The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[Faraday40]

Looks like that's what my source has available right now, so I will be getting both.

I used to have BBS bantam Orps that I LOVED. They were beautiful, friendly & great moms, too. I will be getting bantams again in the future but right now I have a dog who likes to chase birds, so I am hoping if I get the large fowl that she'll be less likely to see them as prey. Her dad is an actual hunting hound, so I don't know how she will will do with chickens, but we'll see. (Also it's easier to get rid of the extra roosters if they are large).

I thought I remembered you from the bantam orp thread. I've been looking unsuccessfully to get another bantam orp like my sweet "Cookie." She's 6 years old and still my expert broody.

Do you remember Cookie?

 

[ColtHandorf]

I love that bird!

 

[Faraday40]

Some update photos of SLEO Guin and her lavender Orp/???? cross flockmate, Drogon.

Gun & Drogon (love the name) are growing nicely.

I went back & looked at Blizzard's baby pics. & she did not look good at all.
Baby Bliz at 4 wks:

Blizzard Adult:


Here's Blizzard's chick 3.5 wks (next to a serama sibling):

I was thinking male due to slow feather growth, but after looking more closely at Bliz, she also had short wings at the same age.

 

[Faraday40]

I love that bird!

Thanks. Cookie is amazing. We nicknamed her "the Bantam Menace" b/c she was the only tiny hen among all the giant orps. She would always run between the big girls, steal the best treats, and run off before they even noticed. She never had fertile eggs b/c the roos were LF, so she happily incubated several giant English Orps. Currently she's raising our May 1st hatch. (When broody, her name is "Cookie Monster.")

I wish I could find another bantam orp, but most I've seen look thin - not the fluffy English body-type. She started laying thin-shelled eggs this spring, so I'm a little worried about her. Thankfully she stopped laying and went broody, so I know she's got a little more time. I honestly don't care if she lays. I just enjoy having her in our flock to keep the big girls in line and care for all the chicks.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Those names are fantastic! I've seen some pretty nice little Orpington bantams. Were you looking for local sources, or shipping? I'd adore a little mess of the bantam Orpingtons to raise chicks for me.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Today was a gorgeous morning. I went out to check on the birds before work and they seemed to be enjoying the breeze. I can't wait until I'm able to build the goose pen so they don't have to share their pen with a broody goose. Not that she's much of a pest but it would be nice to have the pair together instead of separated.

My oldest pullet is getting prettier by the day. I'll have to Get some pictures of her if it doesn't rain today. I want to take the little ones outside for a bit to enjoy the grass. I ended up putting them on wire because I was super over the tubs. If the murder goose wasn't in their pen they could go outside. But that will have to wait until I get them moved.

If I decide to have some eggs shipped in for hatching does anyone have recommendations for quality English-type Lavender, Blue/Black/Splash, Silver-laced, or I guess Gold-laced now that I'm producing them? I'd still like to find some point-of-lay pullets, but I don't think anyone locally has any.

 

[Faraday40]

Mine are from the lines of ewe crazy farms. I got mine as eggs from a friend who got theirs directly. I've been happy with them.

A couple years ago Ewe Crazy sold their orp stock to Carolina rare chicks. It could be a good place to start your search.

 

[ColtHandorf]

That is the bloodline I have currently. Do you ever sell hatching eggs? Or do you usually do it locally?

 

[Faraday40]

That is the bloodline I have currently. Do you ever sell hatching eggs? Or do you usually do it locally?

I've only sold chicks & sometimes eggs locally. I do get people driving through the Chicago area on vacation & stopping by for some fluffy souvenirs. So far my chicks have spread to 5 diff states. I never tried shipping. Right now I do not have the best fertility. Only about 65-70% of the eggs are developing, so they're not worth selling. (That's under the best conditions without any stress from shipping.) I'd be open to an egg swap someday if I see their fertility increase.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Ok. SOunds good. It's been ages since I've shipped eggs but I wouldn't mind sending some test batches of shipped eggs to you to see if my method still works. I used to individually wrap the eggs in bubble wrap, pack them in a small box surrounded by packing peanuts, wrapping it in bubble wrap, followed by placing that box into another slightly larger box with more packing peanuts and taping the whole thing up and shipping it. I rarely had any issues with broken eggs. I've never tried the foam egg shipping method I see has caught in in recent years. I never did the egg carton/sawdust/tissue thing. That just seemed silly.