The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[Faraday40]

@homeschoolin momma

Taji was a wonderful boy and will be missed by many. He had his own on-line fan club on BYC for his stunning looks and sweet temperament.

 

[Faraday40]

I had my own losses here today. I let Darling outside with her chicks. They were in a temp chicken tractor and something got to them. Darling and most of the chicks are fine. I found the body of the one white orp chick. There are 2 spitzie chicks missing. No bodies, No peeping, and No body parts or feathers. Just gone. I searched for a while, so at this point, I'm pretty sure they were taken/eaten. I went from 13 chicks down to 10 in less than 3 hours. To stop further loss, I put them back inside the garage brooder. I'll have to rethink my chicken tractor set up before putting them back out. I feel terrible.

My backyard must be a very rough neighborhood. Xansie's chicks (hatched June 19th) are still not free-ranging on their own. I put them in a protected corner of the coop/run at night and used to carry them to the tractor each day. About 10-12 days ago, I left them inside, but left an opening for them to slip out. I figured they be exploring during the day but returning to their corner area to eat, drink, & sleep. Although they do pop out and explore the run while when the big hens are out, they have yet to venture through the chicken door and outside into the real world. It's an odd group of 4 orp pullets, 2 serama cockerels, and Lonely.

 

[Faraday40]

View attachment 2301467
As you can see from one picture,she is extremely curious. Doesn't liked to be picked up and held, but loves to get in your face, look at your phone, look in your pockets, etc.

On a lighter note....

I have no idea where your black lav pullet inherited her curious personality, begging tenacity, pick-pocket ability, and camera photo-bombing.

*This was taken while I was attempting to photograph the young cockerels.

 

[Faraday40]

My young lav cocks:

The slightly older one is in front. I like his body shape more. (rounded)

I also like his tail.

The younger one on the right, however, has a nicer comb.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

My young lav cocks:

The slightly older one is in front. I like his body shape more. (rounded)
View attachment 2301858
I also like his tail.View attachment 2301859
The younger one on the right, however, has a nicer comb.
View attachment 2301861

I like the one on the right. I like big butts.

 

[Faraday40]

I like the one on the right. I like big butts.

Your other right?
LEFT RIGHT

 

[homeschoolin momma]

Your other right?
LEFT RIGHT
View attachment 2302032

Yeah, yeah, im tired. Left.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

As requested....

View attachment 2301465View attachment 2301466View attachment 2301467View attachment 2301469View attachment 2301470View attachment 2301472
As you can see from one picture,she is extremely curious. Doesn't liked to be picked up and held, but loves to get in your face, look at your phone, look in your pockets, etc.

She doesnt have a name yet. @Farady40 suggested beauty, princess, and Cinderella. Any other suggestions?

Its been a hard long week for me. I started back at work this week working up to 8 hours a day. I finished the weeding at the church, mowed the lawn, did orientation for the little kids school. Been getting up around 4:30am every morning. Wednesday was the hardest when I opened the coop and my big beautiful sweet boy Taji was lying in front of the door, dead. His comb, wattles and face were purple. The only indication he gave me that something wasnt right was that he didnt go to perch the night before. He had settled down right in front of the door. I gently nudged him inside, gave him a couple of pats and chest rubs and told him to go perch with his girls. 8 hours later.he was gone. I really miss him. He was the bomb of chickens so to speak. He's the one that alerted me to the spitzie girl being attacke the week prior. He saved her life. (Her name is now Miracle) Theres like an empty hole......

Went ahead and did a deep clean on my big coop. Im so tired of these teeny black bugs. They are all over the waterers in the coops. I spray and two days later they are back. They even nasty up the water on the inside of the coolers! I stripped it, scrubbed the wood floors, sucked it all up with the wet vac and sprayed everything. I hate using any chemicals, buts these things need to go!

Sorry for the loss of your rooster Your black hen is gorgeous.

 

[ColtHandorf]

@homeschoolin momma - I adore that pullet. And I'm so sad to hear about Taji. He was such a handsome boy. I think I may lose one of the Silver-laced pullets. She's under a year old and is just not walking. Like she can, but she'll also just let me scoop her up and move her around. It's very odd. She's getting to the food and water alright. I've felt her legs and feet and I don't see any issues. She doesn't seem to be egg bound, so I'm not sure what the issue is. After work today I think I'm going to move her into a smaller pen with no roosters. Hollywood thinks every time he walks by her that her sitting is an invitation. Their perch is only about three feet off the ground but maybe that's too tall and she injured herself jumping down.

I didn't forget about taking pictures of the birds this weekend, I just got busy doing a hundred other things. I'll see if I can get them to cooperate this afternoon after work. It's been so hot they aren't much interested in leaving the barn after 10 in the morning until about 6:30 in the afternoon.

They enjoyed some watermelon last week and I boiled a bunch of bantam eggs and blitzed them in the food processor, shell and all, to feed them back to the birds. Hopefully they don't turn their noses up at it. They tend to scorn anything new and different.

We hatched out some bantams this weekend. I'm hoping to get another good hatch in before the next Poultry Trades Day. I'll be attending as a vendor this time if I can manage to get someone out to test all the birds.

On the Lavender Silver-laced I'm not sure on the sexes still. I think I'm just being overly hopeful, but the larger bird has a smaller, pale comb, slim legs, and is better feathered. The smaller one is most assuredly a cockerel. He's bald, has huge feet/legs, and is already getting pink/red in the comb/face. I will definitely get pictures of them if nothing else.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I got some pictures. I'll post them shortly.