The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[Tehwrd]

Okay so here are my tentative orders for Spring chicks. I haven't placed them yet, because I'm going to immediately experience buyer's remorse.

Papa's Poultry:

Lavender Silver-laced x 6 - $35.00 each = $210.00
Blue, Black, Splash x 8 - $15.00 each = $120.00
Chocolate x 4 - $15.00 each = $60.00
Silver-laced x 4 - $20.00 = $80.00
Lavender x 4 - $20.00 = $80.00

Total: $550.00 (before shipping)

Carolina Rare Chicks

White x 4 - $20.00 each = $80.00
Blue, Black, Splash x 4 - $25.00 each = $100.00
Lavender x 4 - $20.00 each = $80.00
Black Mottled x 2 - $22.00 each = $44.00
Chocolate x2 - $22.50 each = $45.00
Silver-laced x 4 - $25.00 each = $100.00

Total: $449.00 (before shipping)

Cackle Hatchery

Silver-laced x 6 (female) - $19.95 each = $119.70
Rouen x 5 (female) $7.95; x 1 (male) $4.75 = $44.50
Silver Appleyard x 5 (female) $14.65; x 1 (male) $7.10 = $80.35

Total: $244.55 (before shipping)


I've lost my mind. Every bit of it. I really just want to see what the Cackle Orps look like and I decided if I'm going to have ducks I should at least have ducks that I like/want.

And I also need to buy the supplies to build the new breeding pens. I can't remember if I've shared what my goals are but this is what I'd like...

View attachment 2487532

That is a future projection of the set-up I hope to have built before March of 2021. Currently pen numbers 3, 4, 5, 20, 21, and 22 (plus the fenced in backyard) exist. The end goal is this:

1. Grey Saddleback Pomeranians & Khaki Campbells
2. & 3. American Buff Geese, Chocolate Muscovy, (and possibly Guineas)
4. Bourbon Red Turkeys
5.
6. Silver-laced Orpington
7. Blue, Black, Splash Orpington (Mottled)
8. Blue, Black, Splash Silver-laced Orpington
9. Chocolate & Mauve Orpington
10. Lavender Silver-laced Orpington
11. Recessive White Orpington
12. Porcelain Silkies
13. Bantam Lemon Blue Cochins
14. American Seramas
15. American Seramas
16. American Seramas
17. **Bantam English White Orpington
18. **Bantam English Jubilee Orpington
19. **English Jubilee Orpington
20. **APA Bantam Buff Orpington & Call Ducks
21. Grow-out
22. Grow-out

** Are tentative as I have leads on them, but honestly I may need additional space to grow birds out next year. So we'll see where that goes.

With the addition of the Rouens and Silver Appleyards I may phase the Khaki Campbells out, or find somewhere else to keep the ducks.

Tell me I've lost my mind...

Well, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who might have a problem!! I'm going from our 4 hens to some ridiculous number!

Papa's Poultry
6 Lemon Cuckoo Orps (cant decide between eggs and chicks)
6 Silver Laced Orps (can't decide between eggs and chicks)
6 Lavender Laced Orps (can't decide between eggs and chicks)

Cackle Hatchery
10 Silver Laced Orps straight run chicks - (relatively inexpensive and I'm curious how they will compare) These were the first look I had at the English Orpingtons and I loved the silver laced color. Now that I've found the other breeders, I still want to get some of these!

Carolina Rare Poultry
6 Jubilee Orps - might go with 12 because I LOVE the pictures!

Freedom Ranger Hatchery
25 meat birds

Hoover Hatchery
?? Prairie Bluebells

McMurray Hatchery
15 meat birds
3 Cuckoo Marans female chicks- for the dark brown eggs
3 Speckeled Sussex female chicks - for their pretty color
4 Ameraucana female chicks - for their blue eggs - if I get the Bluebells, I will skip these.
2 Whiting True Green female chicks - for their green eggs

The McMurray hens will be my layers. I wanted a pretty flock and lots of colored eggs. Also, with such low numbers, I may end up with roos. That order is really fluid right now, as I'm already wondering how it will all shake out! I know the Orps will lay too, but those are my "fun" birds.

