The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[Faraday40]

Baby got back... She's sooo fluffy! I love her.

Darling is so wide that she cannot pass through any chicken door without her butt fluff brushing the sides.

Cupcake & my blue orps are the same way. (The laced are a little smaller so they have more room for clearance.)

 

[ColtHandorf]

I can't wait until mine get that fluffy. I agree that my Silver-laced need some more fluff. I'm debating hatching some of Dahlia's eggs with Hollywood covering her to see if I can get some size on partially laced birds. I know one of her sons to the Lavender and Chocolate pullets should increase and keep that fluffy size. Her and Suede's babies should be wide and fluffy too. I wonder what it is that causes the Silver-laced to be smaller. I mean Victoria is nearly as big as Dahlia, but I think if I weighed them the Black is the heaviest. They don't seem to be as loose-feathered as the solid Orps. The whites aren't as fluffy as I'd like either, but it'd be fairly easy to cross them to the blacks to make splits and cross them back to Whites.

 

[Faraday40]

I wonder what it is that causes the Silver-laced to be smaller.

I think it depends on the line. My choc orps were pretty small compared to my lavs. Blizzard (from a breeder's blue SLO project) was much larger than Mr Wonderful & Crystal (my reg SLOs).

I hatched a mauve orp (who ended up a recessive white) from a BYC friend in Chicago. His orps were so much smaller than my lavs, but they all had amazing body shapes. I bred that recessive white with my giant blk/lav split & got Jewel - one of my biggest blue hens. She's a fav around here.

.... and when she's broody - look out!

 

[ColtHandorf]

Wow! She is a big girl! I’m definitely planning on working on size and shape for them.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Sad day. Matilda and Mary decides to not sleep in the chicken house last night and something managed to pop the bottom of the fence off a post and pull Matilda out. I realized it when there were chickens all over the pasture this afternoon. I figure it was probably a coyote or a bobcat.

 

[Faraday40]

Sad day. Matilda and Mary decides to not sleep in the chicken house last night and something managed to pop the bottom of the fence off a post and pull Matilda out. I realized it when there were chickens all over the pasture this afternoon. I figure it was probably a coyote or a bobcat.

I'm so sorry. It's always so sad when there's a predator loss.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

pop the bottom of the fence off a post and pull Matilda

So sorry!!!!

 

[Faraday40]

The flock had some fun running about this morning. (They're pretty much locked up all the time until spring - due to predators. They only get a few min outside when I'm cleaning..... but I admit, I don't always let them out if I'm in a hurry.)

So here are some pics.

Poor Jewel is molting. For some reason she wouldn't stand still for a humiliating molt pic.


Glow is also not looking as good... due to roos pulling out a bit of tail, so she got a saddle today.


Here's Crystal & her 2 "chicks." The boy (far right pic) sleeps with the roosters but the girl (middle pic) is always by her side - even when laying eggs.


Here's my Blue laced orp

Tried to get a good pic of Smudge but the blue pullet photo-bombed.

Here's a pic to show Smudge's pretty color

... and this pic shows her shape. (Why can't I ever get that perfect pic that shows both?)

This is Smudge's baby girl. She's just starting to fill out a little.

Mr Nice Guy

Mr Wonderful showing off his wings. (He's molting a bit, so not his full pretty self.

And here's my baby lav cockerel standing proud & tall

My Darling (from @homeschoolin momma ) I can't wait to hatch her babies in spring!!!! She's the total package with those looks and such a sweet personality.

 

[flgardengirl]

Colt,
I'm so sorry about Matilda! You must be devastated! I hate when stuff like that happens.

Faraday, I just love Jewel. I wanna give her a big squeeze! She's sooo fluffy!

 

[Faraday40]

Faraday, I just love Jewel. I wanna give her a big squeeze! She's sooo fluffy!

At the moment she's not.
Poor gal is molting & looks pathetic.
(For some reason, she didn't want to pose for a pic today.)

* Her previous pic from my earlier post was taken when broody. She's normally very big & fluffy, but when she was broody, she looked like she swallowed a hot air balloon.