The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[Kiniska]

Jeremy, when you say 'fretting' are you referring to the condition of the end of the feathers?

I am asking because I have produced some blues that have feathers that are possibly 'fretted'? they look almost…frayed? I do not believe it is from feed as none of the others in the same pen have this going on. I do not believe it is from pecking or abuse from a cockerel as all of the feathers all over the bird look this way. I kind of believe it is genetic as I had a hen last season with this issue, I did hatch some of her eggs because I thought she had a great tail set. I hatched 2 blue pullets without the 'fretting' and 1 with. So here's a picture, not a very good one, but I think it shows what I'm referring to.

Some of mine looked like that and it ended up they were sleeping under the other birds. Not saying that is what is going on here, but adding extra roosts helped.

 

[galanie]

Thanks to Jeremy, galanie and aveca, I really needed to hear what you guys said it put my on the right path to start breeding the lavenders. That is the first real constructive criticism I have had as to what I should do with my orpingtons and I apreciate that, especially from such experienced breeders with beautiful birds like yours. I will take all of your advise and put it into my breeding program! My worst frear with using the Black English boy is that after we cross the F1 splits together and get some lavenders out of them those lavenders may carry red/gold leakage?

That depends. If those BBS of yours have been bred as blues should, to NOT have the gold gene, then you likely won't get leakage from a black out of those. a "true" black does have the gold gene because it enhances black and adds to that beetle green sheen they should have. In other words, it depends. I'm unaware of the source of your birds and even if I was, I doubt I'd know if they had gold hidden in there somewhere or not LOL. Anyway many blues do have a gold gene because so many breeders are or were unaware that they should not use a "true" black to breed to blues for helping the lacing, but rather a black that is the result you get when breeding blues.

 

[RisingStar]

As an AKC dog breeder/show person as well as Orps, I learned a long time ago that "you have to build the barn, before you can paint it". In other words, Get your "type" correct before you worry about the color of it...whether its a dog, a bird, a horse etc etc....Always, always, "type" first.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Quote: Good to know...thank you!

 

[Lylfyly]

Just had to share my Jubilees. Pardon the Brabanters

 

[PugBug]

Cull that Lav rooster and put your Black English boy over your Lavender hens, you'll have to work with Lav splits for awhile but you'll have much better looking birds in a few generations.

X2!

 

[CountryFriedChicken]

Well 1754 pages is going to be long to read

I thought I would introduce myself here, I ordered several black copper marans and recieved two warmers in the box with them. At first I did not know what they are, I thought they were clean legged marans with no tail for a long time and they were close to chopping block many times because well... they do not look like marans! Then I realized - they were ORPINGTONS!!!! So I went to look at the breeders website - english orpingtons. After inquiring with the breeder, they were Korfus Klucker/Pownall Orpingtons and she paid a pretty price for the sire... so much for the two pullets that were going to the table or in the laying pen. After looking them over and spending a little time with them, I am getting attached to those big fluffy ladies. So I am looking forward to learning more about those birds and working with them. Of course I am still a total novice as I follow a few other breeds more and have been working with them longer. Those are my first english breeds so I have much to learn. I am think I am going to work with blacks and maybe chocolates LF, if the chocolate is indeed a true color. I have not decided on the blues yet.

Thank you for reading.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Ok...you guys have convinced me...I am going to cull the lavender roosters and cull the hens pretty hard down to 4-5 good meaty pullets...put them in with my Black English boy and go from there.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Well 1754 pages is going to be long to read

I thought I would introduce myself here, I ordered several black copper marans and recieved two warmers in the box with them. At first I did not know what they are, I thought they were clean legged marans with no tail for a long time and they were close to chopping block many times because well... they do not look like marans!

Then I realized - they were ORPINGTONS!!!! So I went to look at the breeders website - english orpingtons. After inquiring with the breeder, they were Korfus Klucker/Pownall Orpingtons and she paid a pretty price for the sire... so much for the two pullets that were going to the table or in the laying pen. After looking them over and spending a little time with them, I am getting attached to those big fluffy ladies. So I am looking forward to learning more about those birds and working with them. Of course I am still a total novice as I follow a few other breeds more and have been working with them longer. Those are my first english breeds so I have much to learn. I am think I am going to work with blacks and maybe chocolates LF, if the chocolate is indeed a true color. I have not decided on the blues yet.

Thank you for reading.

welcome!! very good lines...some of the best! congrats!! you have some very good pullets to start you out! now there is one rule to this thread...you cant talk about beautiful orpingtons that you have then not post any pictures of them LOL

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

The Black English Cockerel I will use with the lavender pullets comes from imported BBS lines not sure what line though someone in Virginia imported them I think.
I wonder if my Black English Cockerel carries the silver gene ( i think it is called) or the gold gene....the breeder I got him from bought her stock from a BBS breeder that bought some stock from the person that imported them to Virginia. (if that makes sence) anyway the breeder I got my black cockerel from has been breeding them for a few years but only breeds blacks to blacks as far as I know so I wonder even though his most recent background (his parents and grandparents) were black does he still carry the silver gene from when they were first imported?

the reason I want to know is because I don't want my lavenders that I will get when I cross the F1 splits together to have gold leakage...or should I even be worring about that right now...should I just forget about the color faults for now and just go for type only for a few generations then work on getting the color right again?