The BANTAM ORPINGTON Thread

[sandiTX]

This week I will be getting a Trio, and 3 pairs of Black and Chocolate Orpingtons, along with several 2 1/2 month old chicks, and 7 week old chicks all either black/Chocolate, can't wait

 

[ivyrash]

I am in NE Kansas and looking for a Bantam Chocolate Orpington cockerel/rooster. Let me know if you have something or know someone who might.

Thanks

 

[sandiTX]

I am in NE Kansas and looking for a Bantam Chocolate Orpington cockerel/rooster. Let me know if you have something or know someone who might.

Thanks

to bad your not in Texas

 

[ivyrash]

Would you be willing to ship? Not sure what it would cost but I could look into it if you were willing.

 

[lishanicole81]

I have Chocolate Bantam Orpingtons that I Love Love Love. I have several chicks to build up my flock. Problem is, I cannot figure out how to sex them. Any advice, hopefully before spurs and eggs

 

[Sagetown]

I have Chocolate Bantam Orpingtons that I Love Love Love. I have several chicks to build up my flock. Problem is, I cannot figure out how to sex them. Any advice, hopefully before spurs and eggs

Orpingtons are very hard to determine. I know when they begin to crow..

I did see an exhibition at ATWOODS, and it worked . There were two large bins full of chicks.
One Bin held straight run chicks, and the other held pullets.

Of the straight run Bin, the man scooped up a chick, held it in his right hand. His left hand was turned palm up with his middle two fingers parted in a ' V '. He placed the chick's head between his two fingers of his left hand, and gently holding it between the fingers, he lowered his right hand away from the chick.
The chick drew up it's legs against it's body.
This was a cockerel.
After a few more cockerels, the next chick dangled both legs straight down. This was a pullet.
He said : "If a chick only lowers one leg it is also a Cockerel."

Then we moved to the all pullet Bin, and each chick he placed between his fingers, they let their legs dangle straight down, just as he said.

I tried it with some of my 14 RIR Bantam chicks. After doing four of them I quit because all four drew up their legs. When they reached 12 weeks old, I finally could tell them apart just by observing them. I had 7 cockerels, and seven pullets. Guess I should have tested all of them.

 

[lishanicole81]

I have heard that somewhere before. I thought it was crazy chicken vudoo or something I guess I will have to give it a try. Thank you for the info.

 

[Faraday40]

Orpingtons are very hard to determine. I know when they begin to crow..

I did see an exhibition at ATWOODS, and it worked . There were two large bins full of chicks.
One Bin held straight run chicks, and the other held pullets.

Of the straight run Bin, the man scooped up a chick, held it in his right hand. His left hand was turned palm up with his middle two fingers parted in a ' V '. He placed the chick's head between his two fingers of his left hand, and gently holding it between the fingers, he lowered his right hand away from the chick.
The chick drew up it's legs against it's body.
This was a cockerel.
After a few more cockerels, the next chick dangled both legs straight down. This was a pullet.
He said : "If a chick only lowers one leg it is also a Cockerel."

Then we moved to the all pullet Bin, and each chick he placed between his fingers, they let their legs dangle straight down, just as he said.

I tried it with some of my 14 RIR Bantam chicks. After doing four of them I quit because all four drew up their legs. When they reached 12 weeks old, I finally could tell them apart just by observing them. I had 7 cockerels, and seven pullets. Guess I should have tested all of them.

I've been trying to figure this idea out for a couple years now. I just found a video on it:

By the way, I don't advise trying to look up methods for "sexing chicks" - especially while the kids are around. There are way too many inappropriate search results!! Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[Sagetown]

I've been trying to figure this idea out for a couple years now. I just found a video on it:

By the way, I don't advise trying to look up methods for "sexing chicks" - especially while the kids are around. There are way too many inappropriate search results!! Has anyone else had this problem?

Yup; been there and done that. What a shocking way to learn we need to be careful on the web.

 

[chocbantamorps]

I know that orpington hens are known to be broody but several of mine have to be tossed into jail every three weeks. I have six bantam hens, four chocolates I hatched in March 2013 and two blacks I bought as chicks in October 2012, and all but one are driving me crazy with their broodiness. There are no roosters available so their eggs will never hatch but they don't know that. I usually get only three or four eggs a day because one or two are usually in jail and/or were just released from jail. In fact, during the first 18 days of July this year, the jail has only been unoccupied for four days.

I know they are broody because of their breed but I didn't realize they would be broody so often. I am thinking of selling the two chocolates that go broody every three weeks and replacing them with another bantam breed that is not as broody. Any suggestions for not so broody of a breed? And do you know of anyone in the southwest Virginia area that would be interested in chocolate bantam orp hens. I will not ship them so they would have to be picked up locally.