The BANTAM ORPINGTON Thread

[Sagetown]

I need to move this thread up on my profile page so I'm commenting.

I used to try and name all my birds... that stopped a couple years ago... too many to remember. I think perhaps naming the ones I intend to keep will be the extent of it and as of yet, I haven't decided which ones to keep so...

Y'know, just about every time I see the title of this thread in the mornings (when I'm still bleary-eyed) it seems to say The BATMAN ORPINGTON thread. Earns a double take.

Too many birds to name is right. Then, again, I've named some potential keepers, that as time went on I noticed some bad traits, and decided not to keep them. One in particular was the friendliest Roo you could imagine, and I really didn't want to let him go, but as he matured, his appearance changed to a non-typical of his breed, and I didn't want that gene to spread in my flock.

 

[Faraday40]

I'm still new, so mine all have names. When we hatch chicks, I make sure they don't get names. Sometime between 4-6 weeks, a nickname comes along & then it becomes ours. (Unless it's a boy)

Right now I want to get rid of 3-4 pullets before winter. It's so hard to downsize. The 3 youngest would be the easiest - as far as the birds are concerned. My hubby thinks it should be based on egg production only, but my daughter & I prefer personality. My son cares only that HIS chicken stays. Maybe we'll just expand the run. LOL

 

[Lacy Blues]

I'm still new, so mine all have names. When we hatch chicks, I make sure they don't get names. Sometime between 4-6 weeks, a nickname comes along & then it becomes ours. (Unless it's a boy)

Right now I want to get rid of 3-4 pullets before winter. It's so hard to downsize. The 3 youngest would be the easiest - as far as the birds are concerned. My hubby thinks it should be based on egg production only, but my daughter & I prefer personality. My son cares only that HIS chicken stays. Maybe we'll just expand the run. LOL

Chicken math is already at work here!

Too many birds to name is right. Then, again, I've named some potential keepers, that as time went on I noticed some bad traits, and decided not to keep them. One in particular was the friendliest Roo you could imagine, and I really didn't want to let him go, but as he matured, his appearance changed to a non-typical of his breed, and I didn't want that gene to spread in my flock.

Isn't that aggravating! That might be one of the reasons I keep a mixed breed flock. They're mostly for a variety in egg color but also for eating extra cockerels. I'd probably put a favorite boy in that flock, depending on how many females there were.

Say, I have a little blue bantam orp that I cannot tell if its a pullet or cockerel. Is there a standard age at which you can tell?

With my Andalusians, I can tell positively by 3 weeks. This little thing is probably 5 weeks now and is being raised by one of my project bantam Andalusian hens... she's a very good mama... so she gets to stay. She has some issues that are non-representative of her breed but she's a very dependable and patient Mama.

When you guys breed your Orpingtons, do you trim/pluck feathers around the vent? I have a pair of blue bantams. Actually, I have a trio but one of the hens has never laid an egg since I got her. Last year I got one splash pullet that was the cutest thing, but I lost her to being egg bound. I hadn't realized that they were out of oyster shell and believe me I've kicked myself for it often. I got one chick out of them this year... the one with the Andalusian hen. I had given her ten eggs and three were fertile, one died at about 1.5 weeks and then only one hatched.

I don't seem to be able to locate any more bantam Orpingtons somewhat locally and I need new blood. There will be a show here in town next weekend and I will go there to see if I can locate any. In the meantime, I have a little splash Andalusian bantam hen that is pretty stocky that I'm thinking of crossing, in the spring, with the male Orpington that I have. I know it will mess up the type and feather and all that but it appears that maybe my birds are too closely related? Or fertility is down for whatever reason. Anyway, this splash pullet is quite fertile. I gave ten of her eggs to the Mama bantam and she hatched out every one of them. So maybe some feather plucking on the male will get some other and some splashed "sort-of-Orpington" chicks next year.

 

[Sagetown]

Say, I have a little blue bantam orp that I cannot tell if its a pullet or cockerel. Is there a standard age at which you can tell?

bantam orpingtons don't show much character when young. Roo's combs and wattles are small, and until they reach 13 weeks, when some begin to crow, it's just an educated guess with me.

 

[Lacy Blues]

thanks

 

[Terrace]

You all have a lot of nice birds.I am working on getting a coop built. I know I want Orpingtons. Still not sure if I want standard or bantam.


I mostly want a flock of healthy friendly pretty birds. Many sell a few eggs and birds to offset some feed cost.

 

[Faraday40]

You all have a lot of nice birds.I am working on getting a coop built. I know I want Orpingtons. Still not sure if I want standard or bantam.


I mostly want a flock of healthy friendly pretty birds. Many sell a few eggs and birds to offset some feed cost.

I love my friendly, little bantam but she's more active. If you want a lap chicken, the larger Orps are wonderful. They eat & poop more. Also take longer to grow up. Both are great for different reasons. We have a mixed flock since we're not interested in breeding. We trade or repay favors with our extra eggs.

 

[lishanicole81]

Does Isabel Cuckoo exist in bantam orps? I love this color.

 

[ChicksRoseburg]

I am Nankin Bantam Breeder, Nankins can be hatched in a inci with fair results, putting them under a hen improves the results, as the eggs and chicks seem to need the hen talking to them before hatching, and the care of a mother after hatching. I can ship to the West coast this fall, It is to cold to ship East and have the egg hatch. I am taking orders for Spring eggs, contact me at [email protected]

 

[Faraday40]

Hi everyone! What is the egg production like with your Bantam Orps? How many eggs per week?

My pullet started laying a few weeks ago & is giving us 6 eggs per week. Is this normal or is it because she' so young? I know they lay year round, but do they lay less in the winter?

I was told my large Orps would avg 3-5 eggs per week. Those girls (same age = 25 weeks old) don't have red combs yet, so we're still waiting.

I must admit, I never expected much out of my little bantam orp, Cookie. Now that she's older, she really calmed down. Although she's not at the top of the pecking order, she thinks she is. Rather than sleep on a lower roost with the big, pullet Orpingtons, Cookie flies above the high roost & onto the window sill. (She's the only one small enough to fit.) This way she's ABOVE the roo & the top hens. She also runs between their legs to snag the top treats. All the big chickens let her get away with it, so she acts like a queen. Her nickname is the "Bantam Menace."