The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[HenHacienda]

That should be interesting. All my English Orpingtons are running together at the moment --that's soon going to change since the girls are starting to lay. I've eggs under broody hens and in my bator from them. Could be BBS, blacks, Jubs, Reds, Chocolates. Lavs, Cuckoos, Lav Cuckoos. hahahaaa I've hatched some already under a broody ---My "FIRST" OFFICIAL English Baby from my FancyChick Clan, and it appears to be a BBS - I will try to post a picture!

 

[HenHacienda]

by the way, you're baby's are puuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrdy!

 

[jeremy]

My newest babies! A trio of bantam English Orpingtons, 2 Blacks, and an adorable little Blue. Hatched last Friday from eggs we received from Blue Rein Poultry. So excited to watch these little ones grow up!

 

[alebuela]

About a week ago, I got a Bantam English Chocolate Orpington laying hen, to replace the Buff Orpington roo that I had to re-home. She had come from a fairly large mixed flock with roos and hens kept together, and also had a very strong odor and very oily feathers. When I introduced her to my own flock of 5, she was immediately attacked by 3 of my pullets, since I didn't have a way to isolate her from them. She also wasn't preening for the first 24 hours. I wondered if part of the difficulty in socializing her had to do with the scent and oiliness of the other flock. So I gave her a bath and dried her well. She immediately started preening. In my inexperience, I didn't know that the oiliness is normal, but she didn't seem to suffer from having the oils washed away, and she has continued preening. She also has no smell, or at least not compared to the original one.

Now, since I've learned more, and she is still being ostracized by the other birds, I wonder if I did the right thing. It's too late to undo it now. She has taken to sleeping by herself underneath the coop, within the run. When she first came, I let her sleep in one of the nesting boxes, where she was soon joined by the three birds who were attacking her during the day. Now, they've just moved into the nesting boxes, where I don't want them, and really sort of forced her out. Will sleeping alone harm her socialization?

I think I've made a lot of mistakes, and bring this to you other BYC'ers to see if you have suggestions for remedying any of what I have done. Thanks for whatever wisdom and suggestions you have!

 

[Faraday40]

About a week ago, I got a Bantam English Chocolate Orpington laying hen, to replace the Buff Orpington roo that I had to re-home. She had come from a fairly large mixed flock with roos and hens kept together, and also had a very strong odor and very oily feathers. When I introduced her to my own flock of 5, she was immediately attacked by 3 of my pullets, since I didn't have a way to isolate her from them. She also wasn't preening for the first 24 hours. I wondered if part of the difficulty in socializing her had to do with the scent and oiliness of the other flock. So I gave her a bath and dried her well. She immediately started preening. In my inexperience, I didn't know that the oiliness is normal, but she didn't seem to suffer from having the oils washed away, and she has continued preening. She also has no smell, or at least not compared to the original one.

Now, since I've learned more, and she is still being ostracized by the other birds, I wonder if I did the right thing. It's too late to undo it now. She has taken to sleeping by herself underneath the coop, within the run. When she first came, I let her sleep in one of the nesting boxes, where she was soon joined by the three birds who were attacking her during the day. Now, they've just moved into the nesting boxes, where I don't want them, and really sort of forced her out. Will sleeping alone harm her socialization?

I think I've made a lot of mistakes, and bring this to you other BYC'ers to see if you have suggestions for remedying any of what I have done. Thanks for whatever wisdom and suggestions you have!

Normally, you want to introduce more than one new bird at a time. (Safety in numbers) After the quarantine period, I keep them in a dog crate inside the run for a week so they get used to each other. A "look but don't touch" approach. The final step is sneaking the new birds into the coop & onto a roost under the cover of darkness. The new birds won't move or get picked on b/c they can't see. By morning, they get along better because they just spent the night together. Wake up early to make sure. They birds may never be best friends, but once the pecking order is established they'll be fine. All of these steps help ease the transition.

I recommend that you keep placing the new hen on a roost each night so she learns where to sleep. Make sure you have a few feeding & watering areas so she doesn't starve from bullying. If the hen bleeds, take her out right away. The flock may gang up on her.

 

[HenHacienda]

How adorable! I need to post my new baby's too. Jeremy I sent you a PM.

 

[Mahen100]

Alebuela, "what Faraday said" about introducing new hens. Right now, your hens must see the new gal as "an intruder." Let them "look but no touch" for a while...ideally a temporary run next to the established hens' outside space...and separate sleeping quarters until you find they can be in the same run outside with relative co-existence, then try sneaking her in after dark onto a roost. I have even rigged a roost pole in a dog carrier prior to introducing into the big house. It may take a week or more of "look but no touch." I don't think the bath, or lack of one has much to do with it.

Here is the back of my now 7-wk old black orp:

 

[alebuela]

Alebuela, "what Faraday said" about introducing new hens. Right now, your hens must see the new gal as "an intruder." Let them "look but no touch" for a while...ideally a temporary run next to the established hens' outside space...and separate sleeping quarters until you find they can be in the same run outside with relative co-existence, then try sneaking her in after dark onto a roost. I have even rigged a roost pole in a dog carrier prior to introducing into the big house. It may take a week or more of "look but no touch." I don't think the bath, or lack of one has much to do with it. Here is the back of my now 7-wk old black orp:

Thank you so much for responding and for your words of experience and chicken wisdom. They have been treating her more tolerantly, with only the occasional pecks from the other three, and she's comfortable enough to have started laying after her molt.

 

[alebuela]

Normally, you want to introduce more than one new bird at a time.  (Safety in numbers)  After the quarantine period, I keep them in a dog crate inside the run for a week so they get used to each other.  A "look but don't touch" approach.  The final step is sneaking the new birds into the coop & onto a roost under the cover of darkness.  The new birds won't move or get picked on b/c they can't see.  By morning, they get along better because they just spent the night together.  Wake up early to make sure.  They birds may never be best friends, but once the pecking order is established they'll be fine.  All of these steps help ease the transition.

I recommend that you keep placing the new hen on a roost each night so she learns where to sleep.  Make sure you have a few feeding & watering areas so she doesn't starve from bullying.  If the hen bleeds, take her out right away.  The flock may gang up on her.

Thank you so much, Faraday. I will know better next time on all counts. My wonderful EE is calm with everyone, and sometimes seems to be running a protective interference for my new one. Actually, the pecking that they do to her seems to be no worse than what they do to each other in establishing their own places in the order. My problem is that I have such a tiny yard, there aren't any places - other than the fenced strawberry batch - where I could isolate her. She did get to spend a morning there, and now I have no strawberries.

I really appreciate your wise words. Thanks again!

 

[CarsonOrps]

Ok I love this thread so much but it doesn't stay very active so I'm gonna change that I'm gonna post a pic everyday and I hope everyone does the same!

Ok so KeithOrps got a new breeding rooster!
100% Red English Orpington Pair!! We will be offering eggs soon if you would like to see behind the seen photos PM me and if you ever want eggs or chicks PM me I would gladly help!!!

This is CopperHead and Strawberry!!! Roo and hen!!