The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[jeremy]

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Good morning Joy!

I'm going to try and get them up this afternoon inbetween cleaning up my messy house and packing to leave for the weekend. We're driving down to Southern California to visit family over the long weekend, a friend of mine is chicken sitting and this will be the longest time I've had away from my birds in, well ever. We'll be gone for 3 whole days!

I keep reassuring myself that all I have to do is leave a detailed list of how to take care of them and my babies will be alright.

 

[justuschickens59]

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Good morning Joy!

I'm going to try and get them up this afternoon inbetween cleaning up my messy house and packing to leave for the weekend. We're driving down to Southern California to visit family over the long weekend, a friend of mine is chicken sitting and this will be the longest time I've had away from my birds in, well ever. We'll be gone for 3 whole days!

I keep reassuring myself that all I have to do is leave a detailed list of how to take care of them and my babies will be alright.

Jeremy - I know exactly how you feel. We go away for a whole 7 days every October to the beach and it's hard to leave the chickens. We have a friend that takes care of our birds and he does a GREAT job. Don't worry about them - they'll be fine. Just have a good time this weekend !!!

 

[cfc]

He does have a good topline, his tail is a lot neater than it appears in the picture. He also has very good depth and a lovely head.

The main reason i didn't breed from him is his colour. For me, in exhibition males, the divide in colour from the top half and the bottom half should be a lot better than on this male. Basically, he is too dark for my liking. I had 4 males that were better than him for colour and size, with similar qualities in type. With the right females he would probably breed some very good exhibition type males, but i don't know if he would produce anything with good enough colour.

I prefer showing females aswell, as i think a good female with great ground colour and lacing is a lot more impressive than a good male. That said, this year i hatched around 40 males and 10 females so i think i'll have to enjoy showing males for a bit!

Matt

 

[kathyinmo]

While I was outside in this 108* heat index weather, I took a few pictures. Not many turned out very good, but here are some.
I am wondering if this splash chick might be female.

Maybe even the first 2 pictures here?

One of my black hens......

A couple of the boys growing out, from my stock (the Lavender is not English type, of course) .......

 

[justuschickens59]

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Matt - I see what you are saying that the divide in color of top and bottom half is not very definitive. I think the bottom color is very nice. I have yet to get a blue male with good bottom color. All my boys are very dark blue. This is something that I definitely need to work on in my males. I have several blue girls who have lovely color - I just wish I could get that same pretty blue in my blue boys.

Your cockerel to pullet ratio sounds about like mine !!!

 

[justuschickens59]

Kathy - how old are they? Looking at the pictures, from what I can see, the first two pictures look like pullets. I say this because they look like they have full feathering on their backs and lack of that little puff of a tail. Pictures 3 and 4 are definitely boys. Do you see the difference in feathering and the little tuft of a tail????

 

[jeremy]

Kathy, I think your Splash chick might be a pullet, too.

Edmund already had a larger comb and small wattles at a young age.

 

[radirevo]

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Would like to have one like that, he's awesome.

 

[kathyinmo]

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Well, when did you hatch them?

Ummm, Memorial Day weekend! I will be happy if I have at least 2 girls!

 

[daytonfarm]

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Matt can you post a picture of what a good blue rooster and hen look like? We have so many shades of blue that I don't know which to keep!
Carolyn