Russian Orloffs

[desertmarcy]

DesertMarcy, I too am pretty new to the digs of Serious Poultry Keeping but I figure the faster I get my manure in a pile the faster I can get it composted and into the garden. Hardboiled eggs. I had thought about scrambling a few so that is good advice. I do crush up some very high quality cat food from when I had a kitty and put that in with their regular feed, which is a 22 right now I think. I have been told I could find a better feed if I went to show quality feed but I don't know yet where to get that. I have looked at the percentages and I think this is topping out what I can but the idea of fermenting it has been brought up and I am going to give it a go. My birds range nearly everyday. They are getting low on bugs as we have had a few nights in the 40s. I keep the late summer sale six packs of swiss chard growing in the window through winter so that I have fresh greens for me and them. This cockerel is confined so he isn't moving around too much and he is warmer so he isn't using calories to keep warm. More crappy news; I lost that beautiful RO chick that woman gave me. My son didn't close the door well in the cottage and they got out and the Harrier came again and had it for lunch. That bird was so nice! The woman might give me one of her cockerels though and if she does I am very excited to show it off. I will also try for those pictures of her birds which I offered earlier. I have been sick this past week and busy preparing for winter the rest so I haven't been back. Hope you are all well though.

Sorry to hear about your losing that chick. I would love to let a few of my birds free range around the yard, but with the big red-tailed and Harris hawks not to mention the Cooper's hawks around here, I'm afraid they wouldn't stand a chance. Plus I really don't have the time to try to herd them back into the pen.

I have heard good game bird feed is excellent, but I can't find it organic and I am adamant about not feeding GMO's. I also believe with organic feed, the birds are getting more bang for the buck, so to speak. My climate is so different from yours. Summer here is when I am lacking for greens for the birds. Late fall to early spring I can grow all the greens--lettuce, chard, beets, etc. then summer comes, that stuff all dies out. My best summer veggie for the birds is Armenian cucumbers. They are actually a squash but taste like cucumber and get really big. I'm down to 132 chickens now

so no way a few greens in pots would help me much! I'm going to look at that fermenting idea, but I have a hunch with as many birds as I have, it will be too much work for me. I have enough problem keeping up with all I do as it is.

 

[ashandvine]

LOL I don't herd. I'm chased in. They all know its feeding time and run in behind me stepping on me some. I do have less birds so its easier but the fermenting has a link in here somewhere. I'll try to find. I have heard its started with cider vinegar, you let it start and just keep adding feed to the active mash. I know it was in Heritage Forum not long ago... oh, I'lll look... soon. Back under the door today. Pushed too hard yesterday.

BTW I agree about no GMO.

 

[NCSprout]

Haven't been on much, sorry, got a lil crazy here. Just wanted to say welcome to newcomers.

Ash, I have Mother of Vinegar and Milk Kefir Grains. I also have mealworm starts for those interested. Just let me know.
All my birds free range until separated into breeders, then go out in groups.
I truly think the best way to achieve uniformity in our birds is to follow the same standard, accepting that different people breed for different purposes. That being said, I am going forward using the German standard as my reference point. I am breeding for type and function now, with color as a secondary.

 

[ashandvine]

I can't seem to get mealies going here. What's the trick?? I correspond with a woman who raises cockroaches for hers... I can't do that.
Kefir grains are supposed to be good for people... how do you use it for chickens??

I didn't find that link yet for the fermenting. I was sick almost two weeks and as I had my first nearly human day the baby spiked a fever. Three days now, so I am busy with her. We had some early flash frosts here so many of the bugs that were being foraged are now dead and my chickens are at the door in a flash hoping for hand outs. I have them on 22% and a few scraps but it doesn't seem to be enough. Make things worse; lice. Yuck. IDK where they came from but they move quickly. I had to treat my cockerel quick. He's nothing but bones! Feeding him yolks like suggested and a few days isolation plus a bath helped him a lot. He's out again running around. Little pecker. Really, he is the only one who pecks me!

 

[kahlua]

I haven't been on the forum in a while, but thought I'd post some of my Orloffs to see if I can get any comments - good, bad, ugly?? Any obvious culls? They are about 5 months old now, maybe closer to 6.
They are from Ideal - I know they "only" hatchery birds, but I just couldn't justify spending a lot. I started out with a dozen, culled/sold a few, am now down to 6 from this batch. I have a handful that are younger.
For anyone thinking about getting Orloffs from Ideal - overall, I like them. I did get one chick with a pea comb and two with no beards. One had a severe crossbeak and had to be culled young. A few had some slight feathering on their legs. All had yellow legs. The cockerels had lots of spangling when young but now have very little. The pullets seem to be going through a phase with very little spangling right now too, but it seems to be coming back again. Their eyes were greenish as chicks, but turned to a more correct color (some better than others...) at about 12 weeks.

I do need to change their bands - I am waiting on bigger ones in the mail...

This is the orange banded pullet.




Brown banded pullet




Pink band - had nice spangling as a chick, not so much now, but it's slowly coming back. She has always had the nicest personality. Not the most flattering shot...LOL




Purple band has the nicest spangling so far...




And my cockerel - he's super tall and scrawny. He took forever to feather in along his back - he was still bald on his back at 12-14 weeks. He hasn't started crowing yet. Definitely slow maturing! I hope his type is decent, I only have one other cockerel and he's in the younger group.

 

[welasharon]

I wound up getting a tolbunt orloff in with my polish! I had no idea what he was but I knew he looked funny.

 

[ashandvine]

Please post more pix of what you are calling Tolbunt. I find this interesting.... Tolbunt and Mille Fleur and Spangled or Mottled are all very similar.

The color on the pullets above is not bad. They may develop spangling over the next year or two. Pink and Orange have best shank color but Brown and Pink may have duck foot. Let's get pix of the feet. Your cockerel has a nice upright which he should and the breast is dark, which is also good. I like him best. There are more folks to chime in though.... Post more pics as they develop for more feed back.

 

[welasharon]

this is the only current pic I have. I ordered some tolbunt polish chicks and he was in the bunch. I thought at first it was just a defect that he had not gotten a crest but someone told me that the tolbunt polish had been outcrossed at some time in the past with the orloff to strengthen the tolbunt breed so he was a throwback. As its gotten older I can see the orloff in the face.

 

[kahlua]

The color on the pullets above is not bad. They may develop spangling over the next year or two. Pink and Orange have best shank color but Brown and Pink may have duck foot. Let's get pix of the feet. Your cockerel has a nice upright which he should and the breast is dark, which is also good. I like him best. There are more folks to chime in though.... Post more pics as they develop for more feed back.

I will try to get some foot pictures this week. By duck feet - do you mean webbed feet?

I did get some new pics of the cockerel yesterday.

 

[happyhens120]

Hey guys.... Anyone selling eggs on eBay right now from Iowa? I'm bidding on some and would love to know if they are anyone's from the thread...

I just had to "operate" on my RO hen's foot... She had bumble foot. I've never seen it or dealt with it up close and personal before, but I seem to have gotten it all and she is healing beautifully. She was such a trooper! She is now almost all grown in from her molt and her Spanglish is more beautiful than ever! I will post some new pics soon.