The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[rockinpaints]

That would be cheaper the the Original pair sold, but the price has gone down a lot now. It would end up at about $240 per bird. I think a trio just sold one one of the online auction sites for around $300.

Just saw that it said LF Chocolates, those haven't been released in the US as of yet. Though the auction that went last year had a pair listed as bid on at $5000 but I highly doubt that that would have gone through even if they hadnt gotten their whole flock condemned by the USDA.

OOPS!

I had to delete my last post because I forgot to figure in the cost of tests, transportation and quarantine (I think quarantine is about $300 a bird......)
Maybe not such a good deal..........

 

[rockinpaints]

Thank you Dee for sharing! I've missed you

Those of you that know me, even just a little, know that I am obsessed with the Gold Laced.

Recently, I have been conversing with a breeder in Germany that wrote its history. The article was published in German, but he gave me permission to reproduce a translated version in English for a website/blog that I have under construction. Most of you would not be interested in the entirety of the article, since I know most of you aren't as crazy as I am, so I thought I'd at least give you a reader's digest version...just FYI.

• It took Jobst von Veltheirms 10 years to create the color variety (1955-1965)
• A laced bird was not the creator's goal, but rather a wonderful mistake. Von Veltheirms was trying to create a Mahogany Orpington
• Buff Laced Blue was the first variety. The variety was created for the 100th Anniversary of Braunschweiger's Poultry Breeders Assn. The "Buff" (yellow) and Blue are the colors of the City Flag
• 1965 Buff Laced Black presented at the National Show in Frankfurt by Herman Stubs (original stock given to him by creator who continued to work with Buff Laced Blue)
• 1972 Variety Recognized December 15th

The original "recipe" for the variety:

• Red Cock + Black Hen
• F1 - Cock of Offspring + Speckled Sussex Hen
• F2 - Cock Offspring + Buff Hen
• F3 - A surprise- beginning of lacing appears
• F4 - Lacing "fixed" w/heavy squared Barnevelder Hen
• F5 - Cock Offspring + Buff Hen
• F6 - Cock Offspring + Blue Hen + Creation of Blue Laced Orpington

(I also translated the German Variety Standard. As Bob Follows pointed out several weeks ago, in one of our emails, "The Germans are perfectionists". Needless to say, their Standard is very detailed. If any of you Gold Laced "Buffs" ...pun intended, are interested in reading it, let me know and I will send you a copy.)

OK, now back to pretty pictures, everyone. Aveca...awesome.

 

[radirevo]

That would be cheaper the the Original pair sold, but the price has gone down a lot now. It would end up at about $240 per bird. I think a trio just sold one one of the online auction sites for around $300.

Just saw that it said LF Chocolates, those haven't been released in the US as of yet. Though the auction that went last year had a pair listed as bid on at $5000 but I highly doubt that that would have gone through even if they hadnt gotten their whole flock condemned by the USDA.

There are people selling F2 choclates as LF chocolates. I think this is a little bit misleading. You can only talk about LF chocolates at stage F3 or even F4.
That's my humble opinion.

Marc

 

[fowlman01]

There are people selling F2 choclates as LF chocolates. I think this is a little bit misleading. You can only talk about LF chocolates at stage F3 or even F4.
That's my humble opinion.

Marc

Or when a cock bird is 10 lbs.

Walt

 

[radirevo]

Or when a cock bird is 10 lbs.

Walt

Hi Walt,

I think size is equally important.

Marc

 

[rockinpaints]

There are people selling F2 choclates as LF chocolates. I think this is a little bit misleading. You can only talk about LF chocolates at stage F3 or even F4.
That's my humble opinion.

Marc

I have not seen that. I have, however, seen where they are selling chocolates that originate from Christina's project chocolates (my self included) but not without an explanation of what the actual birds are. That, though, is in no way misleading. The chicks that we are currently offering are 4th generation chicks (not sure how that falls into the F2 F3 F4 scale). They are not large fowl but are very close.

I believe the more people that work on this project the sooner more gene diversity will be available. We also have LF chocolate orpingtons that we imported this summer ourselves - which are actual LF. I am glad that the party that I purchased my original LF project chocolates from was willing to sell them to give someone else the opportunity to work on them.

Once again this variety of Orpingtons is not accepted in the USA, nor is it accepted in the UK standards. We are still many years away from that happening. It would seem to me to be more troublesome to see the brassy hackled and barred chocolates being bred.

 

[fowlman01]

Hi Walt,

I think size is equally important.

Marc

I agree, but it is unlikely that they can get the size and weight in such a short time. It takes a while to get a bantam up to LF size/weight or a LF down to bantam size or weight. It can certainly be done....just takes more time than most people think. I'm not sure you could call them LF by F4 unless you were extremely lucky in the breeding up. It is easier to breed down in size than up in size. Weight is generally the criteria, as the physical look can be misleading because of the feathering on some of these British birds.

Walt

 

[radirevo]

I have not seen that. I have, however, seen where they are selling chocolates that originate from Christina's project chocolates (my self included) but not without an explanation of what the actual birds are. That, though, is in no way misleading. The chicks that we are currently offering are 4th generation chicks (not sure how that falls into the F2 F3 F4 scale). They are not large fowl but are very close.

I believe the more people that work on this project the sooner more gene diversity will be available. We also have LF chocolate orpingtons that we imported this summer ourselves - which are actual LF. I am glad that the party that I purchased my original LF project chocolates from was willing to sell them to give someone else the opportunity to work on them.

Once again this variety of Orpingtons is not accepted in the USA, nor is it accepted in the UK standards. We are still many years away from that happening. It would seem to me to be more troublesome to see the brassy hackled and barred chocolates being bred.

Nellie,

I wasn't referring to you in my reply, don't worry.
Did your source use LF black 100% English hens in her project?

Marc

 

[BamaChicken]

I am working on getting eggs from my breed pen now which will make F3. I am looking forward to seeing the size of the offspring. i am using a Really large black pullet and I think if these turn out worth anything that they will Definitely be up to 10 lb by F4. I can't count my chickens before they hatch though so at this point I am still at F2. I only hatched one Choc F2 Cockerel from Christina. He is still young but I think he will finish out at around 7 to 8 lb. He is very broad and stocky.

One thing about the Choc bantams is they are larger than the American English Orp Bantam. That may help in the upgrade. Just my opinion

 

[rockinpaints]

Nellie,

I wasn't referring to you in my reply, don't worry.
Did your source use LF black 100% English hens in her project?

Marc

It was my understanding that they were and they appeared to be. My hens are English as well. I have not weighed any of mine but maybe a project I will undertake tomorrow

to see where I am weight wise.