I didn't price it all out, but if I get eggs, I'll probably increase my numbers to 10 or 12 because I want to get at least a few hens in each color. Hubby is taking vacation in late February so we can build the pens and such for my birds that I don't want mixed. My layers and meat birds I pasture during the daylight hours, but I still may add a roo to the mix to further protect them. They do get brought into a secure coop at night. I'm not sure what I will do with my Orpingtons - I may just have to see how they do.

 

[Tehwrd]

What's funny is how some poor chickens are not named, yet others have multiple names and nicknames.

EX:
Cookie, aka "the Bantam Menace" and "Cookie Monster" when broody

Darling (kids called her "Egg" when she had no tail due to molt. Now they're calling her "Chubby Chicken". She's not fat! She's just extra fluffy!)

Mr. Potential loved the toddler next door, who fed him kitchen scraps daily. He was called ____'s Rooster. Also "Pig" because he'd follow anyone anywhere to eat treats.

Does anyone else have multiple names for indiv birds? (It also keeps my DH guessing on how many chickens we own.)

Right now we have Amy aka the Sassy Pants, Jo aka Boss Lady, Beth and Meg.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Well, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who might have a problem!! I'm going from our 4 hens to some ridiculous number!

Papa's Poultry
6 Lemon Cuckoo Orps (cant decide between eggs and chicks)
6 Silver Laced Orps (can't decide between eggs and chicks)
6 Lavender Laced Orps (can't decide between eggs and chicks)

Cackle Hatchery
10 Silver Laced Orps straight run chicks - (relatively inexpensive and I'm curious how they will compare) These were the first look I had at the English Orpingtons and I loved the silver laced color. Now that I've found the other breeders, I still want to get some of these!

Carolina Rare Poultry
6 Jubilee Orps - might go with 12 because I LOVE the pictures!

Freedom Ranger Hatchery
25 meat birds

Hoover Hatchery
?? Prairie Bluebells

McMurray Hatchery
15 meat birds
3 Cuckoo Marans female chicks- for the dark brown eggs
3 Speckeled Sussex female chicks - for their pretty color
4 Ameraucana female chicks - for their blue eggs - if I get the Bluebells, I will skip these.
2 Whiting True Green female chicks - for their green eggs

The McMurray hens will be my layers. I wanted a pretty flock and lots of colored eggs. Also, with such low numbers, I may end up with roos. That order is really fluid right now, as I'm already wondering how it will all shake out! I know the Orps will lay too, but those are my "fun" birds.

I didn't price it all out, but if I get eggs, I'll probably increase my numbers to 10 or 12 because I want to get at least a few hens in each color. Hubby is taking vacation in late February so we can build the pens and such for my birds that I don't want mixed. My layers and meat birds I pasture during the daylight hours, but I still may add a roo to the mix to further protect them. They do get brought into a secure coop at night. I'm not sure what I will do with my Orpingtons - I may just have to see how they do.

Sounds like a great order! I saw the Cackle Hatchery SLO as well. Interesting that straight run are $8.95 and both male and females are $19.95. I may go that route as well if the Papa's Poultry birds do not work out as Cackle is one of the few hatcheries that ship to Hawaii. I have my heart set on the Chocolate orps though, too!

 

[Faraday40]

Thanks to all this "chick talk" I found myself online looking at Papas Poultry and Cackle. I also seriously thought about contacting Peck N Ridge farms. It could be considered a day trip. I'd even pass through Janesville, WI where I could stop and visit with another BYC friend.

I would consider adding a few SLOs for diversity and I really love the look of their penciled and partridge orps. (very beautiful and rare)

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Papa's Poultry
6 Lemon Cuckoo Orps (cant decide between eggs and chicks)
6 Silver Laced Orps (can't decide between eggs and chicks)
6 Lavender Laced Orps (can't decide between eggs and chicks)

I bold typed your post for emphasis.
IMO chicks are better if you can get them. Always a huge risk with shipped eggs and hatch rate. It is fun to hatch your own, do not get me wrong, but if you order chicks, you get the chicks you order. If you order eggs, you may get NO chicks out of it.
Also, if you want them vaccinated, the breeder offers that, pretty expensive doing it yourself. I used a whole bottle of the mareks vaccine one time for two chicks!

