The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[OSUman]

Reputable breeders sell breeder birds and not culls, if a breeder is selling the worst from the hatching (other then at auctions or as layers) then they are not good breeders IMO

That is a very loaded question. I seen one of the dumpiest looking jubilee orp go for 150.00 that I would not pay 10.00 for and seen great english birds given to me.

Personally I prefer eggs you may pay the same for 6 eggs you would pay for a bird but with eggs you have a chance at getting a good bird. With buying a bird I assure you it is the worst from the hatching...usually. IMO Chicks are a gamble also because of shipping and possible disease.

 

[oldorchardfarms]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Blue-Blac...016?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a71fb26b0 do the birds have a similar look as these? i am not to sure if these are from joy's flock i would ask her.

I'll ask about hatching eggs. I wouldn't mind a high price too much because they live quite close, we could go pick up the eggs and hopefully get a pretty good hatch rate. Since they live so close, I think I'll go over and check out the birds myself rather than asking for photos. We'll see how it goes! $170 is just so much for such a fragile little thing. I have seen some photos of the rooster, he's very, very fluffy and has a very bright red comb. He has some golden yellow on him that she says is from sun/rain. I've had lavender birds, and it looks like a bit more than i've ever seen, but he's bigger, and has more fluff, than any bird i've ever had!

 

[galanie]

The ones in that eBay ad are going to be mixed/part English blood. I saw it in the pics then confirmed in the text. A hen or two looks like it might be 100% is all. But they are all nice looking birds.

 

[klf73]

I can't get over how fluffy these chocolate bantams are! They seem pretty calm too, is this common for this variety?

 

[wava1vaughn]

 

[GA_in_GA]

 

[HenThymes]

Besides the fact they are bantam orps, what are they, choc splits??

Does the male have wry tail, he seems to be holding it to one side?

 

[lildinkem]

Reputable breeders sell breeder birds and not culls, if a breeder is selling the worst from the hatching (other then at auctions or as layers) then they are not good breeders IMO

Agree with you JON. I have bought eggs, chicks and grown out birds. By far I was the most satisfied with the grown out bird. My best Buff was a cock I purchased for $20 from Doug. There I knew what I was getting. Did not have to put a bunch of money into feed to raise them. The bird cost as much as one would pay to just ship hatching eggs. Did not have to gamble on IF the eggs were nuked by USPS. Doug would not sell a bird with any inherit defects. I hatch enough of my own eggs to know how many it takes to just get one with a perfect tail size and color. Only eggs from now on I will hatch out of others stock is in an egg trade like I did this past week. A very nice top quality Exhibition White breeder from your neck of the woods in ILLINOIS sent me 2 dozen eggs and I returned the favor by sending 2 dozen back. When hatching eggs of anothers stock you almost need a minimum of 30 to get that one or two which could pass as acceptable Exhibition quality. Just better to buy a duo or trio and start hatching right away.

 

[SherrieT]

Looks like I only have 3 possible out of 14 B/B/S eggs I had shipped to me. So sad. No way to tell if the BCM eggs in the same shipment are doing any better.

eta: I'm done with eggs................

 

[lildinkem]

Looks like I only have 3 possible out of 14 B/B/S eggs I had shipped to me. So sad. No way to tell if the BCM eggs in the same shipment are doing any better.

eta: I'm done with eggs................

That is not really all that bad. I averaged 25% fertility on most all the eggs I had ever shipped to me. By far my worst experience was when I first started into chickens. Like many I bought a dozen Black Copper Marans eggs from, at that time the secretary of one of the Marans clubs Brenda Little, she had an EBAY auction which I paid $200 not including shipping. It was suppose to be pure Bev Davis lines. Coming from CA to Indiana and not one hatched. I wrote her back and not being her fault she did let me buy 6 more for just the cost of shipping which was another $20. One hatched then and then promptly commited suicide by drowning in the chick waterer. So, a net of $240 going out and for nothing. I think I spent over $1,500 that first year on BCM eggs. NONE of the pullets I ever hatched laid a dark egg. To add insult to injury, I had a Betty Jo Aldrich Birchen Marans cock (I bought from Betty Jo in person) knocked up a Lemon Blue Ameraucana looking hen last season making Silver Duckwing looking pullets. One I am using rite now in my Crele project lays the darkest egg I ever had laid on my property. And that pullet is just 1/2 Marans. So I got a Dick Dickerson Cuckoo Marans cockerel, at Crossroads show for free, just to use with the Silver Duckwing pullet to make Silver Crele Marans. That maybe the only good that will ever come out of Marans. I love my Birchen cock Bruno. He is still an aggressive breeder. He is still allowed access to my Lemon Blue mix Ameraucana (I mean EE for the purists who have a fit when I am saying my Lemon Blue is an Ameraucana) to make some more Silver Duckwings. So, you just have to be willing to put more in and expect nothing. Then when you hit a homerun it comes as a gratifying surprise.