The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[flgardengirl]

I don't have one, but I've heard they're great. I use a "mama heating pad" which is a DIY version using he same idea. I think it will be fine for heat.

I hatched & raised my poults with chicks and didn't have any problems. They got along and the chicks taught the poults. I think raising them together made it easier, and I just fed the chickens the meatbird feed. I never had a mature male but my turkey hen did squat often for our roosters. LOL

There's a running joke that turkeys keep trying to find strange new ways to kill themselves. I never had one die on me but one got stuck a couple times in a feeder and another was lost for a while then found inside the composter.

Haha one of my BBB turkey hens was in love w a Blue Marans rooster. They would all free range together. She would chase that roo around calling to him and trying to get him to mate her. She was prob around 30 lbs. He would run away and she would chase him. It was hysterical. I looked high n low for a mature Blue Slate Tom for her during that time, haha, but no luck!

We raised our turkey hens w chickens as well. There was originally a male poult with them but he ran into the side of our boat and hit his head and died while free ranging...yes they are hazard prone lol! It was the craziest thing.


What varieties of turkeys do you all have?

Here's my BBB hen that loved the blue roo lol. I miss those hens. I am tempted to find some more BBBs

 

[ColtHandorf]

Another question...do some of these heavy Eng Orp roos have a hard time getting up on the perches? I am thinking of lowering some of mine. I think my black roo might of hurt himself jumping down.

Mine roost up three feet and higher. They aren't a big fan of flying up to the roosts, but a nice wide ladder helps. Most of them jump down but a few use the ladder. I do think my original Silver-laced Rooster, Sterling, injured his leg jumping down. He was limping heavily one day and dead the next morning. So I could be totally wrong about that. I wouldn't lower the roosts any more than they already are.

What varieties of turkeys do you all have?

I only have Blue Slates. The smallest hen has finally started laying, but never in the same place twice. She laid one on the poop board, two in the big dog kennel with hay (where I fixed up for her), and two in the middle of the breeding pen where one was broken. When I get enough to set I'll fill the incubator I emptied by shifting infertile eggs around and see if they are fertile. I've never seen him successfully breed her and the other hen despises him I'm pretty sure. She half struts at him and ignores him most of the time.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Well Suede finally passed away yesterday afternoon. He went from being able to stand and shuffle around Wednesday to laying on his side yesterday morning. he sat in my lap on the porch while I got some water in him to keep him hydrated but I didn't imagine he'd pull through. He had gotten very thin. I think the his organs may have been failing. I was just surprised at how light he'd gotten. He certainly wasn't that thin Wednesday. Oh well. At least he's out of his misery now and that's one other thing I have to worry about. :/

I cleared a pretty substantial area yesterday along the barn and fence line and made some huge burn piles. I think Dorcas, the Lavender pullet, finally started laying. I got four eggs the other day but two of them were very large and round like Dahlia's, so it is possible that I missed getting one out of a nest box the day before.

I haven't candled eggs again, but they are due to hatch next week. I'll probably do a final candling and see how things look later this week. I'll be excited to get some new puff balls.

In the meantime, does anyone have any contacts for nice BBS Orpingtons? I'm going to have to fins a new rooster and some more pullets would be nice.

 

[Honora]

Well Suede finally passed away yesterday afternoon. He went from being able to stand and shuffle around Wednesday to laying on his side yesterday morning. he sat in my lap on the porch while I got some water in him to keep him hydrated but I didn't imagine he'd pull through. He had gotten very thin. I think the his organs may have been failing. I was just surprised at how light he'd gotten. He certainly wasn't that thin Wednesday. Oh well. At least he's out of his misery now and that's one other thing I have to worry about. :/

I cleared a pretty substantial area yesterday along the barn and fence line and made some huge burn piles. I think Dorcas, the Lavender pullet, finally started laying. I got four eggs the other day but two of them were very large and round like Dahlia's, so it is possible that I missed getting one out of a nest box the day before.

I haven't candled eggs again, but they are due to hatch next week. I'll probably do a final candling and see how things look later this week. I'll be excited to get some new puff balls.

In the meantime, does anyone have any contacts for nice BBS Orpingtons? I'm going to have to fins a new rooster and some more pullets would be nice.

So sorry to hear you lost your rooster.

 

[ColtHandorf]

So sorry to hear you lost your rooster.

It's okay. I honestly think he's much better off. I don't think he ever would have been the same if he had fully recovered. And I certainly don't have to feel horrible for him every time I go outside and see him.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

@ColtHandorf I'm so sorry about Suede. He was a gorgeous boy. You did all you could trying to save him. I hope you are able to find some BBS that you want.

 

[Faraday40]

@ColtHandorf
So sorry about dear Suede. He was absolutely stunning.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I'm so sorry about Suede. He was a gorgeous boy. You did all you could trying to save him. I hope you are able to find some BBS that you want.

I certainly did spend a lot of money on antibiotics. Plus keeping a full-grown rooster in my bathroom for nearly six weeks. *shakes head* He was a sweet boy and I'm glad he got to nap in my lap yesterday morning, but I won't miss giving him baths and worrying about him. It'll be nice to focus on some new babies in the coming weeks.

So sorry about dear Suede. He was absolutely stunning.

He certainly was. Even if he did have some major red leakage coming in on his hackles when he was getting cuddles and naps in my lap yesterday. lol I'll just remember him as my big, blue boy. He was sweet. I've got a few friends around here looking for a blue male. Ideally I'd like a pair of brothers, one black and one blue to go with the Chocolate and Lavender girls and then the Blue, black, and Splash girls respectively.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Here’s Sterling getting some cuddles from a friend the other day. He was so funny because he wanted to hate it but he really like it. Lol She sat him down and he’d come over and stand by her and ask to get picked up again. If she took too long he’d turn around and act uninterested like he was a big strong man who didn’t need any cuddles and wattle rubbing. Lol

 

[Faraday40]

My SLOs are now taking trips to their love shack each day. I am seeing Awesome mate and hear him crow. In fact, he now needs a crow collar.

Here are some pics today.

Here's Awesome with his pullets Stormy (blue SLO wearing the saddle) and Treasure.
Stormy is taking over for Blizzard and Treasure is just about the sweetest most gentle chicken ever. Unfortunately, the young cockerels are pretty rough on these girls and they now resemble naked necks. Crystal is currently broody, so it will be a long while before I will get some fertile hen eggs.