 

[Tehwrd]

I bold typed your post for emphasis.
IMO chicks are better if you can get them. Always a huge risk with shipped eggs and hatch rate. It is fun to hatch your own, do not get me wrong, but if you order chicks, you get the chicks you order. If you order eggs, you may get NO chicks out of it.
Also, if you want them vaccinated, the breeder offers that, pretty expensive doing it yourself. I used a whole bottle of the mareks vaccine one time for two chicks!

Yikes! I didn't even think about the vaccine ... I've been reading a lot about hatching today and have been rethinking that idea - thanks for confirming that rethink for me!! I really want to hatch some eggs, but maybe not $300+ worth of my rare bird eggs. I would be devastated to get zero chicks ... I'm thinking I will be better off maybe getting a roo and hatching some from my layers until I have a bit of a clue. If I get chicks, I can grow them up and hopefully have a roo and some hens to then breed and hatch ... hmmm ... then at least I eliminate the shipping issues.
Ouch!! I just carted out chicks versus eggs ... Good thing hubby loves me! I may have to pare down my list for this year ... maybe ... the addiction is real ... Is it bad if I put my entire family on a fasting diet to support my chicken habit???

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Yikes! I didn't even think about the vaccine ... I've been reading a lot about hatching today and have been rethinking that idea - thanks for confirming that rethink for me!! I really want to hatch some eggs, but maybe not $300+ worth of my rare bird eggs. I would be devastated to get zero chicks ... I'm thinking I will be better off maybe getting a roo and hatching some from my layers until I have a bit of a clue. If I get chicks, I can grow them up and hopefully have a roo and some hens to then breed and hatch ... hmmm ... then at least I eliminate the shipping issues.
Ouch!! I just carted out chicks versus eggs ... Good thing hubby loves me! I may have to pare down my list for this year ... maybe ... the addiction is real ... Is it bad if I put my entire family on a fasting diet to support my chicken habit???

I think all of us have family members who think we’ve totally lost it! Pretty sure my family feels that way about me!

 

[ColtHandorf]

I didn't price it all out, but if I get eggs, I'll probably increase my numbers to 10 or 12 because I want to get at least a few hens in each color.

You know a friend just had thirty Cochin eggs shipped in to Texas from Georgia. She shipped them in a "live animal" box, which I've never seen. But everyone of the eggs was in perfect condition. No loose air cells, no cracks, and I hatched out like 24 chicks I think for him. Eggs would be less expensive, but I'm terrified they won't hatch.

IMO chicks are better if you can get them. Always a huge risk with shipped eggs and hatch rate. It is fun to hatch your own, do not get me wrong, but if you order chicks, you get the chicks you order. If you order eggs, you may get NO chicks out of it.

Agreed. I'm struggling right now to get the humidity up high enough for hatching in the cabinet incubator.

I think all of us have family members who think we’ve totally lost it! Pretty sure my family feels that way about me!

Even my chicken people friends think I've lost my mind. lol

 

[ColtHandorf]

Does anyone else have multiple names for indiv birds?

Officially, no. Usually they go by their one and only given name. Some have variations on their names like Golly get's called Golly Goose, Gollygosh, Sweet Boy, etc. And Jamie, the b-hole Silke, gets called a lot of things that I won't type on here...lol

Now when Amanda was at the house, if she didn't like their names she called them something else. So often times I had to learn her names for them. lol

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I just posted a thread asking about the Jubilee english orpingtons from Meyer. Any of you savvy english orp folks have any experience or know someone who has with these birds? Checking out all my options, Meyer does ship to Hawaii. They are asking $36 for a sexed pullet, so for that price, better be the real deal!