The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[ColtHandorf]

I consider it part of my distributed 'back up' plan. I have shared chickens with locals so that if ever tragedy strikes, I have my orpington bloodline spread out throughout the area.

Always a good plan. I now have many chicken friends that have a few of my birds here and there, just in case.

We have a silver laced Orpington that’s eight weeks as well and I’m praying it’s not a Roo!

I'll throw my hat into the cockerel ring. That little one screams cockerel. They are really gorgeous birds. And none of mine have been aggressive. Are you not allowed to have roosters?

Ours took forever and today she wound up with a big open wound on her back. We have her in isolation until she can heal.

That's no good at all. I've had a time with mine wanting to pick. I think they are overly warm and bored. They aren't big enough yet to have a larger pen because the snakes can get them if they aren't in something with hardware cloth. Vetricyn works wonders on chickens. He should be all healed up in a couple of weeks and growing the feathers back in. Higher protein feed will help with that so you can offer a little cat food or boiled egg for a boost to the feather production.

 

[sunnie7]

I know... I’m so bummed... It’s my favorite chicken... Was yours super slow to feather? Ours took forever and today she wound up with a big open wound on her back. We have her in isolation until she can heal. I also wonder if the others are picking on her because she’s really a Roo...?

Mine feathered out pretty normal just the comb development has been very slow compared to my other roosters his age.
I agree with the other advice on keeping him isolated and give them all some extra protein!

 

[ColtHandorf]

Well I was particularly well-behaved this weekend. I went to a Poultry Trades Day in Gilmer, TX and delivered some SLO hatching eggs to a few breeders/vendors. I got to socialize with some new chicken friends and some old ones. I only brought home four chocolate Orpingtons chicks and three little Blues. One of the Blues is Mottled, or split Mottled. Another friend was there that Amanda got her Seramas from was there and just gave her some eggs from the pairs at their table that had laid. I did not come home with the $300 pair of Snowy Calls that were absolutely gorgeous. I did buy a tutu for Amanda's dumb little Silkies. lol She refuses to put it on them until I help her give them a bath. lol

I sold all the baby geese but two this weekend. I also sold all the turkey poults. I have some more cage building and bird moving that needs to happen this week but it is already soooo hot. When is winter again? lol

Amanda and I also decided on a name for the "business" so now I've got to make a Facebook page for us and get nice pictures of all the birds. I also saw a friend's set up last week and fell in love with it. Now I just want to build these for all of Amanda's bantams to keep them safe and then build some for the Orpingtons. Those pictures are on the phone so I'll post them in a sec.

Also my Lavender Silver-laced chicks are coming in this week. So yay me. I ordered 10 and he's going to send extras. Hopefully I have a good split with cockerels and pullets. I just keep thinking it an't be as bad as the time I ordered Speckled Sussex and got two pullets and twenty-three cockerels. That was insane.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I just love this set up. I think 10x10 is plenty big enough for bantam quads or whatever. I think I’ll double the length for Orpingtons and keep like nine hens and a rooster per pen? Turkeys, guineas, and geese get to keep the barn. And I can keep grow out birds in the original pen? My friend is going to give me like 12 or 15 wire cattle panels like what people build hoop coops out of to make a nice pasture for the geese. Now I just have to figure out where I want it. Lol These pens that are solid I think will run past the barn where it stays dry. I’m not sure though.

 

[singwithmylife]

Always a good plan. I now have many chicken friends that have a few of my birds here and there, just in case.



I'll throw my hat into the cockerel ring. That little one screams cockerel. They are really gorgeous birds. And none of mine have been aggressive. Are you not allowed to have roosters?



That's no good at all. I've had a time with mine wanting to pick. I think they are overly warm and bored. They aren't big enough yet to have a larger pen because the snakes can get them if they aren't in something with hardware cloth. Vetricyn works wonders on chickens. He should be all healed up in a couple of weeks and growing the feathers back in. Higher protein feed will help with that so you can offer a little cat food or boiled egg for a boost to the feather production.

Yeah, I don’t have much hope for him being a hen. Super sad cause he’s the sweetest. No, our area won’t allow Roos. I’ve found someone not too far away though that needs a fella to watch over her flock.
Thankfully we have an extra coop with an attached run where I can keep him segregated from the rest but still able to interact with them. It looks like everything is scabbing up nicely. I’m just watching him closely for signs of infection. I used a purple goo called “pick no more” that seems to have helped. I’ve also been feeding him scrambled eggs and extra mealworms. Will it be too stressful for him to sleep alone until he’s fully healed? Poor thing is so dang sweet!!!

 

[homeschoolin momma]

Yeah, I don’t have much hope for him being a hen. Super sad cause he’s the sweetest. No, our area won’t allow Roos. I’ve found someone not too far away though that needs a fella to watch over her flock.
Thankfully we have an extra coop with an attached run where I can keep him segregated from the rest but still able to interact with them. It looks like everything is scabbing up nicely. I’m just watching him closely for signs of infection. I used a purple goo called “pick no more” that seems to have helped. I’ve also been feeding him scrambled eggs and extra mealworms. Will it be too stressful for him to sleep alone until he’s fully healed? Poor thing is so dang sweet!!!

If the wound is scabbing over and you have the purple stuff on, it wil more than likely be ok for him to go in with everyone else. Chickens are attracted to red and since blood is red, that is why they'll pick at it. The purple covers over the red so they are less tempted to pick at it.

English SLO in my experience are some of the sweetest chickens out there. My slo roo is my baby and favorite out of the whole orp flock. (I do have a favorite silkie mix that is basically a pet and the bees knees so to speak)

 

[Faraday40]

These cicadas are fun, entertaining, & nutritious. My chickens can't get enough of them. While my flock is jumping up into the trees for snacks, Darling is teaching her chicks young.

 

[Faraday40]

After weeks of only getting 1 egg from the SLOs. (One layer and 3 free-loaders) I got 2 eggs today!

Now I just need 'Awesome' to figure out how to fertilize them..... The SLOs got some personal grooming the other day, so hopefully that will help.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I just set four incubators full of eggs. I’ve told Hollywood this is his last chance or I’m going to be putting Sterling in the pen with the girls. I set Orpingtons, Seramas, six Whiting True Blues that a friend foisted off on me (lol), guineas, and Turkeys. I’m going to be up to my eyeballs if all of them hatch.

The eggs my friend set for me and they are hatching today. Amanda already has two little Seramas out.

 

[Faraday40]

@ColtHandorf
Good luck with all those eggs. I know how you feel when setting so many. Did you set them to all hatch at the same time?

Right now I have an incubator full of eggs due on the 19th, and my silkie ready to adopt. She was given 3 SLO eggs, but as usual, they're clear. I'll just give her whatever hatches.

Yet broodiness is contagious. Two seramas joined her this weekend. Do I set more eggs for them or just divide the incubator chicks among the 3 hens?
(I'm really debating setting more eggs. )