The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[Faraday40]

Anyone want to play guess the gender?
They turn 6 weeks old tomorrow. Normally they'd be sexable by now, but this batch has very small combs..... but all have wattles.

2 co-broody hens walking their babies to bed.

Lining up on the roost we have:
Purple, blue, pink, green, teal blue. white, black.

None look 100% male yet. I think my best chances for males are: Purple, blue, & teal.
Anyone agree or disagree?
(I sold 8 immediately at hatch. Then I needed a new lav orp roo, so I kept these 7 to grow out the best male. I sure hope at least one is male!)

Here's how my male lavs normally look at 6 weeks:

Here's a 6wk old female lav split:


Could the cold temps be delaying development?

 

[Honora]

Anyone want to play guess the gender?
They turn 6 weeks old tomorrow. Normally they'd be sexable by now, but this batch has very small combs..... but all have wattles.

2 co-broody hens walking their babies to bed.
View attachment 1177023
Lining up on the roost we have:
Purple, blue, pink, green, teal blue. white, black.

None look 100% male yet. I think my best chances for males are: Purple, blue, & teal.
Anyone agree or disagree?
(I sold 8 immediately at hatch. Then I needed a new lav orp roo, so I kept these 7 to grow out the best male. I sure hope at least one is male!)
View attachment 1177024 View attachment 1177025 View attachment 1177026 View attachment 1177027 View attachment 1177028 View attachment 1177029 View attachment 1177030 View attachment 1177031


Here's how my male lavs normally look at 6 weeks:
View attachment 1177049 View attachment 1177050
Here's a 6wk old female lav split:
View attachment 1177056

Could the cold temps be delaying development?

They all look like pullets to me. Of course when you want a male you don't get one, right?

 

[Faraday40]

They all look like pullets to me. Of course when you want a male you don't get one, right?

That's what I'm afraid of!

We actually kept this guy from my post above:

His comb & wattles were slower to develop. He was so sweet and his nickname "Mr Nice Guy" became his name. Sadly he died in Sept from the severe heat (we think) but he was around when I collected eggs.

I'm still hoping there's a chance he was the father & that there may be a hidden male. (A
Wasn't he gorgeous!?

 

[Honora]

That's what I'm afraid of!

We actually kept this guy from my post above:

View attachment 1177578
His comb & wattles were slower to develop. He was so sweet and his nickname "Mr Nice Guy" became his name. Sadly he died in Sept from the severe heat (we think) but he was around when I collected eggs.

I'm still hoping there's a chance he was the father & that there may be a hidden male. (A
Wasn't he gorgeous!?
View attachment 1177577 View attachment 1177581

Sorry you lost your rooster; he was very handsome. I used to have a lavender rooster that was the sweetest guy ever. He is the chick in my avatar. Had to go when he started crowing though.

 

[rachelsflock]

My red Orpington pullets STILL don't have waddles or have the tiniest little things ever, and they're over 6 months, while their brothers just exited the "looks like a dump truck" phase and are headed toward the "full rooster mode, but still a little dumpy" phase, so I'm going to vote that anyone with waddles that early is a cockerel. Not that I'm a thread regular.

 

[Lelanae]

By request--my English Ladies from Carolina Rare Chicks. I lost the lavender cuckoo to a CAT--I am still so upset--but I am delighted with the two others. My son wanted a white (she is still molting around her head and neck) and the buff is monumental --very very sweet,goofy and cuddly!

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Lelanae: Nice birds, I especially like the even color and head on your Buff. I don’t keep Buff or White, but LOVE me some fluffy Orps. BBS are my favs, I’ll look for some pics to post.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

 

[Faraday40]

By request--my English Ladies from Carolina Rare Chicks. I lost the lavender cuckoo to a CAT--I am still so upset--but I am delighted with the two others. My son wanted a white (she is still molting around her head and neck) and the buff is monumental --very very sweet,goofy and cuddly!

Love that Buff! Your pullets are looking good. When did they hatch?

Here are 2 of mine from the June 17th hatch. Both were thrown in as extra eggs. I was unsuccessful when I tried to sell them, but now I'm glad they're still here. I never owned a Buff orp & now I do! (Buff Colombian is close enough, right?) The other is a Silver Blue Laced Orp. I have a Silver Laced Orp Roo, so perhaps I will see if I can get some better lacing next generation.

If they look grumpy , it's because of the cold. Right now it's 2'F (windchill -12). Only getting colder tonight & tomorrow. Should be a touch warmer by Tuesday. Thankfully these gals have small combs. Even my English Orp roo has a smallish comb.

 

[Faraday40]

Here are some of my remaining lav orp chicks from the Sept. 22 hatch:
They are 14 wks old. (This is the batch where ALL 8 still looked female-ish at 6 weeks.) I have one confirmed male with large comb & saddle feathers & my other ??? male is the one in front. (pic below) No saddle feathers on him, but those wattles make me think it's a male. The other 6 are all females.