The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[jojosthings]

Hey fellow orpington lovers, I live in England so all my hens are English orps and I'm absolutely sold on the breed they're precious! I've just hatched out 4 little chicks last week and I'm hoping those in the know can put my mind at rest. After a disastrous hatch! Which I have learnt so much from I ended up with 4 little chicks, one lemon cuckoo, a blue splash and 2 gold laced! but unfortunately one got trampled

I was running two broodies side by side and they stole eggs chicks and then broke down diving barriers to get too each others chicks, killing one in the end! Anyway the long and the short is do orpington feathers grow in sex linked like other breeds!? At a week old there's a definite difference between the chicks and I'm hoping it wasn't a little girl chick that had the accident

my little boys desperate for a hold laced hen! thanks Jo

 

[fowlman01]

I just read about it over on the Classroom at the Coop forum, so who knows?

I want to point out to those following along with this conversation-

The mottling that we're seeing on the imported Orps, whether it's the minimal "Spangled" or the more distinctly colored "Mottled" examples and even those birds we would refer to as "Hysterical Mottled", they are all genetically the same.

The difference is how the gene expresses itself in the bird. All we're doing is splitting phenotypical hairs here.

Selective breeding is the best way to produce evenly Mottled Orps.

Agreed.

I have seen a word used in the British Standard to describe overly white mottled birds and it was a strange description, but it was not hysterical. I will try to find it.

Walt

 

[Irishhenman]

The British standards do not include mottled for orps

 

[fowlman01]

The British standards do not include mottled for orps

I noticed that. Blue, black, buff and white seems to be it although they mention the Jubilee in the intro. My British Standard is 10 years old though. Do the Orps in Ireland have the heavy lower fluff like the British birds that win in shows?

Walt

 

[galanie]

Hey fellow orpington lovers, I live in England so all my hens are English orps and I'm absolutely sold on the breed they're precious! I've just hatched out 4 little chicks last week and I'm hoping those in the know can put my mind at rest. After a disastrous hatch! Which I have learnt so much from I ended up with 4 little chicks, one lemon cuckoo, a blue splash and 2 gold laced! but unfortunately one got trampled

I was running two broodies side by side and they stole eggs chicks and then broke down diving barriers to get too each others chicks, killing one in the end! Anyway the long and the short is do orpington feathers grow in sex linked like other breeds!? At a week old there's a definite difference between the chicks and I'm hoping it wasn't a little girl chick that had the accident

my little boys desperate for a hold laced hen! thanks Jo

If you mean do the females get tail feathers, etc. first then yes, but it's not 100%. Plenty of us have had the first one with tail feathers end up being a boy and the last to have them end up being a girl. But most do feather out females first.

If you mean sex linked as in wing feather sexing, then no.

 

[jojosthings]

If you mean do the females get tail feathers, etc. first then yes, but it's not 100%. Plenty of us have had the first one with tail feathers end up being a boy and the last to have them end up being a girl. But most do feather out females first.

If you mean sex linked as in wing feather sexing, then no.

yeah I meant wing featger sexing. We haven't got to tail feathers yet... Do the pullets wings feather out faster usually??

 

[thedragonlady]

yeah I meant wing featger sexing. We haven't got to tail feathers yet... Do the pullets wings feather out faster usually??

Pullets from SOME lines feather out faster over the back and wings., however not all lines feather out at the same rate. My English feather out differently than my 50% birds, who in turn feather out differently from the pure US birds. I can generally tell about 4 weeks by the combs and wattles, the females being much smaller and finer. Some will fool you though until almost 5 months old.

 

[jojosthings]

Pullets from SOME lines feather out faster over the back and wings., however not all lines feather out at the same rate. My English feather out differently than my 50% birds, who in turn feather out differently from the pure US birds. I can generally tell about 4 weeks by the combs and wattles, the females being much smaller and finer. Some will fool you though until almost 5 months old.

Ok that's great so it's not a sure and fast rule! Phew all is not lost!! mine are all English so I'd be interested how yours feathered out? the youngest chicks I've had before now tend to have long wing feathers on the cockerels but rounder fuller feathered look on the pullets? But I'm still a newbie so appreciating all the info!

 

[deek]

my little boys desperate for a hold laced hen! Jo

Your little boy is a smarty! I hope he gets his Gold Laced hen! :0)

 

[jojosthings]

Your little boy is a smarty! I hope he gets his Gold Laced hen! :0)

Thanks

me too!!