right now! I'm so excited... she's the first broody I've ever let sit on eggs without trying to break them, and I'm crossing my fingers that she's going to hatch out these chicks! She's sitting on two RO eggs and 5 Ameraucana/RO crosses. Whenever another girl lays an egg near her, she rolls it over to her clutch and sits on it. I marked the eggs today, and she's definitely Broodzilla and seems very serious about these little chickies-to-be. I just think it will be so cute to see a momma RO with her little ones...

From what I gather, some strains are broody, some aren't. Our strain is very broody. We keep around 10 to 12 grown hens and always at least 10 younger pullets. We seldom get a broody pullet, usually only one or two a year. The grown hens at least half will grow broody at some point by late summer. Last fall I had one point where out of 11 hens in the breeder pen, 10 were broody at once. They are gentle broodies though. I just reach under them and take the eggs, they squawk and might peck a little, but no big deal really. Not like the Yokahamas - you stick you hand under one of those brats and you'll get the crap flogged outta ya.

Ours we try to break up when the hatching season is going on (January through July), but after that if they go broody I just let them sit. We have plenty of other hens laying for our eating eggs.





Also to Ivy;
Keep me updated on the egg import thing. I have enough room to raise lots of birds and I know a lot of folks don't. Depending on the looks of the parent birds - I might be interested in being in on that.

 

[happyhens120]

I thought it was interesting, especially after I read that Orloffs are non-sitters. She is very adamant about sitting, but like you said all I get is complaints and the occasional peck. I had a Iowa Blue/Black Orp cross that would go crazy on you if you tried to touch her or her eggs.

I'm really looking forward to these babies. Do Orloffs make good mothers? Should I be separating her from the rest of the girls so she can have her own space? Do I leave the babies with her after they hatch or should they be separated? I've never been down this road before... another new chicken adventure!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

I thought it was interesting, especially after I read that Orloffs are non-sitters. She is very adamant about sitting, but like you said all I get is complaints and the occasional peck. I had a Iowa Blue/Black Orp cross that would go crazy on you if you tried to touch her or her eggs.

I'm really looking forward to these babies. Do Orloffs make good mothers? Should I be separating her from the rest of the girls so she can have her own space? Do I leave the babies with her after they hatch or should they be separated? I've never been down this road before... another new chicken adventure!

I'm probably not the right person to ask as I don't baby my chickens.

In my flocks the Orloffs are good mothers. They sit good, take good care of the chicks, and are just all around good mothers. I never separate mine, if they go broody it's almost always in one of the nest boxes and I do nothing special, just leave her alone if I don't need the eggs. She sits, they hatch, she kicks them out onto the ground then gathers them all up and they go on their way. All of them stay in the coop at night with the others and free range during the day.

According to the books I do everything wrong, but I just don't complicate things.

Good luck with your chicks, I think you'll do fine.

 

[ashandvine]

According to the books I do everything wrong, but I just don't complicate things.

Good luck with your chicks, I think you'll do fine.

Yeah, you and Mother Nature. How did either of you ever get chickens to survive this long?!?