The BANTAM ORPINGTON Thread

[Faraday40]

Thank you for the Cookie update! What a way to start my Thursday morning!

I am confused...when did the precious babies in the pic hatch? Were they in the incubator? What day is Queen Cookie on? Has she become broody ferocious? A bantam orp being ferocious is hard to imagine. LOL!

Please keep us updated on the results of your daughter's project.

The day old chicks in the photo hatched from eggs that Cookie started at the onset of her broodiness. I set some dummy eggs for her, but she collected other eggs on her own. Those eggs had to be removed so my daughter could do her experiment. Once I saw the real eggs under Cookie, I candled to discover development. I put them in an incubator to finish. This hen is one "smart Cookie" b/c she never sat on the dummy eggs. She only began to stay in the nest after she had stolen enough real eggs from the other hens.

As far as DD's experiment, we're at day 18-19 in both the incubator & broody. Those experiment eggs are fancy English Orpingtons & Bielefelders. It will get funny in a few weeks as they start to outgrow her.

The chicks from the photo are mostly mixes that will lay green eggs. Well one is a pure lav orp, but I didn't plan for any of them.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Definitely a boy!

X2-

Wow, his feathers look so much better than our 8.5 month old little guy. He has a genetic feather issue so there will be no breeding him. No matter what I feed him, how much extra protein he gets or how I supplement him with vitamins/minerals he still has curly feathers. Other than that he is a healthy, happy, sweet and quiet little rooster. He is so busy all of the time that he reminds me of Barney Fife looking for his bullet.

Jillian12 asked earlier if I would post pics of our bantams and here they are:

I took these yesterday afternoon. I thought I would lie down in the grass to get some shots of them and Little Man decided to lie down on me. lol


"Hi momma! Why are you doing?"



"Oh, so I can lie down on your back."



This is Miss Snickers, Little Man's half sister.



We almost lost her about a month a go to some sort of mystery neurological problem that had 2 vets stumped. Finally in desperation, the second vet I took her to gave her a shot of Dexamethasone and within a few hours she began to recover. After 3 weeks of tube feeding she has fully recovered and is starting to act like she might start laying soon. I am so happy that she pulled through because she is just the sweetest thing ever and has a very special place in our hearts.

 

[kimthom66]

So you peanutsmama you agree its a boy as well?

 

[Faraday40]

I am looking to get opinions as to whether my Chocolate Orpington Bantam is a rooster or not he/she is 7 weeks old in this photo.

Boy. That's a lot of comb for only 7 weeks! (Bigger than my adult hen)

 

[Faraday40]

"Hi momma! Why are you doing?"



"Oh, so I can lie down on your back."

They are so cute. I think yours are developing their own little personalities. LOL

 

[kimthom66]

The combs are the biggest giveaway for sexing. I would say by a month you should be pretty sure, 6 weeks at most.

Seven weeks old do you think roo or pullet? How can I tell for sure?

 

[Faraday40]

Seven weeks old do you think roo or pullet? How can I tell for sure?

Yours looks like a male b/c of the large pinkish-red comb. It's easier to tell when you grow out a bunch & have others to compare. Here's a hatch of mine from last year - at about 7 weeks old. (4 orps, 3 CCLs, & 3 EEs) Strange luck b/c I only got one male. You can easily spot him below in the middle. Notice how the pullets have very small & colorless combs & wattles.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

So you peanutsmama you agree its a boy as well?

I agree with Faraday40 that is just so much comb not to be a boy. This was our little guy at 7 weeks for comparison:



The only thing that made me think he was a roo was his stance and tail feathers. As you can see his comb and wattle situation was almost nonexistent. If your baby didn't have the comb and wattle stuff going on I can see how you might you might think it was a pullet because of the way he is holding himself. I kind of went back and forth for a while on ours too and then at about 12 weeks his headgear appeared and there was no doubt. He was just so sick from the very start that he has been a late bloomer all around. Oh, does your little guy stand on top of everything to get a better view? That is the first behavior that made me think our little fellow was a rooster.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Faraday40, just chicking (lol! typo and it stays!!!) in with you to see if Cookie's eggs are hatching.

 

[Lacy Blues]

20 weeks

OH MY!

What a gorgeous boy!