The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[rockinpaints]

Love the dirty look. LOL. My birds are panting from the heat too and lifting their wings. On the really hot days I have set up a sprinkler near them (not on them) helps to kind of "mist" and cools the air a bit. Also, I have stuck a hose in runs (they are sand) and let the water run and the birds will actually go stand in the water. Cools the off too. I did not think they would do that, but I watched my big roo walk right over and get into the water. You could tell he felt better right away. Poor buddy - it has been so hot.

What a beautiful trio

of Chocolates!!

 

[galanie]

Love the dirty look.  LOL. My birds are panting from the heat too and lifting their wings. On the really hot days I have set up a sprinkler near them (not on them) helps to kind of "mist" and cools the air a bit.  Also, I have stuck a hose in runs (they are sand) and let the water run and the birds will actually go stand in the water. Cools the off too. I did not think they would do that, but I watched my big roo walk right over and get into the water. You could tell he felt better right away. Poor buddy - it has been so hot.

Absolutely, so long as it's only a couple of inches deep. That's a big part of what's kept my birds going in the heat. Bad picture but here's one of my hatchery girls cooling off in a low pan I have that my mother had made inthe 50's to use for stripping furniture. It's been years and the chemicals are gone now. The black one is a utility cement mixing pan from the hardware store. They'll stand and cool off in it, too.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

You need to build the barn before you can paint it ! I look for broad, deep chests, long Pantaloon, wing carriage, color, and combs. Have to wait on eye and feet color... sometimes takes a while ... also.. sometimes you will get a bird that will have red leakage but you won't know it until much later.

Renie: I am spending the entire day with my birds (after my coffee)

and building all their coops. I promise to get photos of the babies I got from you (via egg). they have to be around 6 weeks - i think. Beautiful.

Okay: To your educated eye you are probably able to "see" the above qualities in a very young bird, but to those of us uneducated "eyes"...at what age do I start watching for this - I guess I am ALWAYS watching - but when do I see it? Under perfect circumstances....to what age do I (or would you) keep a bird to make sure I have seen what I need to see?

thank you

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote: Getting a shallow pan like that is a good idea. I had just let my hose run in the run a bit, Kind of made a shallow puddle. In the one pen - the trio were all standing in the cool running water and they were no longer panting. You could tell they felt better. Unfortunately I only have the 2 spigots from the irrigation water so they had to share. I just kept moving the hoses around all day from pen to pen so that everyone could cool off. I will have to find some shallow pans like that. Good idea.

eta: Oh and the black pan that you speak of....I have those and use the for a ton of things. I have one under my rabbit to catch the poo...straight to the garden. I have them where I put sand and DE in them for the birds to dust in. Those pans are great. Good idea for shallow water too.

 

[bstarr20]

One chick just hatched this morning. There is another with a pip.

 

[Renie'sPeeps]

Well hate to tell ya.... but these English ain't what they are gonna be until they reach 18 months old. and some of them just keep getting better after that


Either breed and keep what you like....or get yourself a copy of the standard and grow out the chicks that look as close to the standard as you can. You will be culling along the way while you are developing your own line.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

I think this will be a better experience........I hope.......yeah, it'll be good....right???

You and I may have to do some bird swapping sometime in the future once you get your stock up and going and I get mine up and going. You are on the wet side of the mountians (WA) and I am on the SUPPOSED dry side - although we have had some crazy weather and had flash flooding yesterday. Businesses in downtown had water into them. I work at the hospital and we had some bad flooding in the basement - also our neighboring building that had PT and dialysis was flooded (couple of inches)...but still for us it was nuts...but I digress.

I am just starting with orps. I have 3 sets of babies with 3 different parentage. Blacks, blues and 1 beautiful splash. I am going to try and get 3 sets of trios/quads out of these guys to go with the 1 trio I have right now. I am very excited to have it all going for next spring. I really want to show. I hope to go to Chehalis - you going? It is in November (date got moved). I was at Monroe - where you? Probably met you ..... sorry I forget easily.

 

[galanie]

Getting a shallow pan like that is a good idea. I had just let my hose run in the run a bit, Kind of made a shallow puddle. In the one pen - the trio were all standing in the cool running water and they were no longer panting. You could tell they felt better. Unfortunately I only have the 2 spigots from the irrigation water so they had to share. I just kept moving the hoses around all day from pen to pen so that everyone could cool off. I will have to find some shallow pans like that. Good idea.

eta:  Oh and the black pan that you speak of....I have those and use the for a ton of things. I have one under my rabbit to catch the poo...straight to the garden. I have them where I put sand and DE in them for the birds to dust in. Those pans are great. Good idea for shallow water too.

I started using the pans last year during the drought. It would have cost me hundreds of dollars to keep an area wet and muddy!

Another thing I so sometimes is, when they're on the roost and panting, I spray water on their tummies with a spray bottle. I know that's kind of crazy, or would be if you had tons of birds, but it does cool them down.

 

[bstarr20]

I get so jealous looking at all the pics. The breeder has eggs in the bator that will hatch in about 10 days and we will try the shipment again. I went back to look at some pics of his birds to see if it is worth it to try again and started drooling. So I guess that means yes. LOL

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Well hate to tell ya.... but these English ain't what they are gonna be until they reach 18 months old. and some of them just keep getting better after that


Either breed and keep what you like....or get yourself a copy of the standard and grow out the chicks that look as close to the standard as you can. You will be culling along the way while you are developing your own line.

18 months - okay. I was thinking right around a year. I know they need to grow out to really see their potential. I have the space available - on my parent's place next to me - 2 acres. I guess I will be building some grow out pens now won't I? LOL. I have the latest addition book of standards - but it is the APA - is their a separate book just for Orps that you would recommend? thank you so much for your time and help and advice.