The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[Happy Chooks]

Does anyone else notice that their English Orps waddle when they walk? It seriously reminds be of when I was pregnant! (no, there's nothing wrong with them, it's just they are SO BIG!)

I just love sitting out with them, watching them. They are so friendly, they have certainly stolen a piece of my heart.

And the "boy" (now a girl) is no longer teeny tiny compared to the other girl. She is certainly smaller, but gaining size FAST!

 

[jeremy]

Yes, I've noticed how they tend to waddle around the yard like penguins. What I think is even more hilarious is when they get excited and try to fly...

Especially my big blue boy, seeing him flap as hard as he can only to get a couple inches from the ground for maybe 3 seconds makes me giggle every time.

My chicks are almost 4 months old, they're literally just as big as my full grown 2+ year hens, I'm going to start integrating them into the larger flock soon before the coldest months of winter hit here, that way all their fluff can help keep the coop nice and toasty!

BTW Kelly, I know you were disappointed when you didn't end up with a little boy like you wanted, I only have 2 cockerels left from the chicks Joy shipped me, the tank of a blue boy and my splash, Edmund. I'm thinking I may end up rehoming the blue, if so, would you be interested in a cockerel still?

 

[justuschickens59]

My orps definitely waddle and Winston is so big he can't even run - he hops when he tries to run.

On a happy note - I'm so excited !! Went down to take care of the chickens a while ago and had two eggs !!

First eggs I've had in weeks and weeks !! I rushed back to the house, cracked them open, and they are absolutely, positively fertile !!

I sure hope they are going to start laying a bit regularly now.

to the

 

[Tuffoldhen]

An egg, an egg..... I only wish for an egg from anyone of them!!

This has never happened before for all of them to quit laying at the same time!!! It's been so cold here tho I don't blame them. Who wants to pop out an egg when it's -17 degrees with the wind! Brrr........

 

[justuschickens59]

Same here Sandy - I've never had a time where I didn't get a single egg for WEEKS !! WOW 17 below Zero??? Geez. It has been cold here and the wind has been brutal, but our low has been 12 degrees with a wind chill of -1.

We had some snow and ice yesterday. Hubby was supposed to have surgery yesterday morning at 8:30AM. We had to drive an hour (in good weather). We left yesterday morning in plenty of time. About 3 miles from our house a car had slid into a ditch. THen when we finally got out on the main road, there was a car directly in front of us who lost control and spun around about 3 times and hit the ditch backwards. Then we got behind a Miller Beer truck that was sliding everywhere. WHen he lost control and did a donut in the middle of the road, we decided to turn around. It had taken us about an hour to get to this point, that normally takes about 20 minutes. When we got back on our road where that first car had hit the ditch, it was still there, but now a truck had slid off the road and hit the car in the ditch. Then there was a small pickup that was stuck in the middle of the road. This was on a very slight incline and the little truck had made it about 1/2 way up and could not go any further and the road was completely blocked. When we tried to stop, hubby started sliding and we slid from one side of the road and then back to the other and missed the ditch by about 2 inches. Then we had to sit there for over 30 minutes waiting for a tow truck to come and get the road cleared. I was never so happy to get home in all my days !!! Surgery has been rescheduled for 12/30, so hopefully the weather will be more cooperative then. We just aren't used to this cold and snow and ice down here.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Yesterday I had doctor appt. in town 17 miles away. Made it safe and sound with the 4-wheel drive and even did some last minute shopping. It wasn't a good day at all, I think we got 6 more inches of snow and schools were closed again. We are the largest county in the state of WV and in the mts and valley so it's rough for buses to be out and about when the snow plows have such hard times keeping roads clear.

I finally got to let all my chickens out for the day today but had to use a whole bale of straw making paths for them to get around outside in their runs. Poor things were going stir crazy being locked up!

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

Quote:
That is my plan for this evening and tomorrow. Then I think it is back to stuck in the coop for another day or two.

I wondered how much snow you received. We only got about 2 inches but then it turned into ice-packed travelling. Wrecks everywhere!

 

[justuschickens59]

Glad you made it safe and sound, Sandy. We would have done much better with the 4X4, but I would have had to have driven home and I'm too short to reach the pedals of the truck, so that was out

I let mine out everyday. We have the main coop door and then the little "dwarf doors" that open out into the run. I open it every morning and it is up to them if they want to come out or not. If it get bitterly cold, I do keep the dwarf door shut and make them stay in the coop all day....they normally are NOT happy with that.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
YAY for you! Great news!

I am getting eggs .... I put every one of them in the bator. So far .... NONE have been fertile!

 

[justuschickens59]

And...when I went back down this evening to shut up the coops, I had another egg. Rushed in the house, cracked it, and it was also fertile !! YAY. I'm doing a happy dance here !!! Breaking out the bators again !!